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  • #31
    DanH wrote: View Post
    In my opinion, there are three options.

    1) Bring the whole thing back, in spite of everything, and pray LeBron moves West, or that Casey improves his rotations and strategies in the playoffs, or that DeMar learns to play defence, etc. This seems unlikely, as it means going into the tax for a team structure that has proven again that they stood no chance of getting out of the East, regular season success aside.

    2) Bring the team back, and fire the coach, get a new voice in the room. Also seems risky. Now you've got a new coach, which can go either way in terms of success, and are still lined up to pay the tax.

    3) Drop the coach, and also break up the core. I doubt there is a move for Lowry or Ibaka, and I'd rather not stretch Ibaka's salary and have to deal with it for a few more years. DeRozan is probably the only core member that has real trade value. You could deal him for another flawed quasi-star, such as Wiggins, but that still leaves the team in the tax. More likely in my mind is they try to find a taker for DeMar who will send a prospect and pick and cap relief this way.

    Some will ask where the option is to blow the whole thing up, and the answer is there isn't a way. The Raptors have to ride out the contracts of Lowry and Ibaka. JV won't return value even if they can find a trade for him. Miles might be able to get them something but I doubt it's much. And everyone else you'd want to keep. And even if they only kept those young guys, they are already too good to lose enough to tank, especially in this new NBA where teams are professional at that. There is no path to the bottom in the next two seasons. So if they do make changes, it will be to see where this team can go with a different coach or different headliner.
    The thing is I really don't want to cheer for Boston, but if Boston beats Lebron and the supporting cast morphs back into pumpkins, it makes the Lebron moves West thing a lot more likely which does open the path up for Toronto a little bit. Yes, Philly will be better next year and so will Boston but I have more hope for the Raptors against them then any Lebron team. And let's not forget that the Cavs were like a Lebron buzzer 3 pointer from maybe not even being in the Raptors path this year, it's really the Raptors who have a lot of trouble with them, other teams in the East may be able to knock them off.

    If the young guys get better next year, we could be looking at close 60 wins again. That's still a Finals contender, I don't care what anyone says. Objectively I don't think this series proved much except Lebron 100% had Toronto's number. I think this team is still worth going into the tax for, I just hope MLSE agrees. (And judging by ticket prices they've been getting compared to what they'll get for a 40 win team, I don't see why they wouldn't.)
    That is a normal collar. Move on, find a new slant.

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    • #32
      Other Scott wrote: View Post
      The thing is I really don't want to cheer for Boston, but if Boston beats Lebron and the supporting cast morphs back into pumpkins, it makes the Lebron moves West thing a lot more likely which does open the path up for Toronto a little bit. Yes, Philly will be better next year and so will Boston but I have more hope for the Raptors against them then any Lebron team. And let's not forget that the Cavs were like a Lebron buzzer 3 pointer from maybe not even being in the Raptors path this year, it's really the Raptors who have a lot of trouble with them, other teams in the East may be able to knock them off.

      If the young guys get better next year, we could be looking at close 60 wins again. That's still a Finals contender, I don't care what anyone says. Objectively I don't think this series proved much except Lebron 100% had Toronto's number. I think this team is still worth going into the tax for, I just hope MLSE agrees. (And judging by ticket prices they've been getting compared to what they'll get for a 40 win team, I don't see why they wouldn't.)
      How can hoping LeBron goes west be a team-building strategy?

      You don't think that the Pacers taking 3 off of the Cavs while we've lost ten straight is evidence that it isn't just about LeBron?

      Anyways Dan is right. We couldn't tear it down even if we wanted to. There are too many big contracts on our team and too little cap space out in the market.

      But I do think Masai will fire Casey if Casey doesn't win coach of the year. I think Masai cares about optics and will make an effort to show some kind of change. I think he will also work hard to move Powell or JV. But unless he can steal an unheralded player it probably won't mean much in the grander scheme of things.

