Thank Nation! Pre-Lottery: Denver 9th, NY pick 7th (PART 4)

[OakleyDokely]

Yes. A max contract offer for DD is coming. Prepare yourselfs accordingly.

[MEDIC]

I don't see a team one win away from the East finals letting DeMar walk. Unless we get another near-star type SG for less money, and how likely is that? Those of you who think Masai let's DD, a 20 ppg scorer walk for nothing, are, in my opinion, living in fantasyland.

Yup.

Demar is an allstar & the Raps are making MLSE a lot of money right now.

Plus the fan base will have grown after the season is over.

Demar played a large role in this season's business success regardless of what the fan base thinks of his playoff performance.

[dalton749]

if anyone wants to watch the combine game
http://firstrowca.eu/watch/329417/1/watch-espn2.html

[artsncrafts]

if anyone wants to watch the combine game
http://firstrowca.eu/watch/329417/1/watch-espn2.html

Game? I thought they measure verts and wingspans and such for lulz

[MEDIC]

I don't see a team one win away from the East finals letting DeMar walk. Unless we get another near-star type SG for less money, and how likely is that? Those of you who think Masai let's DD, a 20 ppg scorer walk for nothing, are, in my opinion, living in fantasyland.

Yup.

Demar is an allstar & the Raps are making MLSE a lot of money right now.

Plus the fan base will have grown after the season is over.

Demar played a large role in this season's business success regardless of what the fan base thinks of his playoff performance.

[dalton749]

if anyone wants to watch the combine game
http://firstrowca.eu/watch/329417/1/watch-espn2.html

Game? I thought they measure verts and wingspans and such for lulz

It's going back and forth I guess but yea they're having a blue v white game, most guys I haven't heard of though lol

[OakleyDokely]

The average cost of a playoff ticket is about 400. That's 8 million in ticket revenue alone per home game. 7 homes games so far = 56 million in ticket revenue alone.

MLSE will build a Masai statue outside the ACC after these playoffs.

[Lukeem]

What are your guys tiers of players

I have

Simmons/ Ingram

Bender
(could blend Bender with this next tier but despite him being so young that he might bust I think his potential is much much higher)
Murray/ Dunn/ Brown/ Hield

Skal/ Davis/ Elleson/ Poetl/ Chriss/ Luwawa/ Maker/ Jackson/ Baldwin

[OAKLEY_2]

I don't see a team one win away from the East finals letting DeMar walk. Unless we get another near-star type SG for less money, and how likely is that? Those of you who think Masai let's DD, a 20 ppg scorer walk for nothing, are, in my opinion, living in fantasyland.

It will be most aggravating at 25 million our 20 ppg player on the roster with Casey's shoot first strategy.

So yeah reality. Reality is that Kyle Lowry is the defacto star and not keeping the other near-but-not-quite-so-franchise-player would be yet another episode of Toronto's inferiority complex running amok worrying that another one like VC and Bosh might get away. A near star they most certainly must leverage with hype. There are so many reasons to like Derozan on this team but 25 million U.S. ain't one of them. The negatives are significant and two-fold. One: we likely lose Biz, who like Lost Drummond, were gifts from above. Raps can either reap those happy benefits as opportunists or invest heavily in other 2nd tier solutions. Two: Norm might not get the proper playing time behind DD and KL. Stop take a breath and add up Biz and a thriving Norm and compare that to one player who like Jalen Rose with Indiana got ridiculously overpaid. This happens because they are all(most) stars at least on paper anyway.

[Risk101]

-Skal Labissiere measured almost exactly as expected relative to the numbers distributed by Kentucky from their combine before the start of the NCAA season. At 6'11.75 in shoes with a 7'2.5 wingspan, the big Haitian has ample size for either the power forward or center position at the next level. This key question for Labissiere moving forward is how much good weight he can add to his frame and whether he can keep it on over the course of a grueling NBA season. Weighing 225 pounds with 8.8% body fat last fall and just 216 pounds with 5.7% body fat here, that is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

-Michigan State freshman Deyonta Davis measured 6'10.5 in shoes with a 7'2.5 wingspan and a 237-pound frame with 9.7% body fat. He doesn't have freakish length, but compares favorably to many current NBA players at the power forward and center positions. Teammate Denzel Valentine posted a similar body fat of 9.2%, but did so weighing just 210 pounds, down no less than 12 from last summer when he was weighed at the trials for the Pan American Games as the senior continues to make strides with his conditioning after a sensational college season.

