Slam Online - Raptors Preview (10/27/09)

dawn_wan · Post #1 » by **dawn_wan** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:58 pm

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/20 ... 0-days-17/

As they head into their 15th season in the NBA, it feels like the Raptors have taken their fans through various stages of the game, only to have it end prematurely, sending them back to level one. For the majority of those 15 years, the hope has been the same for this team: 45-50 wins and a trip to the playoffs, maybe the second round. And save for two or three seasons that you could call a success, the team has fallen short of those hopes, while going down a familiar and unfortunate path.

Everything’s rosy in late October. By Christmas, something’s not right. During All-Star weekend you’re hoping that a trade could turn things around. Come March, you’re hoping they lose to get a good spot in the lotto. At the end of April they’ve put together a win streak out of games that don’t matter and set themselves up for continued mediocrity.

Fairview4Life · Post #2 » by **Fairview4Life** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:59 pm

How often has that scenario actually played out, other than last season?

killerbs · Post #3 » by **killerbs** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:59 pm

Tankkk!!!

Hoopstarr · Post #4 » by **Hoopstarr** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:08 pm

Fairview4Life wrote:How often has that scenario actually played out, other than last season?

Are you serious? Or are you reading it literally just so you can be irrationally positive as usual? Several aspects of that scenario have played out at least 6 times in our history--2001-2005 and last year.

D3158 · Post #5 » by **D3158** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:16 pm

Slam! Get the **** out. This people, this critics, based their opinions on Pre-season games. Sure, the Raps were terrible for the most part(9 new faces, time to gel, become familiar with play sets and such) but look at the bright side. DeMar improved gradually game after game. This year, I look forward of the development of DeMar, Hedo's clutch, CB4 leadership and not being the "Rupaul" in the NBA and go against the BEST, even Rasheed.

So once again, SCREW Slam!

hermster12 · Post #6 » by **hermster12** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:37 pm

dawn_wan wrote:http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/10/30-teams-30-days-17/

As they head into their 15th season in the NBA, it feels like the Raptors have taken their fans through various stages of the game, only to have it end prematurely, sending them back to level one. For the majority of those 15 years, the hope has been the same for this team: 45-50 wins and a trip to the playoffs, maybe the second round. And save for two or three seasons that you could call a success, the team has fallen short of those hopes, while going down a familiar and unfortunate path.

Everything’s rosy in late October. By Christmas, something’s not right. During All-Star weekend you’re hoping that a trade could turn things around. Come March, you’re hoping they lose to get a good spot in the lotto. At the end of April they’ve put together a win streak out of games that don’t matter and set themselves up for continued mediocrity.

Are you sure that they didn't accidentally do the Jay's season preview?

Cassius · Post #7 » by **Cassius** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:42 pm

The something wrong has gone from

1) Penetrating point guard
2) Center
3) Scoring wing

and it's rotating itself back up the list this year. Every deadline we've hoped for a trade to help with the above, but are almost always disappointed even when one does happen.

We've only tanked properly once, to get Bargs... and even then we were ranked 5th.

sanity · Post #8 » by **sanity** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:47 pm

Hoopstarr wrote:
Fairview4Life wrote:How often has that scenario actually played out, other than last season?

Are you serious? Or are you reading it literally just so you can be irrationally positive as usual? Several aspects of that scenario have played out at least 6 times in our history--2001-2005 and last year.

Lmao. I guess you could call it true Raptors fanboyism at its finest.

ansoncarter · Post #9 » by **ansoncarter** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:48 pm

MLSE blueprint for success is just a big picture of a treadmill

they get together for a board meeting, put up the blueprint picture, and everyone nods their ugly bald heads in agreement

MEDIC · Post #10 » by **MEDIC** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:48 pm

hermster12 wrote:
Are you sure that they didn't accidentally do the Jay's season preview?

Good call. This description fits every Jays team since the world series victory....

hermster12 · Post #11 » by **hermster12** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:02 pm

MEDIC wrote:
hermster12 wrote:
Are you sure that they didn't accidentally do the Jay's season preview?

Good call. This description fits every Jays team since the world series victory....

What always killed me was JP's assertion that our crappy end-of-the-year 6 game winning streak against the Yankees and Angels (who were saving their starters for the playoffs) was "something to build on"

Brinbe · Post #12 » by **Brinbe** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:55 pm

41-41 & out in the first round, doesn't seem too far-fetched to me.

Fairview4Life · Post #13 » by **Fairview4Life** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:09 pm

Hoopstarr wrote:
Fairview4Life wrote:How often has that scenario actually played out, other than last season?

Are you serious? Or are you reading it literally just so you can be irrationally positive as usual? Several aspects of that scenario have played out at least 6 times in our history--2001-2005 and last year.

