The OPTIMISTIC Everything 2017 Offseason Thread

[Jclaw]

just in case anyone is following this thread for news as well...it seems that the Sacramento Grizzlies are officially a team and like all good Canadians, Olynyk is heading to Florida for the winter.

[Shredder]

I like what the team has done this summer.
We signed our two biggest free agents and we didn't let them walk for nothing. If it doesn't work we can try to trade. You can't trade a FA that walked.
We drafted a sleeper with OG.
It will be nice to see KL DD and SI play together with a training camp. Last year we forced them to with 2 games left to the season and then the pressure of playoffs.
Worse case scenario we crap the bed to start the season and we loose our coach (best case scenario in my opinion) Worse yet we suck(relative) for the next 2-3 years. We then have 3 huge contracts coming off our books/great trade bait at trade deadline.
We have some interesting assets with all our young core + Cory Joe, JV and Carrol, I'm looking forward to see Masai does with them.
Our 905 team is killing it in the G League
I was bummed with PJ going to Houston, but you can't win them all. Plus, you can't be mad at a guy that turns down more money to go somewhere he believes he can win a championship within the end of his career.

All in all this has been the easiest stretch in Raptors history to be a Raptor fan.

[Fully]

I think there's plenty of reasons to look forward to next season. The Raptors should still be amongst the best teams in the Conference and have a chance to win 50 games again, and while I feel like I'm in the minority a lot on here these days, I've actually found that pretty enjoyable over the last couple of years.

The 3 year deals for Lowry and Serge still keeps the overwhelming majority of our roster relatively liquid if there was ever a reason to veer off course and start moving some of the core pieces. At the same time, I feel like the back half of our roster is a lot younger and more intriguing than most of the other teams who won 45 games or more last season. We've used the D League very effectively to help give our young guys a blend of spending time with the professional team while still getting a lot of actual reps with the 902. Norm seems poised to take another step and I remain high on Poetl and Wright. Plus the OG pick was a great home run swing at 23. I know there's some talk about how they've failed to develop young talent in recent years but I think we've out kicked our coverage in that respect. The organization definitely seems to be invested in player development even if Casey doesn't always coach that way.

I'm sort of surprised that there wasn't at least some chatter about DC losing his job after the playoffs, but it seems like for better or for worse, Masai is a guy who doesn't let a coach toil in the wind like that. Masai seemed serious after getting knocked out about the 'culture reset' so I'll be disappointed if it's the same players doing the same shit every game next season. I'm generally neutral on Casey as a coach but I kind of like that we still have replacing him as a card to play if necessary.

This is literally the first time that we've been stable enough to enjoy any type of sustained success in a quarter of a century history of being a franchise. And I'll gladly admit that the path to get from good to great isn't particularly clear but rarely is it for most teams. Masai has proven himself to be one of the best execs in the game and I'm alright with trusting him that he'll continue to either explore ways to improve the current version of the team, or pull the trigger on a significant roster shake up if necessary.

Overall I'm enjoying meaningful basketball on a night to night basis and am good with Masai holding steady for the time being and trying to be opportunistic (or let's face it, just lucky) in a very shaky Conference right now. The Lebron leaving again thing seems real, there's been a mass exodus of talent from East to West this summer, none of the teams beneath us in the standings have decidedly jumped over us in the pecking order. In fact, three of the teams in the playoffs last year have just stopped trying. It's not the worst time to try and run it back with a pretty good team.

[JawsGT]

I'm excited to see some of the young guys get more PT. We got some talent hiding there IMO. There will likely be some hiccups along the way, but should be fun watching them grow. If Demar improves on something once again that will be amazing. And if the approach to offence shifts even a little, then this team could be better than last season.

[Puffer]

While some of the young guys didn't get as much run as we might have liked to see them get, they got enough to know what they need to work on to become more effective.

In four or five months, Poeltl could have made significant gains in strength and could easily have put on 10-12 pounds. His shooting should be better. He's already a heads up player.

Siakim was busting out a little 15 footer at the end of the season. It would be nice if he can do that a little more. His time dominating in the G League might have boosted his confidence as well.

Wright was already a heads up player. I would expect his 3 to have improved.

