[Bmore_DCParticipant]

This team lost another close one tonight and i really feel bad for this team…they keep losing close games to good teams and its got to be frustrating…i really like what Casey is doing but damn…

what do you guys see this team doing this off-season? and what are your expectations for them next season?

[TRC1991Participant]

They need to figure out what to do with Jarryd Bayless… is he the PG of the future? or is he their 6th man? They definitely need a small forward in the draft, probably harrison barnes would make a nice fit. But in all honesty, Dwane Casey has got to be fired up about his youth in the post (valanciunas, bargnani, a. johnson, ed davis, etc) also, they need to figure out what to do with calderon 

[boshjonesfordParticipant]

Im not gonnna like lie, watching them lose didnt hurt that much infact i want them to lose so we can get a bette pick (I know its a bad way to think lol) 

Next year we should be good (with 2 top 5 picks coming in + the team with the most money in the offseason + some young players getting the PT this waste of a season to develop for next year)

Im optomistic

[JunkYardDogParticipant]

 " with the most money in the offseason" : ….. having some space under the salary cap is great but do FA players want to play in toronto ?

Small market teams have to build through the draft and international prospects (the same way SA did) cause they won”t attract great FA.

[omphalosParticipant]

Raptors are actually looking pretty good, if they can just get the right SF in the draft and keep Bargnani healthy then they could be out of the lottery next season.

I also fee bad for Bayless though, he has a string of great games while Calderon is out, and then is relegated back to the bench and inconsistent minutes. He can be a starter with the right team around him, I think he’s more talented than he’s given credit for and like Lowry, will thrive if given the opportunity for extended minutes. If he sticks around until Calderon is gone he will most likely be given the keys and Toronto is good place for him.

I don’t think Ed Davis is the answer that everyone expected him to be, Bargnani and Valanciunas are definitely the best 4/5 combination they have in my opinion, with Davis spelling either one.

As for the SF, I think Barnes would be great, but Kidd-Gilchrist is who they need, they need a guy who can lock down opposition 3s and provide leadership to a group which is used to losing.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 

SG’s
-DeMar Derozan – $3.3-Mil

SF’s
-Linas Kleiza – $4.6-Mil (Can also play stretch PF)
-James Johnson – $2.8-Mil (Can also play small PF)

PF’s
-Andrea Bargnani – $10-Mil
-Amir Johnson – $6-Mil
– Ed Davis – $2.2-Mil

C’s
-Jonas Valanciunas – $3.5-Mil

PG’s
-Jose Calderon – $10.5-Mil
-Jerryd Bayless- $4.1-Mil (can also play SG)

Expiring Contracts
-Soloman Alabi (Team Option)
-Jamaal Magloire
-Anthony Carter
-Gary Forbes
-Rasual Butler
-Aaron Gray

Valuable Assets
-Toronto Raptors 2012 1st Round Draft Pick (Top 7 Projected)
-Toronto Raptors 2012 2nd Round Draft Pick
-Indiana Pacers 2012 2nd Round Draft Pick
-Leandro Barbosa $7.6-Mil TE (Good until next years trade deadline)

Above is a clearcut guideline of what the Raptors do have, an easy way to address what they need and the assets they have to acquire their needs.

TEAM NEEDS

Gaurd Play
–Toronto only has three players under contract for 12/13 at the gaurd position (Calderon, Bayless, Derozan). Both Calderon and Bayless have been pretty injury prone as well. Bayless has shown he is capable of playing SG off the bench. Acquiring another combo gaurd capable of staying healthy consistantly would be very wise for the Raptors. Also acquiring another gaurd (5th gaurd) that can display professionalism and leadership would be wise…just dont make it Anthony Carter.

Starting SF
-Linas Klieza and James Johnson are good role players although are not capable of playing the role required to make the Raptors playoff contenders. Maybe if James Johnson had Klieza’s scoring abillity, and Klieza had JJ’s ballhandling and defensive skills the Raps would be much better off, although neither shows potential of growth in those areas so an uprade must be made. Both LK and JJ can add an extra element to the game by playing a bit of small ball at the PF position. A consistant all around player is needed at SF for the Raptors to succeed, or James Johnson and Linas Klieza are going to have to step it up.

Depth at C
-With Jonas Valanciunas coming into the league noboy really knows what to expect. Some people believe he will be the next Tim Duncan or Pau Gasol. Some people believe he will be Nenad Kristic. I personally think he will be like a Samuel Dalembert presence with Byron Mullens offensive game. Either way he is unproven at the NBA level and depth needs to be added. Aaron Gray has done an okay job as a utility C for the Raps so resigning him would not be a bad idea. Jamaal Magloire wouldnt be bad to bring back either as he can teach the young Lithuanian prospect alot. Although both of those seem like quick fixes and bringing in a starter calibur C that would push Valanciunas to have to get better in order to see the floor would be the best idea. Either way it seems like with Bargnani, Johnson, and Davis stocked at PF the Raps maybe playing some small ball next year.

HOW TO USE ASSETS

-Draft either Harrison Barnes or Mike Kidd-Gilchrist with 1st round pick assuming Anthony Davis is gone. Next best options would be Andre Drummond, Brad Beal and Jeremy Lamb imo. Trading somehow for Austin Rivers would be smart too he seems like a perfect fit to replace Barbosa’s role.

-Draft a gaurd in the 2nd round assuming Barnes or MKG have been selected in the 1st. John Jenkins, William Buford, Alex Young, Darius Johnson-Odom, Marcus Denmon, Will Barton, Scott Machado should mostly be available within the 30-40 range. Bring them in for workouts and see who rises to the top. Also keep an eye out for Festus Ezuli and Fab Melo.

