What if we make the playoffs?

[Burgz V2]

if we tank from here on out not only will we have a chance to keep our pick (1-3) but BC will for sure be gone.

As long as Kleiza is on the team there is still hope

[lilbeastnani]

I think we've passed no-mans land. If we don't make the playoffs this season we're not bad enough to keep our pick.

[Qwyjibo]

if we tank from here on out not only will we have a chance to keep our pick (1-3) but BC will for sure be gone.

As long as Kleiza is on the team there is still hope

Exactly.

I honestly don't care if OKC gets the #4 or 13 pick. I'd rather the Raptors have a chance to get a top 3 pick. If they get #4 or 5 and have to give that up, that's probably the last nail in Colangelo's coffin and that's fine with me.

[lilbeastnani]

But realistically this team isn't gonna tank with both BC and Casey's collective asses on the line. So buckle up for a serious run at an 8th seed.

[Jballer]

While it looks good now... also consider the tail end of the season schedule...

2 game Knicks - who look to be confortably 'in'....
2 games Bulls - with Drose back probably playing great ball trying to seed themselves.
2 games Hawks - who look 'in' but might be fighting the bubble
1 game Bucks - see above
1 game Nets - see above

The a couple of games verses teams I think will finish strong.. Pistons and Wizards with john Wall back....

Also we should be playing out the string at season end without Jose Calderon... and frankly he is playing very well.....

Dont count on 8th or 9th... think 11th or 12th likely

[bokes15]

I would think, in a perfect world where everything went right, we didn't face so many injuries, and everything clicked from day 1, we're a .500 team. 41-41. We've pretty much played .500 ball from the start of December to now (10-10). The 8th seed will probably be at least a .500 record and perhaps even a few games over because as it stands 8th is 2 games over .500. So at a minimum over our last 45 games we'd have to go 27-18 just for a shot at sniffing the 8th seed. We're a .500 team at best so I don't see us doing any better than maybe like 20-25 which would put us at 34-48 for the year and a 10-12 seed, which is exactly around where I expect us to finish.

[Jballer]

I would think, in a perfect world where everything went right, we didn't face so many injuries, and everything clicked from day 1, we're a .500 team. 41-41. We've pretty much played .500 ball from the start of December to now (10-10). The 8th seed will probably be at least a .500 record and perhaps even a few games over because as it stands 8th is 2 games over .500. So at a minimum over our last 45 games we'd have to go 27-18 just for a shot at sniffing the 8th seed. We're a .500 team at best so I don't see us doing any better than maybe like 20-25 which would put us at 34-48 for the year and a 10-12 seed, which is exactly around where I expect us to finish.

Good breakdown.. nice post.

I wouldnt argue about the math.. but I would say I never saw this team as 500 from day 1... and I still dont see it as 500. 20 - 25 down the stretch is also suspect in my mind as the tail end of the schedule seems to be loaded in play off teams or non - playoff teams that should improve with key player back. DRose Chicago John Wall Washington for example.

Not enough games verses the Cavs the Bobcats and the Magic left.

Our upside is limited to how we are playing now i/m/h/o.

We could in fact end up with 36 wins my revised projection...but if we play Jonas and Barges down the stetch as starters we could end up only 12 - 33 for example.

The reason playing that forecourt would be "political" over Casey's head. 1) to sell hope to the fans seeing Jonus play. 2) to season JV and 3) to showcase Barges for a trade.

[bokes15]

I do think we had the talent (on paper) to be a .500 team or close to it. But you have to factor in a lot of things. We opened up with the worst road schedule in the NBA. I think we also played the most games against WC opponents. The schedule was brutal. Then you take into account that Bargnani was starting and playing starter minutes and having one of the worst years of his entire career, but yet Ed Davis was barely cracking the rotation until Bargs went down with an injury. Then we had the whole Lowry/Calderon problem. And then right when everything is clicking for us, Val goes down with an injury and we have zero starting center. I'm saying that if we had a home heavy schedule, the rotations had been handled differently, various injuries hadn't taken place, and the team had found it's chemistry earlier best case scenario we could've finished at .500. But rarely do things ever go perfectly so we're probably right where we should be.

[barkleynash]

We are not a playoff team.
Trading calderon is an absolute must. Package pietrus with him.
Trade bargs with Anderson and get something decent back.

I would love a trade, bargs and Anderson for Wilson chandler and mozgov. .
Trading Jose and pietrus for salary dump for late first rounder.

[bokes15]

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/02/14...s-but-possible

The Raptors may be 53 games into the 82-game schedule, but it feels like they are just getting started.

For the next four days, the team will disengage as the league shifts focus to celebrate the best of the best at the all-star game. Only Terrence Ross will be there and his participation will be limited to the dunk contest.

The rest of the team will have the time, if they so choose, to look back on a year that has already been three seasons in one.