-Having grown over an inch and gained 20 pounds over the last two years, Marquese Chriss measured 6'10 in shoes with a 7'0.25 wingspan and 233-pound frame. He isn't outrageously big relative to a number of the other power forwards in this class, but came in a bit taller than expected. It will be interesting to see how the explosive freshman fares in the athletic testing portion of the combine.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/2016-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Analysis-5478

[T-d0t]

What are your guys tiers of players

I have

Simmons/ Ingram

Bender
(could blend Bender with this next tier but despite him being so young that he might bust I think his potential is much much higher)
Murray/ Dunn/ Brown/ Hield

Skal/ Davis/ Elleson/ Poetl/ Chriss/ Luwawa/ Maker/ Jackson/ Baldwin

Agree with everything except for Thon Maker, hes probably a late 1st rd pick if not 2nd round

[super_balls]

Chieck Diallo playing really well in today's Combine scrimmage. Played errily similar to how Biyombo is playing right now. Could he be an option if at our late pick? Especially with Biyombo most likely gone this off season.

[Mister Ze]

Here's to hoping the Raps and Nuggets win the # 1 and 2 picks

[Wally West]

Chieck Diallo playing really well in today's Combine scrimmage. Played errily similar to how Biyombo is playing right now. Could he be an option if at our late pick? Especially with Biyombo most likely gone this off season.

Yeah he'll most certainly be in play with that late pick if we don't move it. There is a chance he could even move up in the draft and sneak up in the lottery. Bill Self should've played this guy more at Kansas. He can play. I heard an Ed Davis comp with him.

[Mister Ze]

If Demar stays then this draft works out in the Raps favour. They're pretty stacked on guards as it is with KL, Corey, DD, and Norman but they have big man depth issues with Biyombo likely taking off.

Consensus top 3: Ingram, Simmons, and Bender.

Guards likely in the 4-8 range: Hield, Brown, Murray, Dunn

Which would leave the Raptors with quite a selection of bigs including Sabonis, Poeltl, Ellenson, Skal, Deyonta, Chriss, and Brice Johnson.

So worst case scenerio the Raptors get a top 5 big out of this draft. I know the BPA rule is what everyone wants but it would make too much sense from a financial standpoint to let Biyombo walk and draft a cheap backup C or PF.

[Wally West]

Kay Fielder was really impressive as well today. I said that how he reminded me of Isaiah Thomas not just because he was small and left handed but the dude can flat out score and that handle will absolutely translate in the NBA. We already have Lowry, Joseph and Wright but if we're talking up a storm with Demitrius Jackson, this guy should be another guy we should have some interest in.

Michael Gbinijie didn't really show out today but I really like this guy. I gave him a Sprewell comp but if guys don't remember how he played, think Alec Burks.

Jaylen Brown is a beast physically. Not sure how his game will translate in the NBA but he sort of like DeRozan which guys don't want to hear. Uber athletic, suspect handle and no 3 point shot. Definitely has all star potential but I do worry about him somewhat especially defensively. If you're shot's not going and you have a suspect handle, you have to bring it defensively and even if he brought it in college, there are things like steal percentage which indicate he may struggle defensively in the NBA.

[CunningLinguist]

Combine measurements from Chad Fraud

https://mediacentral.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/53/2016/05/2016-Draft-Combine-Anthropometric-Results.pdf?cid=nbacomsocial_tw_sf26163323

Wade Baldwin really stands out being 6'4" with a 6'11" wingspan and fairly large hands. That's Wade/Rondo territory.

