The value of continuity...

[gnaz]

How important is continuity for this Raptors team this season? Is continuity undervalued in this league?

Imho, although the celtics are arguably a more talented team, the raps experience in the PO will be the difference maker come that time.



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[agentzero2010]

...good/great regular season success and disappointing post season success if you don't have enough star power. case and point with the raptors in the past 2 seasons. they had a great start 2 seasons ago and then flatlined after allstar break. they had a great regular season last year but struggled their way through inferior and injured opponents into the conference finals and then flatlined (with the exception of games 3 and 4 against the cavs). Unless Masai finds a third star or a transformational star player, this group will still have trouble getting out of the first round.

As for the argument that celtics are more talented than the raptors, I simply disagree. They have a great coach and a very deep squad but when things get tough, down the stretch and the celtics need a basket, who can they go to? Isiah? He's 5'9 on a good day and no matter how talented you are, size matters in the playoffs as demonstrated by LeBron and co. against the warriors. Can Big Al be their go to scorer? probably not. Bradley? nope. Crowder? nope. Meanwhile, raptors have 2 guys who have displayed, at times, the ability to convert key baskets. Go back and rewatch game 4 against the Cavs, DeMar, Kyle and even Corey, showed their ability to make crucial, timely baskets.

[Clutch Carter]

The phrase you are looking for is 'organic growth'

[0 - 100]

just ask bryan colangelo who turned over more than half of the roster every year and came away with 4 total playoff wins in 7 years

[Matty]

The value of continuity? apparently 139 million.

[RonaldArtest]

I never believed the value of continuity was so important until I watched this team continue to exceed expectations.

[RaptorHusky]

I never believed the value of continuity was so important until I watched this team continue to exceed expectations.

And I'd add boringly repetitious example - look at Spurs

[Kabookalu]

Would people call the Grizzlies and Hawks as an example of strong continuity? Continuity is used in a positive connotation, and yet those two teams are always labeled as treadmill teams, a negative connotation.

I believe that continuity doesn't exactly mean maintaining the status quo and bringing back the same people every year. I believe it's having a strong pillar that can maintain the current success while having the potential to improve. With the Hawks and Grizzlies, no one sees them moving the needle anymore than where they're already at. And for that I believe continuity resides mainly in the decisions of the front office. Before Jerry Buss' death, the Lakers had a strong three decades run worth of continuity, and they've shuffled through a plethora of different players and coaches in that time. And yet one thing always remained, they were consistently great.

The Spurs, while having the same franchise player and coach for their entire decade and a half run was important, the shuffling of everyone else was necessary for them to maintain their excellence. After guys like Sean Elliot, Avery Johnson, Mario Ellie retired, and David Robinson continued declining, the Spurs may very well could have been like the Wolves; a mediocre team with a mega superstar on it. Though they knew what it took to become great again. Yet they replaced the players that won them the championship in 99 with fresh new blood that allowed them to win it all in 03, 05, and 07. And with Duncan's decline, they switched things around again, added quality guys like Danny Green, Boris Diaw, and Kawhi Leonard, that got them the championship in 2014.

So yeah, by that definition continuity is hella important, and I trust Masai to do whatever it takes to not settle and keep pushing us.

[Volcano]

I never believed the value of continuity was so important until I watched this team continue to exceed expectations.

Because getting rid of Bargs, Gay, Lou Will, Salmons, GV and keeping/bringing in PP, CoJo, BB was great for our continuity

it's more like weeding out the bad and bringing in the good

[Badonkadonk]

I never believed the value of continuity was so important until I watched this team continue to exceed expectations.

And I'd add boringly repetitious example - look at Spurs

I came to post the same thing - the Spurs taught me the value of it long ago. Seeing how they integrate even marginal players like Bonner into their 'collective' was an eye opener. I'm not sure any of their players have the same career if they played independently for other teams.

Of course having a 'true' superstar is disproportionately valuable in the NBA, but landing one is largely a function of luck and timing anyway, so you may as well do the rest 'right'.