I hope Norm watched a lot of video and can make some decisions other than just putting his head down. He seems to be a workhorse. Maybe he follows in Derozan footsteps and gets better every year for the next several at least.

Interested to see what OG looks like in November/December. He could be a help on the second unit if he comes back with the kind of athleticism he showed in the highlight videos.

And I wonder what Derozan works on all summer. Please let it be "D."

Overall I am looking forward to the new season... Of course, I haven't given up on Masao being able to work some magic.

How many days to go???

[SkywalkerAC]

People assume that we've gotten worse, losing a few veterans (that we basically couldn't afford, though we would have made room for PJ). That completely disregards the internal development of our young players, some of whom looked ready for prime-time even last season.

You need vets to win at a good pace, but we've still got Kyle, Ibaka, DeMar, and others, and avenues to add more. However, I'm looking forward to seeing our young guys contribute and improve.

[KeonClark]

I'm excited to see OG anunoby, I think he could be a great pick, and finally answer our small forward position for the first time since vince Carter. Obviously getting ahead of myself, but I feel better about this pick than Poeltl at 9 (and I like poeltl)

[SkywalkerAC]

People assume that we've gotten worse, losing a few veterans (that we basically couldn't afford, though we would have made room for PJ). That completely disregards the internal development of our young players, some of whom looked ready for prime-time even last season.

You need vets to win at a good pace, but we've still got Kyle, Ibaka, DeMar, and others, and avenues to add more. However, I'm looking forward to seeing our young guys contribute and improve.

[S.R.]

My thinking is this:

We had to re-sign our free agents. We weren't in a position to sign any big names anyways, and they wouldn't come here without Kyle in the first place. They only got 3 year deals, so they can all be dealt at the deadline or next offseason if things go horribly this year. If things aren't looking up in 2-3 years, the team can go all-in on rebuild or to sign other free agents when our 3 stars will be free agents at the same time, past their prime(maybe not DD).

I'm still OK with where we're at and where we're headed. Hope the game plans change this year and I hope JV gets more looks inside and they don't forget about him.

Sums it up nicely. I'd like to add ownership + management are stronger than at any other point in the history of this franchise.

Basically within a fairly short window here, any path you could ask for is going to be a legit option - try to keep building, unload + tank, or be a major FA player and try an offseason overhaul.

I'm fine with that. We'll see what they can do in the next couple of seasons (during which, plateauing as a 50 win team is hardly a terrible worst case scenario) and if Ujiri doesn't come up with anything and there aren't sufficient internal improvements, we'll be moving on to a summer overhaul or a tank.

I'm going to enjoy the above average Raptors basketball in the meantime, there hasn't been much of it the last 20+ years.

[Bendit]

I don't know if this meets the optimistic expectations standard...but I have been coming across various articles, podcasts etc why Lebron is not going to be in Cleveland beyond next season. Some of the pointers...Lebron has shut it down with his recruiting for the team as compared to previous years, Billups did not take the Cavs. GM job b/c LBJ is not going to be around, rumours about him joining LAL, the banana boat group all become free agents after next year and would like to play together!!

So, there is hope about the Cavs imploding. They may however be replaced by Boston...but they as currently constituted, I am thinking..."there is a chance".

[Jangles]

I'm optimistic there's a chance we get a new coach this season.

Hear hear.

[golden]

I'm optimistic there's a chance we get a new coach this season.

[Nilanka]

I'm leaning more and more to the trading of JV if they are planning on Serg playing the 5. I love JV's game and think he could get decent return. By drafting Poeltl at 9 it only makes sense to develop him and it would open up room to better other positions.

If Serg is sticking to the 4 then I'm all for keeping JV but we need to make him more of a focal point. He's talented enough to get more looks.

If we can't find a power forward, then then an Ibaka/Jonas starting front court seems likely.

[saints91]

I'm leaning more and more to the trading of JV if they are planning on Serg playing the 5. I love JV's game and think he could get decent return. By drafting Poeltl at 9 it only makes sense to develop him and it would open up room to better other positions.

If Serg is sticking to the 4 then I'm all for keeping JV but we need to make him more of a focal point. He's talented enough to get more looks.

[lewro]

My despairing thoughts sure could be distracted with some vintage jclaw puzzles