The first portion was the imminently forgettable 4-19 mark to start the year. Burdened by the schedule maker with 15 of their first 23 games on the road, the Raptors struggled to even find a semblance of the team they were a year ago, not to mention an iota of consistency.

But the Raptors changed again, this time reverting back to its 2011-12 roots, at least in terms of manpower.

With Kyle Lowry and Andrea Bargnani injured, Casey put the team back in the hands of the likes of Jose Calderon, Amir Johnson, Ed Davis and Alan Anderson, four mainstays of the previous season, and was rewarded with a 12-10 mark.

The third season, though, is already underway for the Raptors, the one with Rudy Gay at the forefront, Calderon in Detroit and Davis in Memphis.

The deal that Bryan Colangelo and his staff pulled off to bring Gay to Toronto gives Toronto its first real all-star since Chris Bosh jumped ship to become the third wheel in the Big Three of Miami. Once again, the outlook has changed

So far, with Gay in the fold, the Raptors are a robust 5-2, but have shown an alarming disinterest in defence. Only during Wednesday’s win over New York did it feel like the message Casey has been preaching finally was hammered home — that no team can win consistently or go deep into the playoffs without committing to defence first.

Granted, it’s a long shot, but four consecutive wins over Indianapolis, New Orleans, Denver and the Knicks have even long shots looking possible these days.

He goes on to talk about what each player must do. And this was the end of it:

HEAD COACH DWANE CASEY: Casey has pushed most of the right buttons. But now with his team taking on a definite offensive leaning, it’s going to be on Casey to make sure the defence doesn’t get neglected. Offence only gets you so far in this league. Defence can get you all the way home and back. Casey preaches that day in and day out, but if it’s not being heard when the lights are on, this team will never roll back the six-game deficit they face for the eighth playoff spot.

GM BRYAN COLANGELO: Having pulled off the big one (the Gay trade), Colangelo is once again on the hot seat trying to turn Bargnani into something that will make his roster better. Obviously, whatever return he can generate for Bargnani is going to decide whether the Big Roman is moved or not. Unfortunately, Bargnani’s stock isn’t high right now. Even if he can’t move Bargnani, Colangelo must address the need for another point guard. One with a defensive leaning would be nice.

[lilbeastnani]

Philly lost today, we are officially 9th in the east. Milwaukee is on a 3 game losing streak and we are now only 4 games back of them with 26 games to go. Playoffs are a REAL possibility now.

[Jballer]

Philly lost today, we are officially 9th in the east. Milwaukee is on a 3 game losing streak and we are now only 4 games back of them with 26 games to go. Playoffs are a REAL possibility now.

Hold you horses please...

Philly has 4 Games verses Bobcats and Cavaliers down the stretch from March 29

Toronto has Bucks, Bulls twice, Nets and Celtics down the stretch. I would think Celtics are bubble and playing hard. Bucks are bubble playing hard. Bulls and Nets may be playing for home court.

Milwaukee possibly has the toughest schedule with Indiana and Miami... but they may be resting the stars if they are comfortably in the playoffs... could be both ways - the very worst schedule or not so bad.

I know Toronto is making hay in the schedule now and beating good teams but the stretch of the last 5 games is second gear. Does this team have a second gear.. ???

I am not yet convineced.

Next year

[kmart]

Hold you horses please...

Philly has 4 Games verses Bobcats and Cavaliers down the stretch from March 29

Toronto has Bucks, Bulls twice, Nets and Celtics down the stretch. I would think Celtics are bubble and playing hard. Bucks are bubble playing hard. Bulls and Nets may be playing for home court.

Milwaukee possibly has the toughest schedule with Indiana and Miami... but they may be resting the stars if they are comfortably in the playoffs... could be both ways - the very worst schedule or not so bad.

I know Toronto is making hay in the schedule now and beating good teams but the stretch of the last 5 games is second gear. Does this team have a second gear.. ???

I am not yet convineced.

Next year

Philly and Milkwaukee are struggling right now. I can see the raps sneaking into the eighth spots fairly soon.

[Jballer]

Ok fair - they sneek into 8th right now.. Rudy is a game changer..

What I am saying is "can they hold onto 8th" from March 25 onwards??

Balance of schedule comes into play. I have to believe with 4 verses Cavs and Bobcats the 76ers have the easiest schedule....although I did not break it down to home verses away.

My guess right now - injuries all being equal - is the Raptors cannot hold onto 8th. I am willing to be pleasently surprised and keep the draft pick... but I dont see it...

[bokes15]

I would say if we had Rudy from the beginning of the year we are for sure a playoff team, probably a 7 or 8 seed. But right now? It doesn't really seem like it. I still see us ending as a 9 or 10 seed. We'd have to have a really damn good finish over the last 25 games, like 18-7, and I highly doubt that.