2013-2014 NBA Thread - IND @ WAS and OKC @ LAC on ESPN

[ballinsam23]

I like their core of Lowry-Derozan-Ross-Jonah.

Vonleh would fit perfectly, but i'd draft the best player available on the board.

I like Amir too, but he's better served as the first big off the bench.

 

[sea manup]

you need a top 10 player to contend for a title, no free agents are going to go to canada

if they trade for a big name player they will have to give up needed assets 

drafting, even though its not 100%, is the best and only way for toronto to put together a contender 

 

[urbetterthenme]

 
you need a top 10 player to contend for a title, no free agents are going to go to canada

if they trade for a big name player they will have to give up needed assets 

drafting, even though its not 100%, is the best and only way for toronto to put together a contender 

If I'm a NBA player.... I want to go to Toronto. Bruh Toronto is a Canadian New York.

 

[ballinsam23]

Plenty of FA would love to go to Toronto. Hell im from NYC and i think Toronto is better

They wont get a big time FA, but they can definitely add the right complimentary pieces through FA without really overpaying.

 

[sea manup]

when has anyone ever wanted to go play basketball in canada?

raptors fans hate every top pick that leaves them because they know they wont be getting another star player back unless its from the draft

its not just toronto though, in the history of the NBA the 04 pistons are the ONLY team that has won a championship without an allstar/HOFer that they drafted themselves 

its impossible to build a championship team not using the draft

 

[urbetterthenme]

 
when has anyone ever wanted to go play basketball in canada?

raptors fans hate every top pick that leaves them because they know they wont be getting another star player back unless its from the draft

its not just toronto though, in the history of the NBA the 04 pistons are the ONLY team that has won a championship without an allstar/HOFer that they drafted themselves 

its impossible to build a championship team not using the draft

Just cause it hasn't been done yet.... dont mean its impossible fella

 

[sea manup]

and now with the new CBA its even harder than before to build without the draft

its not going to happen

 

[urbetterthenme]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...y-mcgrady-had-stayed-with-the-toronto-raptors

 

[herbshuttles15]

Plenty of FA would love to go to Toronto. Hell im from NYC and i think Toronto is better

They wont get a big time FA, but they can definitely add the right complimentary pieces through FA without really overpaying.

Nobody wants to play in Toronto even though Toronto is great city, I don't get it.

 

[sea manup]

canadian taxes and high cost of living

 

[ballinsam23]

Your #1 option doesnt have to be from the draft to win it all. You just need to draft 1 all star.

The pieces you add through FA around that draft pick is what wins you the championship.

 

[sea manup]

Your #1 option doesnt have to be from the draft to win it all. You just need to draft an all star.

The pieces you add through FA is what wins you the championship.

name one team other than the 04 pistons that doesnt have an allstar/hall of famer from the draft

not your #1 option but a very very good player needs to be from the draft (dwade these past two years, kobe with shaq, ect..)

not demar derosen

 

[100027]

Every nice city in America has high taxes and high costs of living.

Low-tax cities are crapholes, unless you love suburban sprawl and no character.

 

[dt43]

Of course, but that's not gonna happen at this point. No way they drop that low in the standings regardless of any move they make.

Ujiri is kind of trapped, I'm sure he secretly wanted the team to tank, but they're playing really well and the fanbase is energized. If he decided to trade away Lowry and/or Derozan at the deadline it would look really bad, and it would soil his own reputation somewhat.

It's tough because the Raptors still need that perennial All-Star/franchise player to add to their core, but that won't happen without a high draft pick. The treadmill struggle is real


That being said, for branding/marketing purposes this has been a great year for the Raptors, I don't think capping it off with some playoff success would be a bad thing in the eyes of most fans.

but see thats my point, masai waited too long, he should have seen this coming, he should have seen this teams destiny when he was hired, he should have cleaned house and started a real rebuild.

but in stead we are 3rd in a horrible eastern conference, playoif success means nothing in the eastern conference

Agreed, I actually read a quote where Masai alluded to wanting to tank and not be "stuck in the middle" but it seems like he's screwed that up.

However I wouldn't always say that playoff success means nothing. IF you already have a future star+young core in place, playoff success means a lot for team development. Pacers are the prime example of that. But if you don't have a star to build around, there's no point in trying to make the playoffs year after year just to get knocked out. Gotta get that star first.

 

[sea manup]

 
Every nice city in America has high taxes and high costs of living.

Low-tax cities are crapholes, unless you love suburban sprawl and no character.

theres a difference between canadian cost of living and american cost of living

when i go to LA or NY to visit its shocking how cheep everything is

 

[urbetterthenme]

 
Every nice city in America has high taxes and high costs of living.

The reason why these cities be great has a part to do with taxes. Those Taxes make things great.

 

[100027]

 
The reason why these cities be great has a part to do with taxes. Those Taxes make things great.

Well in part that's true.  Lots of public investment in infrastructure, parks, cultural institutions, etc.

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

**** tanking. I would want my team to win regardless. This defeatist mentality is weak.



Raptors fans are such a depressing bunch.

 

[sea manup]

its not just taxes, everything here is more expensive 

pick up a book and look at the price on the back, theres an american price and a higher canadian price even though our currencies are about the same and this is before tax is calculated 

 

[black migo]

Agreed, I actually read a quote where Masai alluded to wanting to tank and not be "stuck in the middle" but it seems like he's screwed that up.

However I wouldn't always say that playoff success means nothing. IF you already have a future star+young core in place, playoff success means a lot for team development. Pacers are the prime example of that. But if you don't have a star to build around, there's no point in trying to make the playoffs year after year just to get knocked out. Gotta get that star first.

Flight 31 is that star

 

[100027]

 
its not just taxes, everything here is more expensive 

pick up a book and look at the price on the back, theres an american price and a higher canadian price even though our currencies are about the same and this is before tax is calculated 

I believe you.  haven't been to Canada in a long time.  That's the same when you compare Europe to the U.S., of course.  

It's still rare to hear someone call NY cheap.

 

[sea manup]

it costs 7 dollars for me to get a normal sized box of cinnamon toast crunch here 

 

[osh kosh bosh]

**** with that the raptors are in the same situation as 80% of the franchises in the league, you win through the draft period.

nba athletes arent sweating a box of cinemon toast crunch.

 

[ballinsam23]

**** tanking. I would want my team to win regardless. This defeatist mentality is weak.



Raptors fans are such a depressing bunch.

In life this is true. But in the world of sports you're wrong.

 

[urbetterthenme]

 
Well in part that's true.  Lots of public investment in infrastructure, parks, cultural institutions, etc.

man you know what I meant