Raptors are no longer in tank mode

[hawkfan]

The Raptors have played well since the Rudy Gay trade.

They are clearly no longer in tank mode, since they are not moving talent from their roster.

They have a real chance of winning the division and winning 45 games.

With this roster, they will have a chance to get a max level free agent next summer. They can even make more moves this year to add more talent and still not affect their cap space.

Time for Raptors fans to forget about Wiggins next summer in the draft.

[STATUTORY]

it's hard to tank in the east

[Legends66NBA7]

Time for Raptors fans to forget about Wiggins next summer in the draft.

I didn't even care that much to begin with.

[Qwyjibo]

I can't wait for the string of 1st round exits over the next few years. Such an exciting future!

[ripthekik]

lol raptor fans must be confused as hell now :wtf: :biggums:

[kaiteng]

lol raptor fans must be confused as hell now :wtf: :biggums:
We have been confused with this team for years now.

[ripthekik]

We have been confused with this team for years now.
And this season you were supposed to tank.. then traded Rudy Gay.. then the team plays well and you are now 4th seed :lol

So what's the discussion going for raptor fans? You guys like this? I think raptor fans will appreciate lowry's hard play very much.. but then you also want a top pick..

[TheMarkMadsen]

And this season you were supposed to tank.. then traded Rudy Gay.. then the team plays well and you are now 4th seed :lol

So what's the discussion going for raptor fans? You guys like this? I think raptor fans will appreciate lowry's hard play very much.. but then you also want a top pick..

trade kyle lowry for steve nash and be done with it.

[NuggetsFan]

Raps haven't made the playoffs in like 5 years and the East is terrrrribble. Normally I'm completely behind the whole tanking instead of being average but in Toronto's case? I'd say giver. Right now you'd be playing who, like the Wizards? That's a legit shot at the 2nd round. Give me the 2nd round every day of the week. Not like they can't blow it up again.

You've went down the tanking road for the past few years. Never really planned out. Atleast you have guys like Derozan, Ross, Val helping lead the way so it's not like it's completely hopeless. A top 3 pick looks waaaaaay better but looks impossible because of how awful everybody is, might as well take a run at the playoffs and teach some of your young guys what winning basketball is like.

[imdaman99]

if they had a chance to play the knicks every game this year, they would be something like 75-7

[NuggetsFan]

I can't wait for the string of 1st round exits over the next few years. Such an exciting future!

Welcome to the vast majority of the NBA. Tanking doesn't = instant success. I'm all for it because it's easily the best route but really the parody in the NBA just sucks. Really a 1st round exit is probably what's coming your way regardless unless you get reaaaal lucky.

1st round exits/lottery make up 20+ teams in the NBA...

[Qwyjibo]

You've went down the tanking road for the past few years. Never really planned out. Atleast you have guys like Derozan, Ross, Val helping lead the way so it's not like it's completely hopeless. A top 3 pick looks waaaaaay better but looks impossible because of how awful everybody is, might as well take a run at the playoffs and teach some of your young guys what winning basketball is like.
Really? The Raptors haven't committed to a rebuild since the drafting of Chris Bosh. It's always been about immediate short-term success and due to poor management, they couldn't even get that right.

This was a perfect year to finally rebuild with a really nice looking top 5 or 6 in the draft. But no, they needed time to "evaluate" this roster. A waste season that will become even more evident in 2 years when the Raptors are fighting for low playoff seeds while teams like Orlando and Philly pass them with top flight cores thanks to proper rebuilding.

[NuggetsFan]

Really? The Raptors haven't committed to a rebuild since the drafting of Chris Bosh. It's always been about immediate short-term success and due to poor management, they couldn't even get that right.

This was a perfect year to finally rebuild with a really nice looking top 5 or 6 in the draft. But no, they needed time to "evaluate" this roster. A waste season that will become even more evident in 2 years when the Raptors are fighting for low playoff seeds while teams like Orlando and Philly pass them with top flight cores thanks to proper rebuilding.

