Our lack of a 3/big-wing defender is a serious problem.

[TrueTorontoFan]

He's restricted. Memphis would match that for sure no?

Isn't he hoping to get much more than QO, a La nerlens noel? RFA market has been tight this summer but doesn't mean teams will let guys walk for nothing.

exactly... like noel is still out there... and Green.... and Mirotic is still out there

[Rudy Bargnani]

He's restricted. Memphis would match that for sure no?

Isn't he hoping to get much more than QO, a La nerlens noel? RFA market has been tight this summer but doesn't mean teams will let guys walk for nothing.

[JamesNaismith]

Should have gone for Jamychal Green.

His QO is only $2.8M and apparently MEM doesnt want to pay more than that.

[Maury]

Oooh, KJ McDaniels! He's struggled to find his niche, but many were high on him initially. This should be quite the battle for the 14th/15th spot on the roster. Will be interesting to see if Masai fills that final spot or not.

Very good under the radar signing. He could sneak into the rotation and potentially get some minutes.

[SkywalkerAC]

Oooh, KJ McDaniels! He's struggled to find his niche, but many were high on him initially. This should be quite the battle for the 14th/15th spot on the roster. Will be interesting to see if Masai fills that final spot or not.

[ebrian]

The minute splits you used as a counter argument didn't work, not because of the sample size, but the lack of context taken into account. Raptors have a higher winning pct% when DeRozan and Lowry play less minutes. Why? Because they're winning by so much that they no longer need to be in the game.

I believe what you're saying is correct but you're missing the point. Sure, stars get some rest when the game is no longer on the line. But they still finish the season with the most minutes. Who has led our team in minutes the last 4 years? Why, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry of course (that's a bald faced lie -- 4 years ago Rudy Gay beat Kyle Lowry in minutes but still.. you get the idea). You might think OG gets pulled when the game is out of hand (more on that later) but if he were a key player, he'd still finish with high minutes per game. However he was 5th. Not first, second or 3rd. Over the last 5 years, Bargnani (1), JV (3), and Joseph have occupied that 5th spot for the Raptors. So OG is important for the team, but not really that important.

It was the same case with OG in Indiana. Trying to frame that correlation as anything else is a mistake.

It was and it wasn't. Mostly wasn't tho. OG's big minute games were actually more of the blowout games than the close games you'd expect a projected future lottery pick would play. He was 3rd in minutes in a game they won by 22. 3rd in minutes in another win by 39. 1st in minutes in a 33 point win. The flip argument would be "Yea, that's why they won! He played so many minutes!" but you can't have it both ways! Plus in Indiana's biggest win (a game where they won by 47), OG only played 19 minutes.

His biggest minutes all season was the first game. 36 minutes in an OT win by 4 points. After that, his other big minute games (30+) were a loss by 15, loss by 7, and win by 16. Those are the 4 games he had 30+ minutes.

In close games (less than 5 point differential) he played less than his season average (outside of that OT game). 13 minutes in a 3 point OT loss. 24 minutes in another 3 point loss. 15 minutes in a 3 point win (although to be fair I think he got hurt in that game).

Here's some additional stuff that might help us (and Casey):
In Indiana's 10 wins with OG, he shot 63% from the field, 37% from 3P, averaged 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.7 blocks.
In Indiana's 6 losses with OG, he shot 43% and 20%, averaged 4.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks.

For what we're hoping to get from him (defense), OG had his best games against absolutely horrible teams (Rutgers, Nebraska, Delaware State, Mississippi Valley State). These teams were a combined 44-84 last season. Maybe Casey can give OG a run when we play the bad teams, to get him a taste of the NBA.

He held his own against stiffer competition (UNC, Kansas, Louisville, Wisconsin, Butler, Maryland) - 50% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 1.2 blocks, 2.5 TO. I have to admit that's pretty impressive.

He plays great on Saturdays.

Let him ride the bench on road games.. his stats are horrific in away or neutral games. A beast at home.

Well, there you have it. I now know more about OG Anunoby's usage last season than I ever wanted to.

[SkywalkerAC]

Ahhh, I see, thank you Dan H.

