What will make 17/18 successful season for you?

[Double Helix]

I am pretty serious. I hope I don't sound like I am joking.

If you are happy with mediocrity then fair game to you.

With the Cavs in disarray if we cannot make it to the Finals then what are we playing for?

The same reason any of us ever played sports. Maybe some of you never did? To be the best we can be and see how far we can go. As fanatics we also get to enjoy each game during the brutal winters and track the development of players we like as a form of entertainment and reality TV.

If all you want to do is follow the favorite in the NBA Finals every year it's pretty easy. Tune in at the end of the season for the next few years while wearing a Curry or Durant jersey. Like the Lakers dynasty before that and the Spurs and Bulls dynasties before that.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

"To be the best that we can be"

Yes, that's exactly it. We are built to win now. We are not a team that consists of scrubs and leftovers. In that scenario your argument would hold. Difference here is that Masai has invested heavily on this group so much so that we are top 3 in salary.

Tracking development is cool and all, but what's the objective at the end of the day? It's to win. I am a fanatic. I will still watch them win or lose. I am very much interested in watching Delon, Jak, Norm and Pascal excel. But this season is not dictated by their development. It is dictated by the performances of Lowry, DD, Ibaka and to an extent Valanciunas. Whatever the youngsters are able to provide is an added boost even though we are depending on a couple of them (Norm and Delon).

This was the best team we could compile given the circumstances and if our best shot results in an early exit and not even tasting the NBA Finals then overall it is a disappointment. I will still cheer them on win or lose but I will not mask a disappointing season with optimism of youth.

We are winning now.

In a 30 team league over the past 2 years we've had a combined winning % of over 65% in the best basketball league on the planet.
2 years ago we won more games than 26 out of 30 teams in the NBA. Last year, due to Lowry's injury, we won more games than 23 out of 30 teams in the league. That's not mediocrity. That's excellence. Not Championship dominance obviously but excellence.

The Raptors made it to the Final 4 2 years ago and the elite 8 last year. Each time beating superstars of the past and present (Wade, Paul George and the Greek Freak). Each time losing to either the eventual Championship winner or a team that would have won the Championship again had it not been for one of the greatest basketball teams ever built with 2 MVPs in their prime and a DPOY winner not been put together specifically to stop them. This Warriors team might have beat Jordan's Bulls. How many times?
Debatable but I think they are that special that they'd have beaten and lowered Jordan's ring count in some manner had they played head to head. Let think sink in when assessing the historically great teams at the top. We're very good. They're just all time great insane featuring multiple basketball HOF talent.

[zippy]

Masai needs to get off his @ss and stop making half measures. Fully commit to one path or the other, not doing so makes you a loser at both. Either start packaging some of these young guys together to trade for another "Serge" or better (too bad Masai completely wasted a 1st rd pick) so you have an actual chance to get to the Finals or unload this flawed core for picks and young players since you are aware (as they say themselves) are unable to beat LeBron, the top end of this draft also looks insane. BOS and MIL are only getting stronger and if somehow PHI is able to keep Embiid healthy it's only a matter of maybe a couple years before they dominate after. The time to act either way is now which is why I didn't like bringing back Lowry or Ibaka to begin with when there was no additional move made (ie/ trade for PG or S&T for Millsap etc).

Could care less about another "moral victory" of possibly making another ECF (which won't happen as presently constructed). Fully commit one way or the other, no more stupid "evaluating".

THE BOLDED PART IS SOOOOO TRUE.

That needs to be the mantra of the fanbase from here on out. Either commit to winning or developing, you cannot do both nor will you succeed in trying to do both.

[Verrocity]

The same reason any of us ever played sports. Maybe some of you never did? To be the best we can be and see how far we can go. As fanatics we also get to enjoy each game during the brutal winters and track the development of players we like as a form of entertainment and reality TV.