Yeah actually your right, Colangelo is an idiot. For whatever reason some teams do seem to prefer to hang around rather than do a complete rebuild and Toronto seems to be the definition of never being good enough while never being bad enough either. Still got some lotto talent despite that tho, and while Orlando might get a better pick there's no guarantee's it ever leads them out of the 1st round, same with the Sixers. I do think there doing the smart thing tho :lol

At the start of the season I would have agreed, if the Raptors had done something recently than yeah would still think you want to lose. No playoffs in 5 years, East being this terrible? I'd take my chances at the 2nd round because there's too many teams doing what you want to do better.

[Legends66NBA7]

So what's the discussion going for raptor fans? You guys like this? I think raptor fans will appreciate lowry's hard play very much.. but then you also want a top pick..

It doesn't matter what WE like. Only the management/players/ownership have control over what will happen in the future. If we got a pick, great, build around that guy and not just... well, **** up on every other draft pick and sign quality free agents.

I'm really a Raptor fan who wants to see ownership buy top level talent and surround them with a proper veteran/young core. If the draft happen, go to a backup plan.

[hawkfan]

The Raptors will have cap space this summer to sign a max level free agent, and then next summer they will have cap space to sign another max level free agent.

The Raptors ownership is like Hamlet - it can't decide to tank or not to tank.

The Raptors want to lose, but don't want to gut their roster. And when they are looking for trades they want 100 cents on the dollar, which doesn't happen when teams are looking to tank.

They have moveable pieces in Hayes, Novak, Hansborough, Ross, with reasonable contracts, which would deplete the depth of the roster, but nothing is happening.

[alenleomessi]

I can't wait for the string of 1st round exits over the next few years. Such an exciting future!
well the way you are playing this season you could have HCA this year and get a weaker opponent and make the 2nd round.. and there.. who knows with all the injuries happening.. :lol

[Clutch]

I like the Raptors and I would love to see them make the playoffs. They could even have a legit shot at making the 2nd round depending who they play in the 1st round. Except Miami and Indiana everyone else sucks and are certainly beatable.

[kurple]

I can't wait for the string of 1st round exits over the next few years. Such an exciting future!
cause that wouldnt most likely happen if you went the tank route?

[Qwyjibo]

cause that wouldnt most likely happen if you went the tank route?
The probability of that happening in the long-run would be lower if the Raptors actually had a star player to build around.

There is no guaranteed strategy when it comes to building a team. But having a high draft pick is the best chance to get that needed core piece.

[kurple]

this draft looks solid on paper, but basketball isnt played on paper

raptors will most likely make it to the 2nd round this year, with a YOUNG core and a lot of cap space. That's a great position to be in

[kurple]

Imagine trading JVal, DeRozan and Lowry for literally nothing (you wanna lose, dont you). Draft Embiid and he ends up busting Thabeet style

you just set the franchise back 5 years

[kurple]

And what kinda message does tanking send to the kids? How bout the season ticket holders spending their money to watch the team win (maybe even win in the playoffs)

[Qwyjibo]

with a YOUNG core and a lot of cap space. That's a great position to be in
I think that's where us tankers disagree.

I don't consider Derozan, Amir and Lowry to be a "young core". By NBA standards, they're not young anymore and all have at least 4-5 years of playing solid minutes in the NBA already. These three are probably the current best 3 players on the team. Is there really any improving left for these guys? Amir and Derozan maybe a little bit? IMO, what you see is what you get with those 3 at this point.

It comes down to Valanciunas and Ross. Those are the only guys on the roster that you can still attach the word "potential" to. I'd prefer to have a better young talent and have Valanciunas hopefully become that "2nd best player on a good team". This is where the Raptors have failed in the past. Their two best players in franchise history were basically drafted (I know, Jamison/Carter trade) and then surrounded with garbage during the years where you had to build a winner around them to keep them in Toronto.