Raps V. Kings - Preseason - Wed, Oct 8th, 2025 - 10PM EST

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

At bare minimum Gradey needs to be a neutral to slight positive BPM player this year. He doesn't look like he's added to his game at all. We might have been spoiled by DeRozan. DD was always adding a new part to his game each year.

It's kind of crazy I think Furphy might end up being better than Dick. He seems to be more physical and gritty than Gradey.

Demar at 22 scored 16.7 points and shot 42% from the field. Dick is still 21 for another month and a half.

DeRozan also made leaps and strides which Gradey hasn't.

If you use "per 36" to account for the minutes differential of the two. @21 Derozan 17.8ppg, Grady's slightly behind at 17.6ppg.

[Tor_Raps]

Demar at 22 scored 16.7 points and shot 42% from the field. Dick is still 21 for another month and a half.

DeRozan also made leaps and strides which Gradey hasn't.

If you use "per 36" to account for the minutes differential of the two. @21 Derozan 17.8ppg, Grady's slightly behind at 17.6ppg.

How the hell can you think Gradey is on the same trajectory as Demar? What a ridiculous discussion lol.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

DeRozan also made leaps and strides which Gradey hasn't.

If you use "per 36" to account for the minutes differential of the two. @21 Derozan 17.8ppg, Grady's slightly behind at 17.6ppg.

How the hell can you think Gradey is on the same trajectory as Demar? What a ridiculous discussion lol.

I don't have to, the numbers do the work. It's similar production.

[Shakril]

If you use "per 36" to account for the minutes differential of the two. @21 Derozan 17.8ppg, Grady's slightly behind at 17.6ppg.

How the hell can you think Gradey is on the same trajectory as Demar? What a ridiculous discussion lol.

I don't have to, the numbers do the work. It's similar production.

No they dont work, cause you are not taking into account, that we are in a high scoring era compared to when derozean came into the league.

[Thaddy]

How the hell can you think Gradey is on the same trajectory as Demar? What a ridiculous discussion lol.

I don't have to, the numbers do the work. It's similar production.

No they dont work, cause you are not taking into account, that we are in a high scoring era compared to when derozean came into the league.

Let em cook

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

I don't have to, the numbers do the work. It's similar production.

No they dont work, cause you are not taking into account, that we are in a high scoring era compared to when derozean came into the league.

Let em cook

If Grady doesn't get injured, those numbers would look a lot better too. It's not like 21 year old Derozan was special.

[MEDIC]

Derozan came into the league as a raw athlete. No jump shot. No handle. He just worked himself.into a player.

Gradey was touted as a skilled offensive player. A high calibre shooter who could also put the ball on the floor a little & get to the rim.

They were almost the complete opposite as prospects. Gradey coming in with transferrable scoring skills. Derozan coming in raw, with the hope of developing his offense.

DD took his game to a level that nobody imagined was possible.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

Derozan came into the league as a raw athlete. No jump shot. No handle. He just worked himself.into a player.

Gradey was touted as a skilled offensive player. A high calibre shooter who could also put the ball on the floor a little & get to the rim.

They were almost the complete opposite as prospects. Gradey coming in with transferrable scoring skills. Derozan coming in raw, with the hope of developing his offense.

DD took his game to a level that nobody imagined was possible.

Yeah, Derozan was a gym rat. Half the forum hated him too, for the same reasons. Neither play defense.

[AbC?]

Watching this new crop of bums come back year after year with seemingly little or no improvement really makes you appreciate the massive leaps Siakam would make every summer.

[DreamTeam09]

I hope Scottie n GD miss their first 6 shots each just to see this place epically meltdown, again such weird behaviour. I bet if those 2 players went off 1st games, it would still be some kindve "prove it when it count's" rethoetic. or if RJ had a crummy game the sentiments would've been the same as the summer & to ship him to Sacramento.
you can enjoy & reflect on the games without making proclamations ya know, I promise you you don't get brownie points for being right or wrong lol

[DreamTeam09]

Watching this new crop of bums come back year after year with seemingly little or no improvement really makes you appreciate the massive leaps Siakam would make every summer.

lol lol must suck being a Raptors fan huh

[GLF]

I hope Scottie n GD miss their first 6 shots each just to see this place epically meltdown, again such weird behaviour. I bet if those 2 players went off 1st games, it would still be some kindve "prove it when it count's" rethoetic. or if RJ had a crummy game the sentiments would've been the same as the summer & to ship him to Sacramento.
you can enjoy & reflect on the games without making proclamations ya know, I promise you you don't get brownie points for being right or wrong lol

I wish I could like this post a million times lol. People can never just analyze the game and leave it at that. It always has to turn into them making these big proclamations and talking absolutes about what that player is going to be all season based off a single game

[Boogie!]

Watching this new crop of bums come back year after year with seemingly little or no improvement really makes you appreciate the massive leaps Siakam would make every summer.

lol lol must suck being a Raptors fan huh

there was a faction of the board that kept complaining about how siakam was holding barnes back... i was a fan of both barnes and siakam at the time but it was always obvious to me how much further ahead siakam was offensively. and i would argue with people who kept saying how much better barnes was offensively than siakam. again, idk what people are watching most of the time. siakam is still a legit 2nd option, and barnes next to ingram looks absolutely useless. i guarantee you siakam would've found a way to be effective in the same role. the guy did it with kawhi. barnes has become super overrated and people continue to be delusional about his game. the guy should be more efficient with a scorer next to him and somehow he looks worse. he also seems to have changed his mechanics for the worse. again the only way this guy is gonna make an impact is if he becomes draymond green defensively and on the boards... and a few years ago again a faction of the fanbase would get so upset that you would call barnes draymond green. i always said just come talk to me in a few years when eventually you would agree with my takes.

that being said, because i actually like barnes, i hope somehow that preseason game wasn't indicative of the work he's put in during the summer. but objectively, i've been talking about barnes' limitations for years because i saw this coming.

[C_Money]

Watching this new crop of bums come back year after year with seemingly little or no improvement really makes you appreciate the massive leaps Siakam would make every summer.

Not just him but Norm, OG, Fred, Boucher. Makes you wonder if it was coaching or did we just get lucky back then.

[Raptors_Dynasty]

Bold prediction: Barnes is off the team before RJ is.

you guys r weird, praying for someones downfall of the team u cheer for is simply just a weird type of fandom smh lol

I gave him my full support for 4 years, I was very optimistic that he'd make big strides as a player.

I was wrong.

[Zeno]

Any word on Yak, I really hope he plays. His screening really helps on the offensive end.

[Thaddy]

you guys r weird, praying for someones downfall of the team u cheer for is simply just a weird type of fandom smh lol

I gave him my full support for 4 years, I was very optimistic that he'd make big strides as a player.

I was wrong.

The lack of improvement is a serious problem. I don't get why we didn't list the market dictate his value.

[UnbelievablyRAW]

One positive about Scottie is him bringing energy to the starting group defensively. Ingram and RJ were asleep out there sometimes on D.

[Duffman100]

Watching this new crop of bums come back year after year with seemingly little or no improvement really makes you appreciate the massive leaps Siakam would make every summer.

lol lol must suck being a Raptors fan huh

, and barnes next to ingram looks absolutely useless.

It's been one preseason game.

[MEDIC]

Any word on Yak, I really hope he plays. His screening really helps on the offensive end.

Yeah, having him in this game.will.make it lot more.interesting.