Raptors Discussion: v96| Playoff Round 1 vs Philadelphia
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Apotheosis
Registered User
The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
Because of contact tracing on the heels of the covid mini-outbreak around the Raptors it was announced that Matt & Jack won't call the next couple of games. Tonight's game vs the Kings will be Paul Jones & Leo Rautins and tomorrow's will be Eric Smith & Amy Audibert.
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
How Raptors approach trade market will reveal team’s intentions - TSN.ca
It’s not just that the Raptors don’t have enough size or physicality in the middle; they also don’t have enough depth at the position.
It just so happens that two of the league’s most coveted big men may have become available this week. On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that the perennially middling Indiana Pacers are expected to shop some of their veteran players, including two-time all-star Domantas Sabonis and centre Myles Turner.
The Raptors have had “their eyes on” both of Indiana’s bigs for years, according to a league source; Turner in particular. It’s not hard to see the fit. The seventh-year centre and former lottery pick is leading the NBA in blocked shots for the third time in four seasons. He’s also hitting 40 per cent of his threes. Sabonis isn’t the defender that Turner is, but he’s one of the craftiest low-post scoring threats in the game.
Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will surely make a call and kick the tires, as they do whenever an impact player is believed to be available. But as the trade market heats up – this summer’s free agent signees are eligible to be moved starting next Wednesday, with the deadline scheduled for February 10 – they’ll have some big decisions to make.
......................
Internally, the goal is clear. They want to remain competitive in the short term while also building for a future they hope will come sooner rather than later. It’s a tough line to walk, and when they’ve had to veer in one direction or the other, they’ve prioritized development.
Scottie Barnes leads all rookies in minutes, affording him the luxury of playing through mistakes. Instead of finding a role for veteran Goran Dragic, they’ve sent him home and opted to use those backup point guard minutes on Dalano Banton and Malachi Flynn, a first and second-year player.
They’re balancing the present and the future, but when the latter has come at the expense of the former, they’ve mostly been fine with that, as frustrating as that can be for those in the business of producing immediate results.
......................
To open the conversation, the Pacers will surely be looking for a young player or two, as well as draft compensation. It’s hard to imagine the Raptors would part with any of their core four – VanVleet, Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Barnes – for Sabonis or Turner, meaning it would likely cost them Gary Trent Jr. and multiple future first-round picks.
Injuries to Birch and Achiuwa aren’t likely to affect their decision one way or another; this front office isn’t one to make a trade like that simply to plug a short-term hole. However, that’s not what this would be. The centre position has been an area of need since Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka left in free agency a couple off-seasons ago. It wouldn’t be a short-sighted move either, as both Sabonis and Turner are 25 and fit Toronto’s developmental timeline.
The question they’ll have to answer over the coming weeks is, do they want to expedite that process, and at what cost?
It’s not just that the Raptors don’t have enough size or physicality in the middle; they also don’t have enough depth at the position.
It just so happens that two of the league’s most coveted big men may have become available this week. On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that the perennially middling Indiana Pacers are expected to shop some of their veteran players, including two-time all-star Domantas Sabonis and centre Myles Turner.
The Raptors have had “their eyes on” both of Indiana’s bigs for years, according to a league source; Turner in particular. It’s not hard to see the fit. The seventh-year centre and former lottery pick is leading the NBA in blocked shots for the third time in four seasons. He’s also hitting 40 per cent of his threes. Sabonis isn’t the defender that Turner is, but he’s one of the craftiest low-post scoring threats in the game.
Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will surely make a call and kick the tires, as they do whenever an impact player is believed to be available. But as the trade market heats up – this summer’s free agent signees are eligible to be moved starting next Wednesday, with the deadline scheduled for February 10 – they’ll have some big decisions to make.
......................
Internally, the goal is clear. They want to remain competitive in the short term while also building for a future they hope will come sooner rather than later. It’s a tough line to walk, and when they’ve had to veer in one direction or the other, they’ve prioritized development.
Scottie Barnes leads all rookies in minutes, affording him the luxury of playing through mistakes. Instead of finding a role for veteran Goran Dragic, they’ve sent him home and opted to use those backup point guard minutes on Dalano Banton and Malachi Flynn, a first and second-year player.
They’re balancing the present and the future, but when the latter has come at the expense of the former, they’ve mostly been fine with that, as frustrating as that can be for those in the business of producing immediate results.
......................
To open the conversation, the Pacers will surely be looking for a young player or two, as well as draft compensation. It’s hard to imagine the Raptors would part with any of their core four – VanVleet, Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Barnes – for Sabonis or Turner, meaning it would likely cost them Gary Trent Jr. and multiple future first-round picks.
Injuries to Birch and Achiuwa aren’t likely to affect their decision one way or another; this front office isn’t one to make a trade like that simply to plug a short-term hole. However, that’s not what this would be. The centre position has been an area of need since Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka left in free agency a couple off-seasons ago. It wouldn’t be a short-sighted move either, as both Sabonis and Turner are 25 and fit Toronto’s developmental timeline.
The question they’ll have to answer over the coming weeks is, do they want to expedite that process, and at what cost?
Dr.Funk
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2004
- 20,194
- 2,912
It’s gotta be pretty rare for 9 guys to score in double digits.
Pretty cool balanced attack the other night.
Pretty cool balanced attack the other night.
LaPlante94
Registered User
- Apr 12, 2011
- 7,231
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The lighting at the Barclays Center for basketball games is really good.
HamiltonNHL
Resigning Marner == Running it back
- Jan 4, 2012
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inthe6ix
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