The OPTIMISTIC Everything 2017 Offseason Thread

[Chr1s1anL]

Still more shoe to drop. I think Masai will go after one of the RFA PF available. After JV is dumped(my guess ATL) some where. My money would be on Jamychal Green. Solid rebounder, good defender and can stretch the floor.

Everyone on this team can play up tempo but, JV. Masai/Casey said during summer league that the raps will play faster. That doesn't fit JV. I'd also really like Tony Allen to be brought in for the culture.

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[S.R.]

Still more shoe to drop. I think Masai will go after one of the RFA PF available. After JV is dumped(my guess ATL) some where. My money would be on Jamychal Green. Solid rebounder, good defender and can stretch the floor.

Everyone on this team can play up tempo but, JV. Masai/Casey said during summer league that the raps will play faster. That doesn't fit JV. I'd also really like Tony Allen to be brought in for the culture.

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I don't know if they can or should play much faster - I've still got bad memories of Sam Mitchell trying to push an uptempo pace on a roster that just couldn't do it, I think it's an easy thing to talk about but it doesn't actually suit everybody and aside from Lowry's "Surprise!" top of the key 3's, both he and DeRozan work better setting up the offence and running pick and rolls.

What they can do if they move JV and get a stretch PF is spread the floor better for their slashing guards and take another step towards multi-positional defence on the other end. The lineup variations available to Casey would be almost too many to count, especially once OG gets up to speed - he'll be able to play PF in small lineups. I'd like to see any of Ibaka, Poeltl, or Siakam as the only big on the court with four skilled perimeter players.

[3inthekeon]

I don't know if they can or should play much faster - I've still got bad memories of Sam Mitchell trying to push an uptempo pace on a roster that just couldn't do it, I think it's an easy thing to talk about but it doesn't actually suit everybody and aside from Lowry's "Surprise!" top of the key 3's, both he and DeRozan work better setting up the offence and running pick and rolls.

What they can do if they move JV and get a stretch PF is spread the floor better for their slashing guards and take another step towards multi-positional defence on the other end. The lineup variations available to Casey would be almost too many to count, especially once OG gets up to speed - he'll be able to play PF in small lineups. I'd like to see any of Ibaka, Poeltl, or Siakam as the only big on the court with four skilled perimeter players.

The thing is, if we want to have any hope of beating the playoff Cavs, we'll have to play faster, because their greatest weakness is transition D. But yeah, that is not our strength at all. Just because we'll play faster doesn't mean we'll actually be good at it.

[Nilanka]

The thing is, if we want to have any hope of beating the playoff Cavs, we'll have to play faster, because their greatest weakness is transition D. But yeah, that is not our strength at all. Just because we'll play faster doesn't mean we'll actually be good at it.

That, and every team vows to play faster next year. But once the season starts, only 4 teams actually pull it off.

[Mess]

The thing is, if we want to have any hope of beating the playoff Cavs, we'll have to play faster, because their greatest weakness is transition D. But yeah, that is not our strength at all. Just because we'll play faster doesn't mean we'll actually be good at it.

Cavs were middle of the pack on defense last year. Lower middle in the regular season, upper middle in the playoffs. I don't think that's the main concern vs them.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

I don't know if they can or should play much faster - I've still got bad memories of Sam Mitchell trying to push an uptempo pace on a roster that just couldn't do it, I think it's an easy thing to talk about but it doesn't actually suit everybody and aside from Lowry's "Surprise!" top of the key 3's, both he and DeRozan work better setting up the offence and running pick and rolls.

What they can do if they move JV and get a stretch PF is spread the floor better for their slashing guards and take another step towards multi-positional defence on the other end. The lineup variations available to Casey would be almost too many to count, especially once OG gets up to speed - he'll be able to play PF in small lineups. I'd like to see any of Ibaka, Poeltl, or Siakam as the only big on the court with four skilled perimeter players.

I actually disagree with this. I think DeRozan in particular could benefit a lot from a faster pace. Then he gets to catch defenses that aren't set with his drives which is going to be a lot of easy baskets.

I'm just not sure Casey can actually execute a fast pace offense. I'm so tired of hearing that he's a defensive coach. There's no consistency there. He's coached bottom 10 defenses and top 10 defenses. The only consistency for him is pace, his teams (whether that's here or in Minnesota) have always been near the bottom of the league in pace. For him to suddenly flip that now is a big ask.

This is my issue. There's so much rhetoric about changing culture and changing systems but nothing IS actually changing. We have basically a lesser version of the same team on more money with the same coach and players.

