Raptors starting line up

[Shaolin Fantastic]

if you see him solely as a point guard maybe, but i don't.

would also place a wager on kyle lowry's next contract either not being worth 30M + or not being signed with the raptors.

I don't see him solely as a point guard. He's a 1/2.

Problem is we just added a 25+mpg 2 guard on top of what we already had. Where are the minutes going to come from?

[chris]

I don't see him solely as a point guard. He's a 1/2.

Problem is we just added a 25+mpg 2 guard on top of what we already had. Where are the minutes going to come from?

if i had to pick who would be on the roster beyond this season between danny green and delon wright i would pick delon wright every time.

Q: who do you see playing the lion’s share of minutes at the 2 next year and beyond?

another Q: can you name a single scenario in the last 5 years where a team’s lack of depth at the 4/5 hurt them in the playoffs?

because i can’t. i can think of many scenarios where teams couldn’t keep their best big players on the floor because they were poor mathcups, but none where the lack of a backup big was a teams achilles heel.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

if i had to pick who would be on the roster beyond this season between danny green and delon wright i would pick delon wright every time.

Q: who do you see playing the lion’s share of minutes at the 2 next year and beyond?

another Q: can you name a single scenario in the last 5 years where a team’s lack of depth at the 4/5 hurt them in the playoffs?

because i can’t. i can think of many scenarios where teams couldn’t keep their best big players on the floor because they were poor mathcups, but none where the lack of a backup big was a teams achilles heel.

I imagine you'll feel very different about this when we're getting cooked by Embiid or Cousins and have no JV-alternative to throw at them.

[DanH]

I imagine you'll feel very different about this when we're getting cooked by Embiid or Cousins and have no JV-alternative to throw at them.

Last year we had exactly one C on the roster that could defend those guys. Most years, most teams in the league have exactly one C on the roster (if that) who can defend those guys.

Bebe or another veteran type backup is fine for depth purposes. Unless they really want Ibaka to play a lot of PF.

[planetmars]

We need a big that can cover energy bigs. Poeltl had a tough time against those guys. Guys like Bam Adebayo and Montrezl Harrell. Need to keep them off the boards and avoid the offensive rebound.

Bebe cannot grab a board to save his life. He's not someone I would trust guarding those guys at all either.

[chris]

I imagine you'll feel very different about this when we're getting cooked by Embiid or Cousins and have no JV-alternative to throw at them.

so you're predicting next season to be the first in recent history in which a team gets booted from the playoffs because their backup big's didn't cut it?

ok.

i prefer to stick with wing depth. if the last 5 years have taught us anything it's that you can't have too many players who can guard multiple positions on the perimeter, handle the ball and make plays, and shoot 3's

[psrs1]

Hey, if we can get Delon locked in for 10M, that's great.

We might have money to spend if Kawhi does not resign.

[DanH]

We might have money to spend if Kawhi does not resign.

Even if he does, I expect the team to spend to keep talent around him, so long as they maintain 2020 flexibility to chase a sidekick star.

[Hotshot]

Even if he does, I expect the team to spend to keep talent around him, so long as they maintain 2020 flexibility to chase a sidekick star.

If Kawhi does leave (because he just wants to be in Los Angeles, doesnt matter which L.A team) do you forsee a possible Sign & trade deal similar to what Bosh wanted when he went to Miami?! (so he wont lose money) Or it will be just too difficult at this point for either L.A club to match the assets going out?!

[Shaolin Fantastic]

If Kawhi does leave (because he just wants to be in Los Angeles, doesnt matter which L.A team) do you forsee a possible Sign & trade deal similar to what Bosh wanted when he went to Miami?! (so he wont lose money) Or it will be just too difficult at this point for either L.A club to match the assets going out?!

Free agents no longer benefit from sign and trades financially. They cannot receive the same hometown boost in salary that they would from just re-signing with their former team.

A sign and trade will only happen if the team Kawhi wants to go to does not have the requisite cap space to sign him outright.

[DanH]

Free agents no longer benefit from sign and trades financially. They cannot receive the same hometown boost in salary that they would from just re-signing with their former team.

A sign and trade will only happen if the team Kawhi wants to go to does not have the requisite cap space to sign him outright.

Well, not necessarily only then.

For example, the Lakers will have (or should be able to achieve with little effort) the requisite cap space. But if they do a sign and trade with us, and send us Deng and a couple other pieces, they could retain extra cap space to add another piece (not max, but significant) to LeBron and Kawhi. For example.

But yes, the benefit to the player is no longer there.

[ReubenJRD]

Now that it seems like Leonard is more invested than when the Raptors initially traded for him, it's quite interesting looking at the potential lineup now.

Lowry/VanVleet/Brown
Green/Wright/Powell
Leonard/Miles
Anunoby/Siakam
Valanciunas/Ibaka

Personally, I think the bench mob gets better. They might play a step slower considering Ibaka's foot speed and game in transition isn't close to Poeltl's, but the offence will improve with him being able to space the floor, and direct defensively.

It's probably already been mentioned in here, but Lowry-Green-Kawhi-OG-Siakam is probably my favourite potential lineup--the closest thing the Raptors have to a death lineup.

[golden]

Now that it seems like Leonard is more invested than when the Raptors initially traded for him, it's quite interesting looking at the potential lineup now.

Lowry/VanVleet/Brown
Green/Wright/Powell
Leonard/Miles
Anunoby/Siakam
Valanciunas/Ibaka

Personally, I think the bench mob gets better. They might play a step slower considering Ibaka's foot speed and game in transition isn't close to Poeltl's, but the offence will improve with him being able to space the floor, and direct defensively.

It's probably already been mentioned in here, but Lowry-Green-Kawhi-OG-Siakam is probably my favourite potential lineup--the closest thing the Raptors have to a death lineup.

Funny thing is: Lowry-Green-Kawhi-OG- Siakam isn’t even our best defensive lineup vs small ball. It’s:

Wright-Green-Kawhi-OG-Siakam

Plug in Wright, who is a better overall defender than Kyle, and the switching possibilities become ridiculous.

[octothorp]

Yeah, that's the lineup I'm most excited to see in action.

[DanH]

I must be one of the few who doesn’t want to see much of that lineup at all.

Like, in offence-defence subs for only defensive possessions, specifically in short clock situations where rebounding matters less, but beyond that I think we have better all around looks.