Everything Pascal Siakam

[A.I]

Otto checks that if healthy.

Gasol demonstrated how important a big is.
We will be against good teams with solid bigs in the playoffs- Horford, Lopez, Embiid, Timelord, Vucevic, etc.

We all saw how a not-so-100% Embiid toyed with our 'bigs' last game.

People really undersell Gasol by saying we need a big. He wasn't just any big. He is a Hall of Famer, former DPOY and All star.

A random average big isn't going to do enough and if you want a higher quality/all star level big, you will have to shake up your roster.

[Kagemusha]

People really undersell Gasol by saying we need a big. He wasn't just any big. He is a Hall of Famer, former DPOY and All star.

A random average big isn't going to do enough and if you want a higher quality/all star level big, you will have to shake up your roster.

How am i underselling Gasol?


There's no one in the league right now of his caliber, so we are not getting another one exactly like him.
We just need a solid stabilizing big in the middle.
We should've went after Vucevic when he was available, or even Steven Adams.

[slaw]

Otto checks that if healthy.

Gasol demonstrated how important a big is.
We will be against good teams with solid bigs in the playoffs- Horford, Lopez, Embiid, Timelord, Vucevic, etc.

We all saw how a not-so-100% Embiid toyed with our 'bigs' last game.

Lol. Yeah, it be great to have a Gasol. You have someone in mind that is one of the best centres of his generation and a superstar level defensive player? Cause I want that guy as well.

[The Great One]

Otto checks that if healthy.

I said shooters.

[Kagemusha]

Lol. Yeah, it be great to have a Gasol. You have someone in mind that is one of the best centres of his generation and a superstar level defensive player? Cause I want that guy as well.

Did l say l want another Gasol?

[Primer]

Did l say l want another Gasol?

You said Vucevic who absolutely sucks at defense. I don't think he makes our team better.

[planetmars]

Raptors should try to get Jokic or Giannis. Giannis isn't a traditional center but he'd be pretty good.

[Kagemusha]

You guys all love Koloko, right?
A center.

We all see how he impacts the game even at this stage.
Masai obviously saw the need for someone like him.
This all 6'9" experiment only came about due to the lack of a solid center in the team.

Why object now when l said what we need to seriously contend is a solid big?

[Jclaw]

Raptors should try to get Jokic or Giannis. Giannis isn't a traditional center but he'd be pretty good.

[planetmars]

You guys all love Koloko, right?
A center.

We all see how he impacts the game even at this stage.
Masai obviously saw the need for someone like him.
This all 6'9" experiment only came about due to the lack of a solid center in the team.

Why object now when l said what we need to seriously contend is a solid big?

Koloko was great get, and he is exactly what we needed.. but we don't need another. We have lots of length and can make it difficult for traditional centers even without one. Not having a guy to pair up with Embiid was not the reason why we lost to the 76ers in the playoffs. It was because their shooters were on fire and blew us out. And that was mostly because Gary was sick, Fred was hobbled and Scottie missed games due to injury.

Precious/Pascal/OG can all make it difficult for Embiid. Even if he puts up 30 points it's not a death sentence.

It's not just about the 6'9 experiment since Fred is 6'0 and Gary is about 6'3 or 6'4. We just want 2 ways players and mostly defensive minded players. Personally I think we need another ball handler as Nurse just doesn't trust Dalano or Malachi. If we have an injury to Scottie or Fred again its tough to compensate.

Someone like Delon Wright or TJ McConnell would be great. Delon is out for like 6 weeks though.

That's the depth piece I would have liked to seen. But it feels like the front office is fine with the young guys for now.

[golden]

Koloko was great get, and he is exactly what we needed.. but we don't need another. We have lots of length and can make it difficult for traditional centers even without one. Not having a guy to pair up with Embiid was not the reason why we lost to the 76ers in the playoffs. It was because their shooters were on fire and blew us out. And that was mostly because Gary was sick, Fred was hobbled and Scottie missed games due to injury.

Precious/Pascal/OG can all make it difficult for Embiid. Even if he puts up 30 points it's not a death sentence.

It's not just about the 6'9 experiment since Fred is 6'0 and Gary is about 6'3 or 6'4. We just want 2 ways players and mostly defensive minded players. Personally I think we need another ball handler as Nurse just doesn't trust Dalano or Malachi. If we have an injury to Scottie or Fred again its tough to compensate.

Someone like Delon Wright or TJ McConnell would be great. Delon is out for like 6 weeks though.

That's the depth piece I would have liked to seen. But it feels like the front office is fine with the young guys for now.

Sixers shooters were on fire because we over-helped and doubled BOTH Embiid and Harden, leaving scrub shooters WIDE open. Just like when we play Casey in the regular season. Doc was ready. Like Samson or Louis said... teams that don't panic under our swarming D, can easily manipulate the over-aggression into wide open shots. We did stop doubling Harden after Game 2, but by then we had already spotted them 2 easy games at historically bad DRTGs. Gary would not have helped on D. He was the Sixers prime target by Games 5 & 6, when he was healthy.

[TrueTorontoFan]

You guys all love Koloko, right?
A center.

We all see how he impacts the game even at this stage.
Masai obviously saw the need for someone like him.
This all 6'9" experiment only came about due to the lack of a solid center in the team.