If all you want to do is follow the favorite in the NBA Finals every year it's pretty easy. Tune in at the end of the season for the next few years while wearing a Curry or Durant jersey. Like the Lakers dynasty before that and the Spurs and Bulls dynasties before that.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

"To be the best that we can be"

Yes, that's exactly it. We are built to win now. We are not a team that consists of scrubs and leftovers. In that scenario your argument would hold. Difference here is that Masai has invested heavily on this group so much so that we are top 3 in salary.

Tracking development is cool and all, but what's the objective at the end of the day? It's to win. I am a fanatic. I will still watch them win or lose. I am very much interested in watching Delon, Jak, Norm and Pascal excel. But this season is not dictated by their development. It is dictated by the performances of Lowry, DD, Ibaka and to an extent Valanciunas. Whatever the youngsters are able to provide is an added boost even though we are depending on a couple of them (Norm and Delon).

This was the best team we could compile given the circumstances and if our best shot results in an early exit and not even tasting the NBA Finals then overall it is a disappointment. I will still cheer them on win or lose but I will not mask a disappointing season with optimism of youth.

We are winning now.

In a 30 team league over the past 2 years we've had a combined winning % of over 65% in the best basketball league on the planet.
2 years ago we won more games than 26 out of 30 teams in the NBA. Last year, due to Lowry's injury, we won more games than 23 out of 30 teams in the league. That's not mediocrity. That's excellence. Not Championship dominance obviously but excellence.

The Raptors made it to the Final 4 2 years ago and the elite 8 last year. Each time beating superstars of the past and present (Wade, Paul George and the Greek Freak). Each time losing to either the eventual Championship winner or a team that would have won the Championship again had it not been for one of the greatest basketball teams ever built with 2 MVPs in their prime and a DPOY winner not been put together specifically to stop them. This Warriors team might have beat Jordan's Bulls. How many times?
Debatable but I think they are that special that they'd have beaten and lowered Jordan's ring count in some manner had they played head to head. Let think sink in when assessing the historically great teams at the top. We're very good. They're just all time great insane featuring multiple basketball HOF talent.

I admire your optimism. But the reason why we won last year is not because of our excellence. I mean, the 8th seed was 41-41 and Celtics being the #1 seed was considered the worst #1 seed in NBA history. With the talent level that we had last year, it was a subpar season to say the least. It's all relative. We showed our true "excellence" when we got swept by the Cavs. Even the Celtics with an undermanned team was able to show grit and beat the Cavs to push it to 5 games.

What you are basically describing by excellence is "Regular Season Heroes, Post Season Fodder." I am sorry but that is not success...

Like the infamous sign in Rogers Center in 2016 said... "I would rather get punched in May, than get knocked out in October."

[Basketball_Jones]

Some of you guys are thinking too small. Yes the Warriors and Cavs are that good, but we are on the same tier.

[Double Helix]

"To be the best that we can be"

Yes, that's exactly it. We are built to win now. We are not a team that consists of scrubs and leftovers. In that scenario your argument would hold. Difference here is that Masai has invested heavily on this group so much so that we are top 3 in salary.

Tracking development is cool and all, but what's the objective at the end of the day? It's to win. I am a fanatic. I will still watch them win or lose. I am very much interested in watching Delon, Jak, Norm and Pascal excel. But this season is not dictated by their development. It is dictated by the performances of Lowry, DD, Ibaka and to an extent Valanciunas. Whatever the youngsters are able to provide is an added boost even though we are depending on a couple of them (Norm and Delon).

This was the best team we could compile given the circumstances and if our best shot results in an early exit and not even tasting the NBA Finals then overall it is a disappointment. I will still cheer them on win or lose but I will not mask a disappointing season with optimism of youth.

We are winning now.

In a 30 team league over the past 2 years we've had a combined winning % of over 65% in the best basketball league on the planet.
2 years ago we won more games than 26 out of 30 teams in the NBA. Last year, due to Lowry's injury, we won more games than 23 out of 30 teams in the league. That's not mediocrity. That's excellence. Not Championship dominance obviously but excellence.

