PG & GT#39 RAPTORS @ CELTICS on Friday, January 9th, 2026 @ 7 PM EST on SN/1050

[TorontoBarneys]

Walter shows some promise but I'm afraid Dick may be a lost cause.

[lobosloboslobos]

Levels.

Boston is a companionship calibre team even without Tatum.

I thought people on here were down playing Brown. Taking stats too seriously. You got to trust your eyes. I wouldn't mind Brown as a Raptor at all.

There was lots of "Siakam is better than Brown" when Siakam was a Raptor. But I think Brown has improved and also shown he has another level that Siakam doesn't have.

For the most part Siakam has been fantastic this year doing his best to carry a team that is nowhere near as good as the celtics. not sure brown would do any better on the pacers

pascal's last few games while also playing excellent defense and 35 minutes:

30/14/3
22/4/3/1/2
34/7/5
23/9/5
26/4/0/1/2
23/4/4
33/7/5

in those games the team went 1-6

[Airmiess]

Walter shows some promise but I'm afraid Dick may be a lost cause.

He'll go to another team and become useful as always with this organization. But his shooting mechanics are trash right now.

[AreBe]

How about the Celtics, in a year where they were forced to divest talent because of cap issues and their best player injured, the Celtics may make the NBA finals while the "ready to compete" with the BI trade Raptors are likely first round fodder.

The Raptors are first round cannon fodder.
The worst thing they could do is trade kids and picks to win a round. Absolute worst thing they could do, and they must not listen to the fans demanding that we get a rental player or a geezer to win 7 games in the playoffs and watch other teams draft stars with our former draft picks that were traded away for no good reason.

[lobosloboslobos]

Walter shows some promise but I'm afraid Dick may be a lost cause.

i didn't watch the game but how bad could he have been shooting 4-8 with a steal and a block and a team-best +14 in 24 minutes in a game they lost by 8?

[bballsparkin]

For the most part Siakam has been fantastic this year doing his best to carry a team that is nowhere near as good as the celtics. not sure brown would do any better on the pacers

pascal's last few games while also playing excellent defense and 35 minutes:

30/14/3
22/4/3/1/2
34/7/5
23/9/5
26/4/0/1/2
23/4/4
33/7/5

in those games the team went 1-6

Yeah those are some nice numbers. It's hard for a big to carry a team like a guard/forward can. Heck, KG couldn't do much with his Wolves team in his prime. Still, I'm taking Brown over Pascal quiet easily. And it's no disrespect to Siakam IMHO.

[bballsparkin]

Walter shows some promise but I'm afraid Dick may be a lost cause.

i didn't watch the game but how bad could he have been shooting 4-8 with a steal and a block and a team-best +14 in 24 minutes in a game they lost by 8?

I thought he was good. He just looked like a dorky white guy doing it clumsily so people hating. He had a very nice take to the hoop. If he could only shoot threes he's a player.

[T_saurus]

We were missing 3 starters and RJ so it wasn't unexpected

[LoveMyRaps]

Alijah has been a beast for the 905. (In 21 games - averaging 19ppg on 50/39 splits in 30mpg)

He's an NBA ready player and it showed last night.

[Syd-TK3]

That was about as good a result you could expect from a team missing their 2 best players and only C

The only real negative is RJ getting hurt after just getting his rhythm back

[ItsDanger]

Raps are 0-9 now vs the other top 10 teams. I asked an AI source what does it mean when a team can't beat the top teams? Response:

When a team can't beat top teams, it usually means they lack consistency, tactical flexibility, or the elite-level execution needed to overcome superior talent and organization, often struggling with discipline, key player performance, and adapting to high-pressure situations, even if they dominate lower-ranked opponents. It signals a gap in either individual talent, coaching strategy, or mental toughness compared to the league's elite, showing they can't consistently raise their game when it matters most. 

