Everything Derozan

[lewro]

Time to revisit this...

Can't defend
Can't shoot the three
Inability to make his teammates better

Lol, time to revisit? You never left! This is all you ever talk about. I don't understand your fandom? I'd just find something else to do with my life but thats just my opinion.

[Rudy Bargnani]

Unfortunately, keeping the team together in its entirety is not in the cards, and even keeping most of the team together means a tax bill rivalling that of the Cavs, in all likelihood. That's a big price to pay to hope for another game changing step forward to mysteriously appear.

If they choose to keep the core of Lowry/DeRozan/Ibaka, expect sweeping changes elsewhere to get the salary commitments down until the team can prove they are worthy of investing in.

A good competitive series from here on out against the Cavs would change this discussion, but that's far from a sure thing.

Is there a date when they measure a teams payroll for luxury tax purposes? For example if Masai wants to bring back most of the free agents is there a date by which he has to trade say Carroll or Joseph (or JV) to minimize tax? Would they have to be traded before signing the free agents?

I always thought it would have to happen during the season starts but I remember guys getting released a month or 2 ago and it saving their teams a fair bit in tax.

[DanH]

Is there a date when they measure a teams payroll for luxury tax purposes? For example if Masai wants to bring back most of the free agents is there a date by which he has to trade say Carroll or Joseph (or JV) to minimize tax? Would they have to be traded before signing the free agents?

I always thought it would have to happen during the season starts but I remember guys getting released a month or 2 ago and it saving their teams a fair bit in tax.

Last day of the season. But negotiating in-season trying to dump salary is a good way to get shafted and pay through the nose for the privelege. Other GM's will know the team has no intention of paying that tax, so they'll ask for an arm and a leg to provide salary relief. Say bye bye to your future first round draft picks and those prospects we've been building up.

[Rudy Bargnani]

Last day of the season. But negotiating in-season trying to dump salary is a good way to get shafted and pay through the nose for the privelege. Other GM's will know the team has no intention of paying that tax, so they'll ask for an arm and a leg to provide salary relief. Say bye bye to your future first round draft picks and those prospects we've been building up.

Thank you

[The Claw Reborn]

The bold is what scares me more than an LBJ fast break. If this core's peak is ECF, depending on their 2nd round matchup, is it worth reinvesting in?

Casey's job has continuously been saved by the Raptors being a regular season juggernaut and the team's exceptionally low bar, when it comes to franchise expectations. My feelings towards DeRozan are well documented, in that I don't believe he's the type of player a team should be built around. Lowry is now an old, streaky, injury-prone player whose defense is good by reputation only, and is going to look for a last big pay day.

Having said that, I don't think going in another direction necessarily means a rebuild, let alone a "T-word-that-shall-not-be-named". Lowry (S&T?) and DeRozan are significant assets that could kick-start a major retooling. Between young players and draft picks, MU has a ton of quality assets to work with. There's no reason to think that the Raptors couldn't still be a playoff team, while being reinvented with the hopes of increasing the team's long-term ceiling.

Regardless of what happened this year - short of winning the championship - it's an interesting dilemma to ponder. The team seems to be at a cross-roads, simply because of the contract status of several key players (ie: Lowry, Ibaka, Patterson).

Very well said.

The emergence of Powell is something Masai can work on as a foundation of his retooling.

If the GM and Casey sticks with their identity that defense is their mantra in building a team then forming a core with two dimensional players should be the agenda moving forward. I don't think carrying DD (one dimensional) along the way can be part of that program. Resigning Ibaka and Tucker are a must.

As you mentioned Derozan is not that type of player a team should be built around. Maybe he can be a complementary player but who is that superstar we are waiting for? That's the major dilemma this team is at especially when they are close to being capped out.

It's always a chicken and egg scenario with DD. Due to his below average three point shooting and poor defense, it is very difficult to surround him with complementary players. Personnel who are dead eye shooters but at the same time great defenders and rebounders.

We would be spinning the wheel with no endgame in sight. We are stuck.

[golden]

Very well said.

The emergence of Powell is something Masai can work on as a foundation of his retooling.

If the GM and Casey sticks with their identity that defense is their mantra in building a team then forming a core with two dimensional players should be the agenda moving forward. I don't think carrying DD (one dimensional) along the way can be part of that program. Resigning Ibaka and Tucker are a must.

As you mentioned Derozan is not that type of player a team should be built around. Maybe he can be a complementary player but who is that superstar we are waiting for? That's the major dilemma this team is at especially when they are close to being capped out.

