Casey setting the bar for next season: Playoffs

[mcHAPPY]

I feel it's too soon to call JV a pillar. Seeing he hasn't played one NBA game. His probably is untouchable but pillar that's a lil too much.

Fair enough.

But if he was in this draft he'd be going 2 and if this was last year's draft again, he'd be going 2.

You don't draft a guy #2 (or #5) not thinking he will be a pillar.

He hasn't proved d!ck yet so in theory I agree with what you are saying. But every struggling and rebuilding franchise is looking at a high lotto pick as something to build on or with.

I can't wait for next season.

[Chr1s1anL]

Casey might be speaking from a future perspective. He may have an idea of what types of players or transactions are on the horizon. I fully expect come training camp the roster to be much different than it is today.

The role players are in place (ED, AMIR, DD, JJ, LK, JC, maybe Aaron Gray)
The fringe players don't matter (Uzoh, Alabi, Anderson, Forbes, Magloire)
2 pillars are in place (AB and JV).

What gets added this summer through draft, free agency, or trade is to be determined.


Regardless of what pieces are added, there has been a shift in philosophy and expectation in the franchise. Is the house finished? Not yet but the most important part of the house is definitely done: the foundation.

I feel it's too soon to call JV a pillar. Seeing he hasn't played one NBA game. His probably is untouchable but pillar that's a lil too much.

[Miekenstien]

The analogy doesn't work. The Raptors aren't renovating their house. They don't have a house. In fact, the Raptors don't have any part of a house. The current state of the organization is the huge hole in the ground you dig before you lay the foundation. Not only don't they have a house, they haven't even started laying the foundation yet. There is one marginal NBA starter on this roster (Bargs). We don't know who the 2012 pick is and JV hasn't played a game. Should the focus of this team really be shifting to the playoffs at this stage? Isn't this wildly premature? Isn't this exactly what happened in 2006? Why the rush to repeat a process that's a proven failure?

i think you're being too pessimistic here. bargs is definitely a starter in this league. 28 other teams would love bargs on their rosters.

[e2thed]

ED and DD are wayy more expendable than AB and JV.

[mcHAPPY]

Hey hey i think Demar and Ed should be included in this foundation of yours. Ed may not start but he will definitely be a key piece off the bench.

With the way I looked at things in that comment, no players are in the foundation.

You might argue ED or DD should be in the pillars with AB or JV though. I don't agree but that would fit better with my line of thinking.

[NoPropsneeded]

The analogy doesn't work. The Raptors aren't renovating their house. They don't have a house. In fact, the Raptors don't have any part of a house. The current state of the organization is the huge hole in the ground you dig before you lay the foundation. Not only don't they have a house, they haven't even started laying the foundation yet. There is one marginal NBA starter on this roster (Bargs). We don't know who the 2012 pick is and JV hasn't played a game. Should the focus of this team really be shifting to the playoffs at this stage? Isn't this wildly premature? Isn't this exactly what happened in 2006? Why the rush to repeat a process that's a proven failure?

Are you confusing the Raptors with the Bobcats? I'm pretty sure we began laying down the foundation and now we are beginning to build up, As dwane casey stated.

[NoPropsneeded]

Casey might be speaking from a future perspective. He may have an idea of what types of players or transactions are on the horizon. I fully expect come training camp the roster to be much different than it is today.

The role players are in place (ED, AMIR, DD, JJ, LK, JC, maybe Aaron Gray)
The fringe players don't matter (Uzoh, Alabi, Anderson, Forbes, Magloire)
2 pillars are in place (AB and JV).

What gets added this summer through draft, free agency, or trade is to be determined.


Regardless of what pieces are added, there has been a shift in philosophy and expectation in the franchise. Is the house finished? Not yet but the most important part of the house is definitely done: the foundation.

Hey hey i think Demar and Ed should be included in this foundation of yours. Ed may not start but he will definitely be a key piece off the bench.

[Puffer]

The only way they have no house is if they have no players. There are lots of guys on roster.

Not liking something doesn't negate it's existstince.

Maybe not all the guys are IN the house, in the sense of being on the same page, or buying into Casey's system. In fact some of the players on the Raptors could actually be forming an outhouse. A number of them played like that.

[Apollo]

The analogy doesn't work. The Raptors aren't renovating their house. They don't have a house. In fact, the Raptors don't have any part of a house. The current state of the organization is the huge hole in the ground you dig before you lay the foundation. Not only don't they have a house, they haven't even started laying the foundation yet. There is one marginal NBA starter on this roster (Bargs). We don't know who the 2012 pick is and JV hasn't played a game. Should the focus of this team really be shifting to the playoffs at this stage? Isn't this wildly premature? Isn't this exactly what happened in 2006? Why the rush to repeat a process that's a proven failure?