Common Reasons for This Struggle

Tactical Mismatch: Top teams often have better-structured tactics that exploit weaknesses, such as creating large gaps in a high-pressing defense or neutralizing a star player, which less-organized teams can't counter.
Mental & Preparation Issues: They might get complacent, take the opposition lightly, or lack the consistent focus and preparation that elite teams maintain, leading to underperformance.
Lack of Discipline: Inability to maintain defensive shape, poor shot selection, or undisciplined play gives more efficient teams easy opportunities.
Inconsistent Key Players: A team might rely too much on a few stars, or conversely, lack the "superstar" presence that can create moments of magic, leading to predictability or collapse when things go wrong.
Systemic Limitations: Their system might be too rigid or not suited for breaking down elite, well-drilled defenses, as seen in gaming simulations where tactics fail against strong opponents.
Poor Execution: Even with good plans, they might fail to execute crucial plays (like finishing one-onones) at the necessary high level. 

What It Means for the Team

"Good, Not Great" Status: They are likely a solid team in their own tier but lack the extra gear, talent, or mentality to compete with the true contenders.
Need for Growth: It highlights areas needing significant improvement, such as player development, coaching adjustments, or a cultural shift towards elite standards.
Vulnerability in Playoffs: While they might cruise in the regular season, this flaw becomes glaring in high-stakes playoff games where every possession and tactical adjustment matters. 

[Thaddy]

Anyone crapping on Dick doesn't understand NBA basketball. He's a positive on defense now, he is turning into a defensive stopper. No one saw that coming. He is essentially the guard version of CMB right now. His body will adjust and he will shoot better. I'm writing off this season.

If his shot never comes back but his handle improves he will still be a really good player and the SG of the future. We are still rebuilding, we gotta let our GM cook and make good deals for basketball (not cap) reasons.

I know RJ is important but if we can sell high and fix our cap woes it could be worth it.

[ItsDanger]

Anyone crapping on Dick doesn't understand NBA basketball. He's a positive on defense now, he is turning into a defensive stopper. No one saw that coming. He is essentially the guard version of CMB right now. His body will adjust and he will shoot better. I'm writing off this season.

If his shot never comes back but his handle improves he will still be a really good player and the SG of the future. We are still rebuilding, we gotta let our GM cook and make good deals for basketball (not cap) reasons.

I know RJ is important but if we can sell high and fix our cap woes it could be worth it.

If you understand basketball, team needs player(s) that can break down defenses. That's breaking down the first defender or commanding a double team. This opens up many options for an offensive player like Dick. But we really don't have those player(s) on this roster. It's more of a balanced approach where he gets lost often primarily being off ball.

[Thaddy]

Anyone crapping on Dick doesn't understand NBA basketball. He's a positive on defense now, he is turning into a defensive stopper. No one saw that coming. He is essentially the guard version of CMB right now. His body will adjust and he will shoot better. I'm writing off this season.

If his shot never comes back but his handle improves he will still be a really good player and the SG of the future. We are still rebuilding, we gotta let our GM cook and make good deals for basketball (not cap) reasons.

I know RJ is important but if we can sell high and fix our cap woes it could be worth it.

If you understand basketball, team needs player(s) that can break down defenses. That's breaking down the first defender or commanding a double team. This opens up many options for an offensive player like Dick. But we really don't have those player(s) on this roster. It's more of a balanced approach where he gets lost often primarily being off ball.

I agree with you. But in order to get that type of player we need to maintain high level assets on our team while staying under the cap for future flexibility. That break down ability is a key reason I like Garland and why I'm not a big fan of IQ right now. If IQ was used off ball he look a lot better because we need someone with the skill to beat the opposing POA.

There is just nothing like that out there right now. We're at a risk of losing asset value on our team. We need to figure that out before we do anything else.

[canada_dry]

Raps are 0-9 now vs the other top 10 teams. I asked an AI source what does it mean when a team can't beat the top teams? Response:

When a team can't beat top teams, it usually means they lack consistency, tactical flexibility, or the elite-level execution needed to overcome superior talent and organization, often struggling with discipline, key player performance, and adapting to high-pressure situations, even if they dominate lower-ranked opponents. It signals a gap in either individual talent, coaching strategy, or mental toughness compared to the league's elite, showing they can't consistently raise their game when it matters most. 