Makes me wonder why Masai is throwing money at players like K.Meeks and K.Wiltjer when there are some feasible options still available.

Because we can cut them and have them play for the 905, without taking us into the tax, I presume. I don't even know if Wiltjer is guaranteed any money.

[c-troop]

We can sign players with the BAE or the minimum, but it will put us definitively into the tax unless a salary shedding move is made later (a bad negotiating position to put yourself in). If signed for the minimum, he could replace the presumed 14th man (McKinnie), but McKinnie's guarantee is big enough that is precludes him from signing with the 905, so I doubt that would be the plan.

Ahhh, I see, thank you Dan H.

Makes me wonder why Masai is throwing money at players like K.Meeks and K.Wiltjer when there are some feasible options still available.

[DanH]

Do we have any cap space to pick up Dante Cunningham for some bench insurance?

We can sign players with the BAE or the minimum, but it will put us definitively into the tax unless a salary shedding move is made later (a bad negotiating position to put yourself in). If signed for the minimum, he could replace the presumed 14th man (McKinnie), but McKinnie's guarantee is big enough that is precludes him from signing with the 905, so I doubt that would be the plan.

[c-troop]

Do we have any cap space to pick up Dante Cunningham for some bench insurance?

[tDotted]

Read my post again. I said myself that tiny sample size stats are useless. Now here you are re-confirming what I already said.
Thanks?

Read my post again. 8-9 is more than half of a regular college season so I'm not sure why you want to keep calling that a tiny sample.

The minute splits you used as a counter argument didn't work, not because of the sample size, but the lack of context taken into account. Raptors have a higher winning pct% when DeRozan and Lowry play less minutes. Why? Because they're winning by so much that they no longer need to be in the game. It was the same case with OG in Indiana. Trying to frame that correlation as anything else is a mistake.

[ebrian]

I did make a mistake there. However you followed up by saying that the team had a better record when he played less minutes. That was the point I was referring to as being "weak".

Read my post again. I said myself that tiny sample size stats are useless. Now here you are re-confirming what I already said.
Thanks?

[tDotted]

The minute stat was your argument. I was simply correcting you because you claimed he was 4th in minutes. He was 5th.

I did make a mistake there. However you followed up by saying that the team had a better record when he played less minutes. That was the point I was referring to as being "weak".

[SkywalkerAC]

I'm not sure if was this thread of not where I didn't reply to a response saying that Miles would be starting, but anyway, I sure wouldn't bet against Powell starting at this point. Norm has paid his dues with Casey, he's the more dynamic offensive and defensive player, and he's no longer up against a 15 million dollar man in Carroll.

Finally, Norman in the starting lineup spreads out both the youth and the shooting on this team. The bench desperately needs a veteran presence and someone to spread the floor. Miles provides both, and slots into Ross's bench role that Casey was fond of.

That's your 9-man rotation by the way (switch Norm and Miles if you like), and it's pretty great - sure it's small on the perimeter but there's still plenty of size/length overall. The 10th man - from all these small forwards we're talking about here - is going to get roughly half the minutes of the 9th guy.

Lowry/Delon
DD/Miles
Powell
Ibaka/Pascal
Jonas/Jakob

Unless, that is, one of them can step up and play stretch 4 in some of Casey's offensive lineups - likely bumping Jakob out of the rotation.

Lowry/Delon
DD/Miles
Powell
Ibaka/Pascal/Bruno or OG by the end of the season
Jonas

[ebrian]

The minute stat is a weak argument. Consider the fact that he will play more minutes in close games that are likely to go either way vs playing far less minutes in blowout situations. 10-6 with him and 8-9 without is a big deal in college basketball where you only get 34 games during the season.

Not all hirings and firings in basketball are as simple as "good coach/bad coach"; that's pretty hard to determine from a fan's perspective. Crean has had a bunch of successful seasons throughout his coaching history so let's not pretend he's some run-of-the-mill coach. Indiana just felt it was time to move on, not that the 2016-17 season was some disaster.

Anyway, this is a guy that coached Dwyane Wade in Marquette for 2 seasons. If he says he sees a lot of talent in OG, I believe him.

The minute stat was your argument. I was simply correcting you because you claimed he was 4th in minutes. He was 5th.