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      • #33
        I don't actually see Lebron leaving Cleveland. I mean why should he? The team was garbage in the regular season.. Their GM did some stuff as a hail mary during the trade deadline and the Cavs just swept their second round opponent in the playoffs. If the Lebrons get to the finals (and it's probably 60/40 that they will).. it's a good look on him.

        His wife and kids love it there.. and he basically gets to do whatever he wants. Can coach, run the team, etc. Has the perfect gig.

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        • #34
          Joey wrote: View Post
          Also read as "less trusting and jaded"?
          In a way haha
          Only one thing matters: We The Champs.

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          • #35
            Scraptor wrote: View Post
            How can hoping LeBron goes west be a team-building strategy?

            You don't think that the Pacers taking 3 off of the Cavs while we've lost ten straight is evidence that it isn't just about LeBron?

            Anyways Dan is right. We couldn't tear it down even if we wanted to. There are too many big contracts on our team and too little cap space out in the market.

            But I do think Masai will fire Casey if Casey doesn't win coach of the year. I think Masai cares about optics and will make an effort to show some kind of change. I think he will also work hard to move Powell or JV. But unless he can steal an unheralded player it probably won't mean much in the grander scheme of things.
            It's not just about Lebron. As I said in my post, it's about the Raptors vs Lebron. I think Lebron is beatable by other, worse teams in the Eastern Conference. I wouldn't be stunned if Boston beat the Cavs. But for the Raptors, the Cavs just play with too much confidence and the Raptors play with a sense of defeatism and I don't think that mental gap going to be overcome.

            If the Raptors can avoid the Lebron Cavs, then I think they still have a shot at making noise in the playoffs with this team, particularly with the internal improvement of Siakam, Anunoby and Poeltl in particular.
            That is a normal collar. Move on, find a new slant.

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            • #36
              planetmars wrote: View Post
              I don't actually see Lebron leaving Cleveland. I mean why should he? The team was garbage in the regular season.. Their GM did some stuff as a hail mary during the trade deadline and the Cavs just swept their second round opponent in the playoffs. If the Lebrons get to the finals (and it's probably 60/40 that they will).. it's a good look on him.

              His wife and kids love it there.. and he basically gets to do whatever he wants. Can coach, run the team, etc. Has the perfect gig.
              Because Lebron wants championships for his legacy. More Finals losses aren't really in his interest. That's why he's going to try and find the best situation he can in the offseason. Something tells me that's not in Cleveland.
              That is a normal collar. Move on, find a new slant.

              Comment


              • #37
                Other Scott wrote: View Post
                It's not just about Lebron. As I said in my post, it's about the Raptors vs Lebron. I think Lebron is beatable by other, worse teams in the Eastern Conference. I wouldn't be stunned if Boston beat the Cavs. But for the Raptors, the Cavs just play with too much confidence and the Raptors play with a sense of defeatism and I don't think that mental gap going to be overcome.

                If the Raptors can avoid the Lebron Cavs, then I think they still have a shot at making noise in the playoffs with this team, particularly with the internal improvement of Siakam, Anunoby and Poeltl in particular.
                Wouldn't that feel like a "fake accomplishment"? Winning because we got an easy bracket?

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                • #38
                  For a franchise that has virtually no accomplishments to speak of, real or fake, I don't particularly care.
                  That is a normal collar. Move on, find a new slant.

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                  • #39
                    Other Scott wrote: View Post
                    Because Lebron wants championships for his legacy. More Finals losses aren't really in his interest. That's why he's going to try and find the best situation he can in the offseason. Something tells me that's not in Cleveland.
                    Unless its Philly or LA I don't see another team. Not one that has $40M in available cap space. Cleveland is his best bet. Easiest road to the finals (has done it 7 years, probably 8 now in a row). Then fight tooth and nail against the Warriors and hope they succeed.