-If lucky the Raps will be able to pickup a guy like Robert Sacre, Henry Sims or Yancy Gates that can continue their development in Toronto. If not a floater pick on an international player would also be wise.

-Reasses the current situation of the team sometime next year and see where your teams record is. If you are in the playoff picture use the Trade Exception to boost your teams talent, if not trade it for a pick and continue developing.

 

[kimmyParticipant]

 I don’t feel bad for any team that is trying to build around Andrea Bargnani.   

[llperez]

i watched the end of the game yesterday. The raps should have won, bargganni missed two great open looks to win it.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Also add Tyshawn Taylor and Marquis Teague to that list.

And something I meant to adress is that next year with Bargnani, Valanciunas, Davis, and Johnson in the same lineup something may need to be done. Ed Davis and Amir Johnson are playing the same role. A 2nd Center is needed as Aaron Gray has shown this year. Either Davis or Johnson has got to go.

Johnson has been a guy to step up for Toronto a whole lot in crunch time (as sad as that sounds). Davis has proved to degress since his rookie year although he is alot cheaper, and has a bit more value to other NBA teams. Ed Davis also shows more potential as a defender especially since he doesnt foul as much as Amir. A key here is that if the Raptors want him Amir would likely stay with Toronto as a 20-mpg utility guy for the rest of his career no matter how good he gets. Imo Ed Davis seems like the type of guy to get good, collect a cheque then go find a team in the states.

Unless the Raps can draft Harrison Barnes who Davis has ties to from UNC (never played together though). But then again all this thought on a player who hasnt proved to be more then a 5-ppg, 5-rpg, 1-bpg guy seems unneccassary.

[aamir543Participant]

 I don’t know why Toronto is treated like a Small Market team. The perception around the league is that it’s a small market team, but the truth is far from it. It’s one of the biggest economies in North America, and is the New York of Canada is a sense.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Toronto is the New York of Canada although Canada compared to America is like Lithuania compared to Russia.

The State of New York has as many people in it as Canada. Although we are a great tourist destination, international city, pride sports team of Canada and all that technically we still are a small market team. we are just a very profitable small market team.

I honestly believe at least 20 NBA teams are "small market". its nothng to be ashamed of especially when out of those 20 Toronto is one of the more sucessful…profit wise. We can definitely be ashamed of our record, playoff apperances, and accomplishments but starting Aaron Gray at C is gonna change all that!

[Bmore_DCParticipant]

The whole small market vs. big market argument is just stupid…

Miami is the 14th biggest market in the NBA…they sure didnt have a problem attracting free agents. Memphis, OKC, and SA are 3 of the smallest markets and they are pretty damn good. New York is the biggest market and as of right now the Nets are lottery and the Knicks are barely in the playoffs. The Clippers are in the second biggest market and until this year the Clippers have been the worst franchise in sports. I could go on and on but especially now with the new CBA, market size really doesnt mean THAT much…

Raptors need to hit on this next pick, and they need to get rid of some bad contracts to free up even more space…theres no use in paying these guys who dont produce when the younger guys sit on the bench…they need some more defense and it seems they are going in that direction

[JunkYardDogParticipant]

 when I talk about small market that is not a pejorative term…. that is reality.

lots of players who are enough good don’t want to play in other cities than miami, chicago, NY, LA, boston. That’s what we have seen for a long time. I regret that but that is reality. Big FA don’t want to come in toronto.

Moreover toronto is in a foreign country (even if it’s canada and very close) and I truly believe some players are affraid of that (remember francis… in vancouver).

[thparadoxParticipant]

I think Toronto has been less appealing to players because of 1) tax rates 2) winter… otherwise, I think perception is changing and players realize that this is a pretty good city to be in.

It’s a pretty big market. We’re around the 5th largest population in North America in terms of population size. This market can definitely support a high payroll.. we have good attendance records.

I don’t think the current roster really matters for the raptors. We need to build around a superstar, and we don’t have one yet…. so we need to tank and take the best player available in the draft. That might turn out to be Barnes or MKG, but I certainly wouldn’t favor them due to position.

[204ballerParticipant]

Wouldn’t a person want a whole nation on their shoulders to lead the Raptors to an NBA Championship, see if a Big Named free agent came to the Raptors and won an NBA championship not only for the Raptors, but for Canada, they would blow up on the news everywhere in Canada and in the States because it would be the first time Canada would win the NBA title.

[Bmore_DCParticipant]

i didnt think u meant it to be…and i agree free agents dont want to come to Toronto right now, but if they had some nice players and a big free agent saw that, and got offered the max, im sure more would sign there…

all i was saying is that people act like Miami is a big market and its not…free agents dont wanna sign with Washington either and thats a bigger market than Miami

[Bmore_DCParticipant]

ALL teams need to build through the draft…Miami wouldnt have that team unless they DRAFTED D-Wade in ’03…if Toronto had a player close to that caliber they would attract some free agents…

[omphalosParticipant]

@Bmore_DC; the problem Toronto has isn’t drafting great players, they’ve struck rich in the lottery numerous times (Carter and Bosh being the most pertinent examples) but they simply can’t hold onto them once their rookie deals expire because American born players don’t want to live in the Great White North.

This is why I don’t mind the strategy of taking Bargnani and Valanciunas, simply because they have no inherent bias against Canada and are more likely to be loyal to the franchise.

[Bmore_DCParticipant]

 good point man….

the one thing i can say is that with the new CBA, teams can pay their own players around $40 million more than any other team, so this should have players sticking around more often than not…

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