Yes, I am serious. Aspects of that list have happened to every team at some point, not just in 6 out of 15 years for the Raps. In those 6 out of 15 years that is somehow a majority of the time (to quote the article), how often did that scenario actually play out? It didn't happen in 06/07 or 07/08. The meaningless winning streak at the end of the season sure didn't happen in 05/06, 04/05, 03/04, or 02/03. The winning streak at the end of 01/02 without Vince wasn't meaningless, as it actually got the team into the playoffs. The only real "meaningless" winning streak that I can see happened last year. The team came a long shot away from the playoffs with it, and dropped a couple spots in the lottery because of that.

kirbs · Post #14 » by **kirbs** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:13 pm

Fairview4Life wrote:How often has that scenario actually played out, other than last season?

I'll take almost every season for $200 Alex.

gamer4Life · Post #15 » by **gamer4Life** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:09 pm

Fairview4Life wrote: The winning streak at the end of 01/02 without Vince wasn't meaningless, as it actually got the team into the playoffs.

It meant that the Raptors wouldn't be able to get into the lottery - they could have easily gotten Amare Stoudamire, or Caron Butler that year.

The fact of the matter is, that the Raptors, Jays and Leaf teams, have followed mediocrity since the '93 Jays.

Hoopstarr · Post #16 » by **Hoopstarr** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:22 pm

Fairview4Life wrote:
Hoopstarr wrote:
Fairview4Life wrote:How often has that scenario actually played out, other than last season?

Are you serious? Or are you reading it literally just so you can be irrationally positive as usual? Several aspects of that scenario have played out at least 6 times in our history--2001-2005 and last year.

Yes, I am serious. Aspects of that list have happened to every team at some point, not just in 6 out of 15 years for the Raps. In those 6 out of 15 years that is somehow a majority of the time (to quote the article), how often did that scenario actually play out? It didn't happen in 06/07 or 07/08. The meaningless winning streak at the end of the season sure didn't happen in 05/06, 04/05, 03/04, or 02/03. The winning streak at the end of 01/02 without Vince wasn't meaningless, as it actually got the team into the playoffs. The only real "meaningless" winning streak that I can see happened last year. The team came a long shot away from the playoffs with it, and dropped a couple spots in the lottery because of that.

01-02 - Coming off the best season in franchise history, everything is rosy. Everyone is back after GG signs JYD, Boogie, AD, and Hakeem. Then Vince gets hurt and we're hoping for a lotto pick, but the teams goes on a 12 game win streak to make the playoffs.
02-03 - Vince is healthy again and all is seemingly rosy, again. But it's not.
03-04 - Everything's rosy in late October with a new coach and a new emphasis on D. Vince is healthy again and Bosh is a rookie. Mid-season trade for Jalen Rose. By the end of the season, we're hoping they tank for the lottery.
04-05 - Again, new coach, new GM. Vince wasn't traded in the summer and they start off 3-0. I remember the PTI guys saying they were a contender. Then Vince is traded mid-season and once again we're looking forward to the lottery and rebuilding.
05-06 - Not so rosy but there is relief that the rebuilding has begun and Bosh is a legit star. An awful 1-15 start results in Babcock getting fired. Then another big mid-season trade by Wayne Embry results in MLSE luring Colangelo to Toronto. Once again, we're looking forward to the lottery after a 1-12 finish.
06-07 - clear exception
07-08 - exception
08-09 - Roses after the JO trade. Best team in franchise history, or so people say. Mid-season trade of JO. Then a winning late streak and lottery hopes once again.

So yea, the late season winning streak doesn't apply every year, but the majority of this decade has seen the Raptors have playoff hopes and promise at the start of the season quickly dashed by something going wrong, followed by a trade, followed by hoping for a high lottery pick. Lather, rinse, repeat.

NH · Post #17 » by NH » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:37 pm

This is a good article. Around 500 level and out of first roun seems reasonable to me as well. Oh well, lets just enjoy the season. Be good to at least get back in the playoffs

gp2015 · Post #18 » by **gp2015** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:56 pm

gamer4Life wrote:
Fairview4Life wrote: The winning streak at the end of 01/02 without Vince wasn't meaningless, as it actually got the team into the playoffs.

It meant that the Raptors wouldn't be able to get into the lottery - they could have easily gotten Amare Stoudamire, or Caron Butler that year.

Caron Butler? Miami and LA didn't even want him after they drafted or traded for him. What makes you think the Raptors would have been any different?

nikeone · Post #19 » by **nikeone** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:56 pm

That sounds more like the Leafs, although it did happen to our raps last season.

junot111 · Post #20 » by **junot111** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:23 pm

gp2015 wrote:
gamer4Life wrote:
Fairview4Life wrote: The winning streak at the end of 01/02 without Vince wasn't meaningless, as it actually got the team into the playoffs.

It meant that the Raptors wouldn't be able to get into the lottery - they could have easily gotten Amare Stoudamire, or Caron Butler that year.

Caron Butler? Miami and LA didn't even want him after they drafted or traded for him. What makes you think the Raptors would have been any different?

Isn't it obvious? It wasn't hard to make the Raptors rotation