                    If they shoot/play with the same level of confidence they did against Toronto.. then that team could compete with the Warriors. And if Curry gets hurt again.. I'd lean more towards the Cavs than the Warriors in a 7 game series.

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                    • #40
                      magoon wrote: View Post
                      For the sake of argument, for people whining, let's remember that over the last five years the Raptors have won more playoff series than any other team in the East except Cleveland.
                      Whining? We are a joke. Announcers are literally making jokes about us live on television, we are the subject of thousands of memes, and we've broken all kinds of records for playoff futility. Not to mention we have the 15th worst playoff record over the last five years.
                      https://www.basketball-reference.com...y=win_loss_pct

                      If you want to be a pollyanna and stick your head in the sand, that's fine, but after five years it isn't whining to suggest this core is broken.

                      In about six months the next regular season will commence and the Raps will reel off eight wins in their first ten games and you're all going to stop complaining because it's fun to watch your team win basketball games, so please all of you shut the fuck up about "this team can't win a ring" because ninety-nine percent of all basketball teams cannot ever win a ring
                      Maybe all the people who are content with winning meaningless games as a replacement for watching Survivor should shut the fuck up. Sports should be about trying to be great, about competing with the best, not about beating crappy teams. If we just care about beating bad teams then why not relegate the team to the G-league and go undefeated.

                      because they don't have a true superstar, well, superstars don't grow on trees, so you might as well enjoy some wins.
                      That's the whole point. If you tear the team down you at least have a chance to find a superstar in the draft, because no superstar is coming here in free agency until we draft or trade for one first. And we don't have the trade assets. But you can be happy because there are so few avenues for us to do anything anyway.

                      "Might as well enjoy some wins" - this slogan brought to you by MLSE.

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                      • #41
                        Scraptor wrote: View Post
                        Maybe all the people who are content with winning meaningless games as a replacement for watching Survivor should shut the fuck up.
                        I think you need to take it easy there Scrappy.

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                        • #42
                          Scraptor wrote: View Post
                          Maybe all the people who are content with winning meaningless games as a replacement for watching Survivor should shut the fuck up. Sports should be about trying to be great, about competing with the best, not about beating crappy teams. If we just care about beating bad teams then why not relegate the team to the G-league and go undefeated.
                          The Raptors do compete with the best. That Houston win was one of the most exciting games and wins for a franchise that has had nothing. If your attitude as a fan is championship or bust that's fine, that's a fundamental debate that we can have. But don't denigrate the people who are able to enjoy a team who has had sustained success far beyond anything that's ever been seen in 20 years of Raptors history and tell them they're watching sports wrong.
                          That is a normal collar. Move on, find a new slant.

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                          • #43
                            planetmars wrote: View Post
                            Unless its Philly or LA I don't see another team. Not one that has $40M in available cap space. Cleveland is his best bet. Easiest road to the finals (has done it 7 years, probably 8 now in a row). Then fight tooth and nail against the Warriors and hope they succeed.

                            If they shoot/play with the same level of confidence they did against Toronto.. then that team could compete with the Warriors. And if Curry gets hurt again.. I'd lean more towards the Cavs than the Warriors in a 7 game series.
                            You just named two teams in better situations with cap space that Lebron could easily go to. Now if he goes to Philly the Raptors will still have to play him and lose. But the team makeup would be something the Raptors could deal more easily with from a matchup perspective and Lebron and Simmons on the same team is a very weird fit.
                            That is a normal collar. Move on, find a new slant.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              The logical case for trading DeMar is somewhat simple, the emotional case is harder, and it might come down to how comfortable, or uncomfortable, the team is with the possible PR hit of doing so.

                              At the same time, getting better than where they are now is really tough, and I'm still not sure I'm ready to say trading DeMar is the right fit until I give it some more time to absorb this season.
                              twitter.com/anthonysmdoyle

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                              • #45
                                Only one thing matters: We The Champs.

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