It's always a chicken and egg scenario with DD. Due to his below average three point shooting and poor defense, it is very difficult to surround him with complementary players. Personnel who are dead eye shooters but at the same time great defenders and rebounders.

We would be spinning the wheel with no endgame in sight. We are stuck.

I might be the biggest #WeTheNorm supporter on this board, but Powell would be a disaster as a first or second option, especially under the Casey offensive scheme. He just doesn't have the tight handles or the ability to create against contact and/or the skills to draw fouls. He needs at least one more off-season to work on his overall game, especially dribbling, hesitation moves and pump fakes. As a third option, he's great.

[The Claw Reborn]

I might be the biggest #WeTheNorm supporter on this board, but Powell would be a disaster as a first or second option, especially under the Casey offensive scheme. He just doesn't have the tight handles or the ability to create against contact and/or the skills to draw fouls. He needs at least one more off-season to work on his overall game, especially dribbling, hesitation moves and pump fakes. As a third option, he's great.

Let me rephrase it then. Powell can be one of the pillars of the foundation. He still can work on some of his deficiencies as you mentioned but because of his above average defensive "fundamentals", three point range and explosive first step, these assets are something this organization cannot afford to rot because he is playing behind a player that must have the usage and possessions to justify the amount of money he is earning.

As I mentioned on my previous posts, I'm very confident that Ujiri could get something significant for Derozan. But I'm hopeful that he can net us a better draft pick than what we yearly expect if we stay as a middling team with a pick in the 20s and most likely a crap shoot.

[S.R.]

I might be the biggest #WeTheNorm supporter on this board, but Powell would be a disaster as a first or second option, especially under the Casey offensive scheme. He just doesn't have the tight handles or the ability to create against contact and/or the skills to draw fouls. He needs at least one more off-season to work on his overall game, especially dribbling, hesitation moves and pump fakes. As a third option, he's great.

He's nowhere near ready. He wasn't even ready to step into Ross' role this year, let alone DeRozan's.

[The Claw Reborn]

People should check out Derozan's stats as a sophomore.

9% 3 pt percentage per 36 - that's pretty awful.

And that's just only one advanced stat.

This playoffs, for a high usage player to shoot 7 percent from the three in this years playoffs is way pathetic.

Should I say again that Powell was called upon to guard Middleton because Derozan can't get a lick of defense.

[DanH]

People should check out Derozan's stats as a sophomore.

9% 3 pt percentage per 36 - that's pretty awful.

And that's just only one advanced stat.

This playoffs, for a high usage player to shoot 7 percent from the three in this years playoffs is way pathetic.

Should I say again that Powell was called upon to guard Middleton because Derozan can't get a lick of defense.

I'm sorry, I've seen you post this a few times and it's driving me nuts. What on earth do you think 3PT% "per 36" means?

[S.R.]

I'm sorry, I've seen you post this a few times and it's driving me nuts. What on earth do you think 3PT% "per 36" means?

I think the assumption that DeRozan's second year performance would somehow be news to Raptors fans is pretty funny, too.

Hey, did you guys know Kyle Lowry actually used to play AGAINST the Raptors? No loyalty, let's trade him.

[The Claw Reborn]

I'm sorry, I've seen you post this a few times and it's driving me nuts. What on earth do you think 3PT% "per 36" means?

I respect your expertise in this field. Does this tell us a breakdown of production per minute.
Although I don't mind to know more.

Derozan's numbers are pretty awful don't you think?

[The Claw Reborn]

If this is just about loyalty then we ain't going nowhere

[DanH]

I respect your expertise in this field. Does this tell us a breakdown of production per minute.
Although I don't mind to know more.

Derozan's numbers are pretty awful don't you think?

What does shooting percentage have to do with per-minute stats, is my question. Per-minute stats are for adjusting counting stats, not rate stats.

It's just odd that you seem to have no grasp of the stats at all and yet are happy to parade them out to make an ill-informed case against DeRozan.

[DanH]

To answer the question of DeRozan's stats being awful - they certainly are not. His three point shooting is awful, sure. And if he were a role player like Powell he'd probably have less value than Powell. But in a primary scoring role, he's proven he is quite valuable, something Powell has never done (in fact, Powell has been a disaster off the bench in a 6th man scoring role and has succeeded quite nicely with the starters as an off-ball option and pressure release ball handler).

Judging volume scorers by 3 point percentage is pretty odd, I've got to say.