Why object now when l said what we need to seriously contend is a solid big?

the plan was always a form of positionless.. I dont know how good your memory is but we were gearing up to potentially get Giannis until he resigned and then obviously tampa was tampa... its why we held off on giving OG a deal until Giannis resigned... Giannis was likely going to play small ball center even though he is 7 feet.


The idea has always been positionless. Look at the guys Masai has typically drafted unless it was the best available player like Poeltl left. If there were options and he could pick and choose that is who this front office has valued was long wing defenders. Koloko fits because he is mobile like mobley but also allows them to play more aggressive on the perimeter with their defence. Yes he is a seven footer, but he isn't a traditional center.. so without you actually saying a name I have no idea what you mean. Would another guy help yes it always does help but is it priority over trading (NOT SIGNING OR DRAFTING) assets to go grab? I would argue no. One of the other reasons why a guy like Koloko helps with is it takes the physical toll away from Siakam who had to play center minute as did Barnes. As did OG. Sure in a playoff setting they can do it in spurts but for 82 games it will slowly wear them down.


So again who is the name or set of names you are suggesting. Turner would fit... sure... but with koloko would he take minutes away and opportunities away from Koloko... You would also still have birch left unless you dealt birch as an outgoing salary as well.. again.. Not sure if that is worth while.. Not bad but not necessarily worth while.. Poeltl is a possibility for Khem and Malachi... I am not against that he grades out in the 97th percentile defensively... Can't shoot free throws ... but again are you freezing out Koloko (poeltl is the only center i'd attempt to get). If its richaun holmes I think he is overrated compared to poeltl.... Koloko has higher offensive upside than those two guys in my opinion especially with his early passing flashes and patience on the ball.

Those are your only realistic options. KAT ... I remember him getting played off the floor because of how porous his defence was in the playoffs. Rebounding isn't really our issue at all.. So again what problem are you solving getting a hypothetical center and who are you getting to solve that...?



The idea of Koloko at his peak, assuming you actually watched his college game at all, is he could be a better passing and offensive version of Gobert who is much more mobile. like WAY more mobile.


Vuc .... really the guy who was a bloody sieve in chicago's back line defence? That ain't it. Nurkic ... I will give credit to ... is actually a really good defender not sure if he is able to defend the way we want to defend but he is a good defender .... but he is also injury prone... last 4 seasons games played.... (56, 37, 8). Steven Adams is interesting or would have been at least.. but then you are going back towards the traditional big man problem on offence and potentially on defence. Adams is not a versatile defender at all nor is Nurkic.... and that is what our defensive system needs. We need a very particular type of big which is not traditional and more modern and most of your suggestions don't adhere to those requirements so its kind of a frivolous suggestion especially given those specific names.


A name we should have gone after a long time ago but its too late now.. and we did actually go after him but we didn't get him... was al horford. Brandon clark is interesting... or Jaren Jackson Junior when healthy...


if we valued the centers in our system that you value then we would have just signed drummond.

[slaw]

You guys all love Koloko, right?
A center.

We all see how he impacts the game even at this stage.
Masai obviously saw the need for someone like him.
This all 6'9" experiment only came about due to the lack of a solid center in the team.

Why object now when l said what we need to seriously contend is a solid big?

A ‘solid’ big doesn’t work in the Raps system. Go watch the Webster interview with Tim Micallef at the start of the season where Webster directly addressed this question.

Koloko was drafted in particular cause they think he can defend in space, switch, etc. but they can mould him into the system and Gus game will change.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Koloko was great get, and he is exactly what we needed.. but we don't need another. We have lots of length and can make it difficult for traditional centers even without one. Not having a guy to pair up with Embiid was not the reason why we lost to the 76ers in the playoffs. It was because their shooters were on fire and blew us out. And that was mostly because Gary was sick, Fred was hobbled and Scottie missed games due to injury.

Precious/Pascal/OG can all make it difficult for Embiid. Even if he puts up 30 points it's not a death sentence.

It's not just about the 6'9 experiment since Fred is 6'0 and Gary is about 6'3 or 6'4. We just want 2 ways players and mostly defensive minded players. Personally I think we need another ball handler as Nurse just doesn't trust Dalano or Malachi. If we have an injury to Scottie or Fred again its tough to compensate.

Someone like Delon Wright or TJ McConnell would be great. Delon is out for like 6 weeks though.

That's the depth piece I would have liked to seen. But it feels like the front office is fine with the young guys for now.

TJ or Delon are the two expact pieces that I have been eyeing beyond Bogdonavic on the Hawks. That is the exact level of guard help we could use if you wanted to get another guy. Clarkson is another option too. I would lean towards TJ because he is cheaper and he plays better defence from what I remember.

[TrueTorontoFan]

A ‘solid’ big doesn’t work in the Raps system. Go watch the Webster interview with Tim Micallef at the start of the season where Webster directly addressed this question.

Koloko was drafted in particular cause they think he can defend in space, switch, etc. but they can mould him into the system and Gus game will change.

I don't think Kag watches those interviews ... and Webster and Nurse have had multiple interviews about this exact issue too. But if someone has their mind made up about playing an older style and doesn't listen to what the team is saying OR is saying that they are just posturing in interviews for 3-4 years (not saying anyone here has said that but I have a friend who literally thinks that)...then I dont know what to tell that person.