The Raptors made it to the Final 4 2 years ago and the elite 8 last year. Each time beating superstars of the past and present (Wade, Paul George and the Greek Freak). Each time losing to either the eventual Championship winner or a team that would have won the Championship again had it not been for one of the greatest basketball teams ever built with 2 MVPs in their prime and a DPOY winner not been put together specifically to stop them. This Warriors team might have beat Jordan's Bulls. How many times?
Debatable but I think they are that special that they'd have beaten and lowered Jordan's ring count in some manner had they played head to head. Let think sink in when assessing the historically great teams at the top. We're very good. They're just all time great insane featuring multiple basketball HOF talent.

I admire your optimism. But the reason why we won last year is not because of our excellence. I mean, the 8th seed was 41-41 and Celtics being the #1 seed was considered the worst #1 seed in NBA history. With the talent level that we had last year, it was a subpar season to say the least. It's all relative. We showed our true "excellence" when we got swept by the Cavs. Even the Celtics with an undermanned team was able to show grit and beat the Cavs to push it to 5 games.

What you are basically describing by excellence is "Regular Season Heroes, Post Season Fodder." I am sorry but that is not success...

Like the infamous sign in Rogers Center in 2016 said... "I would rather get punched in May, than get knocked out in October."

We were without Kyle Lowry for our 2 home games. This is what those scores were like heading into the 4th quarter of games 3 and 4 for those who forgot.

Game 3:
Heading into the 4th quarter (without Lowry who is clearly our best player): 85 to 77 for the Cavs.

Game 4:
Heading into the 4th quarter (without Lowry who is clearly our best player): 85 to 80 for the Cavs.

So, without a top 15 player in the league, and our best player overall, we were in 2 close games against the previous Champions with 12 minutes to go. I believe that if Kyle Lowry had been healthy and played in games 3 and 4 that we would have not only won 1 of those 2 home games but both because both scores likely would have been even better for us heading into those 4th quarters and we would have had our floor general out there to stem the tide.

[[SJJ]]

1. Casey getting fired.
2. Norman Powell getting serious MIP consideration.
3. Anunoby looking like a future lockdown defender.

---

We're in no-man's land. Exactly where Masai said we'd never be. It sucks but alas I can't look away.

[Patman]

1. Casey getting fired.
2. Norman Powell getting serious MIP consideration.
3. Anunoby looking like a future lockdown defender.

---

We're in no-man's land. Exactly where Masai said we'd never be. It sucks but alas I can't look away.

We're in no man's land because we can't beat the Warriors or Cavs? No man's land is if you're in the middle 10 teams, with no franchise players.

Masai even has a very clear window (next 3 seasons). And then our books are pretty clear after that. Also, aside from JV, most of our contracts are moveable in case we hit reboot sooner.

[smallgains]

50+ wins and the ECF.....

[vexen]

With the best year in franchise history, to the "disappointment" of last year, I am curious as to what would make everyone happy with the 17-18 result (if anything at all).

How was last year a disappointment? Both years we lost to Lebron. Nothing to be ashamed of.

[AK47MVP]

Team sucks for first few month, Casey gets sacked, then Raptors go on a winning streak and make playoffs and end up in NBA finals.

[ruckus]

For all the flak this generation gets for the "everyone's a winner, everyone gets participation medals" mentality, I find that in fandom, it's more a case of "if you aren't first, you're last". It's a very interesting contrast and, I'm wondering if it's been explored more in depth.

[livnthedream416]

OG makes the NBA All-Defensive team

[plainballing]

Barring any biggie change...I think if our young players and bench really step up and solidify themselves then we will be doing very well.

Hopefully, we will sign Norm to a reasonable extension too.

[720]

60 wins or another ecfs birth. Also if one of our young guys becomes a star or a very good starter quality player.

[720]

Green font?

The JV cult would rather see their scrub star get more touches then this team being successful.. This is how much they hate this franchise.

Why is it that the Jonas haters didn't understand this was sarcasm

Because Saciid is a Demar cult member and those guys lack common sense.

[the_other_guy]

I would like to see us dominating in a playoff series. 1st round, 2nd round. Whatever.

[rapstarter]

Exiting the playoffs gracefully for once.