The Official Raptors Pre-Season thread

[Legends66NBA7]

What a game this has been so far. One thing I can say about this team is that win or lose we're gonna be exciting!

True, but I also think were going to be a "grind it out" type of team. So while we do have 3 top dunkers, I think were going to be in a lot of close games. Have got to find away to either do better in the quarters and minimize other teams from going on big runs or close out the game in the 4th much better than last season.

[bokes15]

Well one thing is, the big run started when we put in our bench guys and the starters were put in to stop the bleeding. While we do have capable second string players, we still don't have enough depth to have 5 bench guys in at one time. We'll probably have to do like other teams and have either Derozan or Gay be out there part time with the 2nd unit. But yeah I see us being a grind it out team as well. Only thing that worries me about that is that I would hate to be another grind it out team who loses the vast majority of our close games as we have in the past.

[bokes15]

Nothing entertaining about those two taking a couple dribbles, pulling up and taking bad off-balance long 2 pointers all year.

I'd prefer to see lots of Jonas and them just throwing Ross out there and seeing if he can at least be a rotation player in the NBA.

I actually saw a lot of ball movement and fast breaks in last nights game. This is an athletic team and to me, it's exciting to see a team get out and run.

[Jballer]

I actually saw a lot of ball movement and fast breaks in last nights game. This is an athletic team and to me, it's exciting to see a team get out and run.

Actually I thought the game not typical but I was equally impressed and entertained.

I presume this game is Coach D just letting the bench guys play and see how they respond. This kind of D efficiency is not in the cards if this team hopes to compete for a play off spot ( neutral - just saying this is the management goal).

Ironically if you go to SI.com at the date and timestamp of this post ; team page Toronto Raptors !

Record 0 - 0

SI Power ranking : 23

NBA Offensive Rank : 1

NBA Defensive Rank : 1

Mind you every team is ranked 1 now... shucks I was hoping for a sec there

[Toni]

I think Z-Bo should be suspended for that elbow on JV. He knew the game was over and he had 5 personal fouls at the time. He deliberately elbowed JV because he was being dominated the whole game and played it off like an accident at first.. I was at the game and watched him talking trash on the sidelines the whole time after. The guy is a classless sore loser.

[BRabbiT]

The guy is a classless sore loser.

+1

[BRabbiT]

Enemy Lines: A rival scout sizes up Toronto

Toronto will be in the mix for one of the last couple of playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

A lot is going to depend on Valanciunas. He had a great finish last year, but a lot of those games came with no pressure because they were already out of the postseason race.

The other thing is that they have new management at a time when Casey, Gay and Lowry are all in the final years of their deals. [Gay has a $19.3 million player option for '14/'15.]

It's an important time for Ujiri in terms of evaluation.

Valanciunas was very assertive offensively when he got deep post position in the lane.

He's got the size to hold his position, he has good hands and he presents a big target.

He can finish with a power move over the shoulder in either direction, and he can also show the ball and put it on the floor.

He's going to get more comfortable, but his teammates need to be committed to feeding him.

Getting him the ball in favorable spots helps DeRozan and Gay on the wing because another defender has to come down and help on Valanciunas.

He's an imposing defender inside. He changes shots and he'll evolve into a stopper once he has learned how to position himself.

He got into some foul trouble early in the season that would take him off the floor. He has to not overreact and avoid positions where he's wasting fouls.

And he'll learn that as he plays against these opponents more: Stay down on this guy, don't get up because he's going to fake you and force you to foul him. You hear that and you say, "OK, OK, OK" -- but it takes experience.

The Raptors may make a lot of changes to their roster, but Valanciunas is one of the guys to hold onto.

He has oodles of potential and he'll be in the league a long time.

Johnson finally stepped up last year. With Johnson and Valanciunas, that's a nice athletic pair for the frontcourt. Johnson plays hard. His effort is there and his length is good.

He's not a big-time rebounder, but he fights, he contests shots and he can finish a little bit. Having Tyler Hansbrough competing with Johnson on a daily basis is going to pick it up for Amir, and that's probably something he needs.

Gay has a lot of talent. If your team is good enough to get you to the end of a game [with a chance to win], Gay can win that game for you.

He isn't consistent enough to lead his team to that position on a regular basis, but when it gets to winning time, he has the guts and ability to make big shots.

He has a decent post-up game. His field-goal percentage is not that great and he forces some shots.

His length and athleticism are assets at small forward, and he can handle the ball a little bit.

He's not much of a playmaker, and defensively he's average.

Lowry is one of those point guards who pounds the ball. His size [6 feet] is an issue, and he has a tendency to hang on to the ball instead of trying to make the play and get everybody touches and move it around.

He's good enough to be a starter on a below-average team, but I don't think his method translates to a good team. He probably has more confidence in himself than is warranted.

I think he thinks of himself as the first option, which stunts guys like DeRozan and Gay who need the ball, too.

Lowry has three-point range, but at his size he has to have open shots. He can make shots, but he takes a lot of bad ones. He's an attacker, but he's not that good as a finisher. I don't think he gets enough easy baskets in transition to force defenders back on their heels.

His on-ball defense isn't at the top among point guards, but he's active.

I'm a believer in DeRozan. He has a great-looking jump shot, he's extremely athletic and he seems to work at coming off screens.

Is he a catch-and-shoot three-point guy? No, but that part of his game will expand because he has good mechanics. The way he works to come off screens is a tribute to Casey and the execution of running sets and getting shots in the flow of the offense, as opposed to the iso-type thing.

Isos are necessary sometimes, too, but for the meat and potatoes you want to work within the system. DeRozan can't carry a good team yet, but if he's your fourth or fifth player, you're in great shape.

He has length defensively and he competes.

Casey is better than he gets credit for.

He's very organized and seems prepared. I don't think his talent has allowed him to be successful enough.

He'll coach the team the same way even though he's in the last year of his deal, and if he takes the fall he'll walk away without slamming anybody because he's a real professional.

He could also get them to the playoffs, which would be quite an achievement.
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[bokes15]

He's going to get more comfortable, but his teammates need to be committed to feeding him.

This is the most important thing of that whole article. With 3 guys who love the ball like Derozan/Gay/Lowry starting alongside him, it's actually gonna take a commitment from them to give it to him in the post and play inside out. It would be to everyone's benefit, and hopefully an elementary coach like Casey can see that.