Also, for Skal. I'm not sure how he can be 6'11" with almost a 7'3" wingspan and only have 8'9" standing reach. Like did he crouch during the measurement? Similarly Thon Maker is 7'0" with a 7'3" wingspan and has a 9'2" standing reach. The fishiness of the combine continues.

Assuming the standing reach wasn't a typo, it could be a function of having broad shoulders and/or a long neck. The former would add to his wingspan and the latter would add to his height, without positively impacting his standing reach.

[0 - 100]

I don't see a team one win away from the East finals letting DeMar walk. Unless we get another near-star type SG for less money, and how likely is that? Those of you who think Masai let's DD, a 20 ppg scorer walk for nothing, are, in my opinion, living in fantasyland.

Yup.

Demar is an allstar & the Raps are making MLSE a lot of money right now.

Plus the fan base will have grown after the season is over.

Demar played a large role in this season's business success regardless of what the fan base thinks of his playoff performance.

Demar just needs to tweak his offensive game a little bit and be more passive and setting up his teammates, while eliminating those tough contested long 2's. He's done it before, so he has the ability. He has to start learning that JV is emerging and he needs more touches. Dominating inside will also benefit him a great deal because it will open a lot of stuff for him on the outside. Not to mention guys like Cory Joseph, Demarre Carrol, Pat Patterson - these guys can play, you have to get them involved.

His defensive game will always be garbage but it's not hurting us because the rest of the guys on the floor can D up.

Him getting the max was inevitable especially since Masai has a long history of not losing assets for nothing.

[deeps6x]

I don't see a team one win away from the East finals letting DeMar walk. Unless we get another near-star type SG for less money, and how likely is that? Those of you who think Masai let's DD, a 20 ppg scorer walk for nothing, are, in my opinion, living in fantasyland.

It will be most aggravating at 25 million our 20 ppg player on the roster with Casey's shoot first strategy.

So yeah reality. Reality is that Kyle Lowry is the defacto star and not keeping the other near-but-not-quite-so-franchise-player would be yet another episode of Toronto's inferiority complex running amok worrying that another one like VC and Bosh might get away. A near star they most certainly must leverage with hype. There are so many reasons to like Derozan on this team but 25 million U.S. ain't one of them. The negatives are significant and two-fold. One: we likely lose Biz, who like Lost Drummond, were gifts from above. Raps can either reap those happy benefits as opportunists or invest heavily in other 2nd tier solutions. Two: Norm might not get the proper playing time behind DD and KL. Stop take a breath and add up Biz and a thriving Norm and compare that to one player who like Jalen Rose with Indiana got ridiculously overpaid. This happens because they are all(most) stars at least on paper anyway.

Exactly. Measure the value of having BB8 on the team and the future contributions of a Norman Powell with extra playing time. Are we really going to give that up just so we can over pay our most inefficient starter?

Sure, talk about building a statue of Masai because of all of the playoff money the team will make. We were this close to being out in the first round again. One Vogel mistake cost them the series - in theory. DD sucked. Kyle was legitimately injured. Now imagine if we were an even more efficient team on O with a starting SG who could play D. Wouldn't that team take you at least as far in the playoffs, and perhaps even further? And if it can also save $10M - or at least give you 10M more cap room in the three following years, then shouldn't that statue be build even taller if Masai does the right thing and lets DD go?

Maxing DD will be the stupidest thing Masai can do this summer. Stupider than extending Casey even.

If he really wants to make the most money for his team owners, you trade up for Murray. Then you let DD walk and resign BB8. Landing Murray gets you 4 super cheap years of high level SG play. And possibly even a future starting SG. Signing BB8 for his prime years gets you a great second line core piece and all of his prime years (even if he is 25). It also frees up $14M/yr that can be used on other players. Not immediately, but in the 3 years that follow next season. That has a ton of value as well. Maybe that money just goes to Kyle. He IS the actual star on this team after all. If we want to max the true star, let DD go this summer and Max Kyle next summer. When it comes time to eventually trade Kyle, hopefully CoJo, Wright or Murray will be ready to take over.

[Risk101]

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