[Yallbecrazy]

How are the Celtics a more talented team? Lowry is the best player between the two teams by far, DDR is 2 or 3, JV is top 5. Carroll is top 8...Raps have the better bench too.

[Jonn]

How important is continuity for this Raptors team this season? Is continuity undervalued in this league?

Imho, although the celtics are arguably a more talented team, the raps experience in the PO will be the difference maker come that time.



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Powell + continuity + internal growth = Superstar

[Throwback24]

56 wins, #2 seeds, 2 wins in the ECF and possibly the greatest 905 1st round pick assembled team of all time.

MLSE is also profiting at record levels. The value of continuity. Also, 2 3x allstars.

[Throwback24]

How are the Celtics a more talented teamÉ Lowry is the best player between the two teams by far, DDR is 2 or 3, JV is top 5. Carroll is top 8...Raps have the better bench too.

lol if Carroll is I'm top 8 I'm sure the Celtics have a bunch of top 8 players too. You're setting the bar really low with Carroll.

[CoachD]

How are the Celtics more talented??

Lowry > Thomas
Derozan > better than whoever they play at SG
Carroll = Crowder (when healthy they are very similar ... a push at worst)
Sully < Horford
JV > Amir


And their bench is a complete mish mash.
They have exactly ONE player that can create his own shot, and they have a shortage of shooting and major shortage of rebounding that will be compounded by losing Sully and brining in poor rebounding Horford.

[TerryTate]

Would people call the Grizzlies and Hawks as an example of strong continuity? Continuity is used in a positive connotation, and yet those two teams are always labeled as treadmill teams, a negative connotation.

I believe that continuity doesn't exactly mean maintaining the status quo and bringing back the same people every year. I believe it's having a strong pillar that can maintain the current success while having the potential to improve. With the Hawks and Grizzlies, no one sees them moving the needle anymore than where they're already at. And for that I believe continuity resides mainly in the decisions of the front office. Before Jerry Buss' death, the Lakers had a strong three decades run worth of continuity, and they've shuffled through a plethora of different players and coaches in that time. And yet one thing always remained, they were consistently great.

The Spurs, while having the same franchise player and coach for their entire decade and a half run was important, the shuffling of everyone else was necessary for them to maintain their excellence. After guys like Sean Elliot, Avery Johnson, Mario Ellie retired, and David Robinson continued declining, the Spurs may very well could have been like the Wolves; a mediocre team with a mega superstar on it. Though they knew what it took to become great again. Yet they replaced the players that won them the championship in 99 with fresh new blood that allowed them to win it all in 03, 05, and 07. And with Duncan's decline, they switched things around again, added quality guys like Danny Green, Boris Diaw, and Kawhi Leonard, that got them the championship in 2014.

So yeah, by that definition continuity is hella important, and I trust Masai to do whatever it takes to not settle and keep pushing us.

This is one of the most overlooked things in this board.....
But most just want to make a splash for big name "superstars" that have proven nothing other than pad their own stat line.
People say you need superstars to win. You know who has more rings than Kobe, Shaq, LBJ?.....
Robert Horry aka "Big Shot Bob". He's the definition of a team player, be a starter or bench player. Plays hard and plays to win, nothing more, nothing less.

[dagger]

It helps if you stick with the same strategies from year to year because players develop trust on defence and learn the tendencies of their teammates on offence until it becomes second nature.

[beachbean]

As long as they don't confuse *continuity* with staying in the *comfort zone* (which can sometimes fail to yield results) we have a good chance of reaching the ECF again
Collectively the team has increased in progression through their past 3 PO appearances & can continue... Pending this unit continues to mesh together along with the additions/subtractions made in the off season
Still, I'm sure we will see what tweaks will need to be made soon enough

[tsherkin]

I would say continuity is largely irrelevant unless the players involved actually improve, which isn't necessarily the result of the continuity, which is then really more about player capacity for improvement than continuity as a relevant thing.

[Hero]

Considering where we are isn't it all we have going for us?

It's not like Bruno or Delon are going to develop into stars. All the Raptors can hope to do is reach the ECF once again and hopefully entice a big time FA. Would love to see a JV Cousins trade but doesn't seem likely.