[3inthekeon]

Cavs were middle of the pack on defense last year. Lower middle in the regular season, upper middle in the playoffs. I don't think that's the main concern vs them.

28th in transition D and thats how the Warriors killed them. I posted this already and I don't think one person here bothered to read it.

https://cleaningtheglass.com/making-the-transition/

[Mess]

28th in transition D and thats how the Warriors killed them. I posted this already and I don't think one person here bothered to read it.

https://cleaningtheglass.com/making-the-transition/

So the Raps just need to be as potent as GS on the break. Gotcha.

[3inthekeon]

So the Raps just need to be as potent as GS on the break. Gotcha.

You're pretty awesome with simplistic answers.

[Mess]

You're pretty awesome with simplistic answers.

This is the OPTIMISTIC thread. You don't want to read a longer answer.

[3inthekeon]

This is the OPTIMISTIC thread. You don't want to read a longer answer.

Here's a longer answer. Cavs were 28th in transition D last year in the regular season. They only played the Warriors twice, so it stands to reason other teams were having success running on them also. One really good way to defeat an opponent is to attack their weakness.

If the Raptors do focus on attacking teams in transition as MU suggested, and they find it does work, maybe, just maybe they'll have a punchers chance against the Cavs, even if they're not nearly as good as the Warriors in transition.

[Mess]

Here's a longer answer. Cavs were 28th in transition D last year in the regular season. They only played the Warriors twice, so it stands to reason other teams were having success running on them also. One really good way to defeat an opponent is to attack their weakness.

If the Raptors do focus on attacking teams in transition as MU suggested, and they find it does work, maybe, just maybe they'll have a punchers chance against the Cavs, even if they're not nearly as good as the Warriors in transition.

What about even if they're not nearly as good as the Warriors in everything?

"Playing faster" won't make up that much ground. Not saying it's a bad idea, but it wouldn't be a top 2 concern when the Raps are playing the Cavs.

[S.R.]

I actually disagree with this. I think DeRozan in particular could benefit a lot from a faster pace. Then he gets to catch defenses that aren't set with his drives which is going to be a lot of easy baskets.

Based on what? Actually curious. Even in the Drew League, DeMar likes to come down, let everything settle, then go to work one-vs-one on his man. His old school iso game is all half court.

That said, maybe the Raps can push it more with more of their youth getting minutes. The young guys can hustle up and down the floor. The second unit in particular would have that potential.

One thing to keep in mind is defence is often sacrificed for pace. One of the things that makes Golden State so unique (and historically great) is that they have this pace + offence combined with very good defence. Most of the teams at the top of the league in pace last year were very poor defensively, and a number of teams with top defences were near the bottom for pace.

Taking advantage of a match-up weakness e.g. vs. Cleveland is great, hopefully with another year together + growing experience this roster is more capable of that kind of adjustment.

[3inthekeon]

What about even if they're not nearly as good as the Warriors in everything?

"Playing faster" won't make up that much ground. Not saying it's a bad idea, but it wouldn't be a top 2 concern when the Raps are playing the Cavs.

We don't know how much ground it will make up, but it's low hanging fruit.

[Demographic Shift]

That would be shocking, IMO. Who starts at PF, Siakam?

These are the bigs right now on the roster... who do you start ?

Caboclo, Ibaka, Siakam PF
Valanciunas, Poeltl, Bebe C's

I see it this way right now barring another trade or signing.

You just paid Ibalka 20M plus and regardless of how you feel about JV (his fault or he is underutilized) he is in the doghouse right now. To get out he has to play like his job is on the line every night. So I think Ibalka starts at PF and surprise surprise the culture reset sees Poeltl out to start as well. He got minutes in the playoffs and this year he gets his chance. He is your 9th pick and time to see what he has.

Starting on the wings are DD and Norm with Kyle running the point. Nothing really new here.

First big up is JV to spell either of Serge or Poeltl (hopefully Poeltl) and next guy up is Pascal. Its him or Bruno or Bebe. So Pascal looks like it.
Delon comes in for Kyle and I think there is a pretty tight 3 man rotation of DD/Norm/Miles on the wings. Two of those 3 guys will be on the floor.

I can hear you now... yes Pascal better have a shot he can make from better than 15 feet out when DD is one of the two wings.

Raps need another pretty dependable 3 point guy at SF that Ujiri has to net out of the remaining FA pool.

Interested to hear how you line up the chess pieces given what is on the board right now.