The only way they have no house is if they have no players. There are lots of guys on roster.

Not liking something doesn't negate it's existstince.

[mcHAPPY]

Tim Duncan is a foundation. Lebron James, Durant, Kobe, Nash, Rose, Griffin, Nowitzki, Pierce. Those guys are foundations. Pairs like Gasol/Randolph, Jefferson/Milsap - those are foundations. Groups like Afflalo/Lawson/Gallo can be foundations.

The Raptors do not have a foundation. Building your basketball team on top of Bargnani is like building your house with a base of paper mache. Now, if JV and the 2012 pick turn out to be stars, then you've got a foundation. But that is far from a certainty.

That is your opinion.

Your opinion appears to be that the foundation is a player.

My opinion is the foundation is the philosophy of the team (players, coaches, management) and everyone must be on the same page. This year has been very successful in changing the minds of what people who matter (i.e. other NBA coaches and players) think of when they hear Toronto Raptors. Toronto is no longer a joke and if you don't bring your game, they are going to beat you.

Successful teams (i.e. championship and deep playoff runs) are built on more than talented players. They are important, very important, but they are not the only important ingredient in the recipe.

[slaw]

Not yet but the most important part of the house is definitely done: the foundation.

Tim Duncan is a foundation. Lebron James, Durant, Kobe, Nash, Rose, Griffin, Nowitzki, Pierce. Those guys are foundations. Pairs like Gasol/Randolph, Jefferson/Milsap - those are foundations. Groups like Afflalo/Lawson/Gallo can be foundations.

The Raptors do not have a foundation. Building your basketball team on top of Bargnani is like building your house with a base of paper mache. Now, if JV and the 2012 pick turn out to be stars, then you've got a foundation. But that is far from a certainty.

[mcHAPPY]

Casey might be speaking from a future perspective. He may have an idea of what types of players or transactions are on the horizon. I fully expect come training camp the roster to be much different than it is today.

The role players are in place (ED, AMIR, DD, JJ, LK, JC, maybe Aaron Gray)
The fringe players don't matter (Uzoh, Alabi, Anderson, Forbes, Magloire)
2 pillars are in place (AB and JV).

What gets added this summer through draft, free agency, or trade is to be determined.


Regardless of what pieces are added, there has been a shift in philosophy and expectation in the franchise. Is the house finished? Not yet but the most important part of the house is definitely done: the foundation.

[slaw]

So after you finish renovating your house you can't build a back deck the follow year or slap a new coat of paint on the downstairs bathroom or go out and purchase/install a new hot water tank or... You get the picture. I think it comes down to focus. Casey is no longer focused on building, he's focused on winning but that does not mean he has tunnel vision and is incapable or unwilling to improve his team in any way needed to facilitate the next stage, which is winning. Any sustained success story out there has continuous improvement/modifications to the vehicle that brought them success. Even a team like the Spurs are still building in some way or another to facilitate the sustained success.

The analogy doesn't work. The Raptors aren't renovating their house. They don't have a house. In fact, the Raptors don't have any part of a house. The current state of the organization is the huge hole in the ground you dig before you lay the foundation. Not only don't they have a house, they haven't even started laying the foundation yet. There is one marginal NBA starter on this roster (Bargs). We don't know who the 2012 pick is and JV hasn't played a game. Should the focus of this team really be shifting to the playoffs at this stage? Isn't this wildly premature? Isn't this exactly what happened in 2006? Why the rush to repeat a process that's a proven failure?

[NoPropsneeded]

Glad he said that lets goo! I'm sure DeMar will be fired up next season and go 100% to try and help us make the playoffs. He seems like he really wants to get there and show everyone that he can razz with the best of em

[Nilanka]

So after you finish renovating your house you can't build a back deck the follow year or slap a new coat of paint on the downstairs bathroom or go out and purchase/install a new hot water tank or... You get the picture. I think it comes down to focus. Casey is no longer focused on building, he's focused on winning but that does not mean he has tunnel vision and is incapable or unwilling to improve his team in any way needed to facilitate the next stage, which is winning.

Regarding Casey, I agree with you 100%.

But based on semantics, if someone asked you if your house is finished "building", I'm sure you wouldn't answer 'no' because the powder room needs a fresh colour. That would be an upgrade/modification instead (at least IMO). But building is complete.