Common Reasons for This Struggle

Tactical Mismatch: Top teams often have better-structured tactics that exploit weaknesses, such as creating large gaps in a high-pressing defense or neutralizing a star player, which less-organized teams can't counter.
Mental & Preparation Issues: They might get complacent, take the opposition lightly, or lack the consistent focus and preparation that elite teams maintain, leading to underperformance.
Lack of Discipline: Inability to maintain defensive shape, poor shot selection, or undisciplined play gives more efficient teams easy opportunities.
Inconsistent Key Players: A team might rely too much on a few stars, or conversely, lack the "superstar" presence that can create moments of magic, leading to predictability or collapse when things go wrong.
Systemic Limitations: Their system might be too rigid or not suited for breaking down elite, well-drilled defenses, as seen in gaming simulations where tactics fail against strong opponents.
Poor Execution: Even with good plans, they might fail to execute crucial plays (like finishing one-onones) at the necessary high level. 

What It Means for the Team

"Good, Not Great" Status: They are likely a solid team in their own tier but lack the extra gear, talent, or mentality to compete with the true contenders.
Need for Growth: It highlights areas needing significant improvement, such as player development, coaching adjustments, or a cultural shift towards elite standards.
Vulnerability in Playoffs: While they might cruise in the regular season, this flaw becomes glaring in high-stakes playoff games where every possession and tactical adjustment matters. 

So things we already knew and didn't need AI to tell us?

And i wonder how many of those 9 games were healthy.

[MEDIC]

Anyone crapping on Dick doesn't understand NBA basketball. He's a positive on defense now, he is turning into a defensive stopper. No one saw that coming. He is essentially the guard version of CMB right now. His body will adjust and he will shoot better. I'm writing off this season.

If his shot never comes back but his handle improves he will still be a really good player and the SG of the future. We are still rebuilding, we gotta let our GM cook and make good deals for basketball (not cap) reasons.

I know RJ is important but if we can sell high and fix our cap woes it could be worth it.

Alright Folks.we have our formula for future success.

Trade RJ and trust in Dick. Dick will never shoot, but he will be the next all defense SG.

Not sure if Joking. You are starting to sound like Reeko.

[MEDIC]

Walter shows some promise but I'm afraid Dick may be a lost cause.

i didn't watch the game but how bad could he have been shooting 4-8 with a steal and a block and a team-best +14 in 24 minutes in a game they lost by 8?

I thought he was good. He just looked like a dorky white guy doing it clumsily so people hating. He had a very nice take to the hoop. If he could only shoot threes he's a player.

I would have never guessed those were his stats. When he missed shots, he missed badly. When he made mistakes or couldn't defend, he also looked really bad.

The one thing I keep seeing from posters is when they say he did things well, what they are really saying is he he did well compared to an average Gradey game.......which is setting the bar pretty low for.a 3rd year player.

[bballsparkin]

I would have never guessed those were his stats. When he missed shots, he missed badly. When he made mistakes or couldn't defend, he also looked really bad.

The one thing I keep seeing from posters is when they say he did things well, what they are really saying is he he did well compared to an average Gradey game.......which is setting the bar pretty low for.a 3rd year player.

We talking about Gradey **** Dick! Of course the bar is set really low.

Some guys take time. Will Gradey actualize? I have no idea. Is Gradey a valuable trade trip at present? Not bloody likely! Perhaps as a throw in for a larger trade. Ochai has disappointed. People whine about Battle not getting minutes but look at that one beautiful play that was set up for Battle last night. Clearly the coaching staff is working with him during practice. Things that we don't see. Plus he's already signed for next season. JKW is showing improvement. Maybe at the TDL the FO can clear some of the logjam.

I say stand pat unless something that really works comes along. Thaddy mentioned RJ with Mamu as a trade combo. That does look kind of appealing. RJ + Mamu + Ochai and this years pick. That could be valuable. But it would hurt the team now unless the return was worth it.

edit: and Gradey was a part of that Battle play. He has bball smarts and plays a team game. He also looks like Bambi at times so we shall see.

[Basketball_Jones]

Gradeys shotput style jump shot is ass for sure I don’t know how it worked at Kansas but I’m not that surprised it sucks here in the NBA. That being said, can’t complain too much about him last game but obviously we wanted more Shead.

[bballsparkin]

Gradeys shotput style jump shot is ass for sure I don’t know how it worked at Kansas but I’m not that surprised it sucks here in the NBA. That being said, can’t complain too much about him last game but obviously we wanted more Shead.

I was wondering if the plan was for him to bulk up first. And then focus on his shot mechanics? Perhaps this summer.