The Ringer: A Brief History of the Toronto Raptors Coming Up Short

[ruckus]

I didn't see this posted:

A Brief History of the Toronto Raptors Coming Up Short

I wouldn't say its a good read but, it's a good primer, albeit a pessimistic one, for those that are new to the Raptors.

On Thursday night, Toronto will open its season with Casey on the bench for the seventh consecutive season (the fourth-longest tenure in the NBA), and the same basic core that’s been in place since 2013. They’re going to war with a starting lineup built around Lowry, DeRozan, and Jonas Valanciunas. The realities of team-building are complex, but it’s hard to get too excited about Toronto’s chances, even in a diminished Eastern Conference.

[OakleyDokely]

The core might be the same, but the Raps now have some young guys that will play key roles - Delon, Powell, OG etc. That's something to be excited about.

[TheDoctor]

Any article that focuses the treadmill on being a high 40s and low 50s win team loses my interest. You can talk about the scratching for 8th place at all costs treadmill that sags into the muddle of the 30s, but this angle is just Being good but not great is far from the worst place to be.

[Dr Positivity]

I know the rest of the league sees us as the Cincinatti Bengals of the NBA... but f*ck this article

[Steelo Green]

Honestly Norm is the X factor to growth for the next step, and yesterday he looked really good.

[LLJ]

Coming up short would suggest cases where we ever had the talent or ability to do better. I think historically, Raps have often overachieved or basically achieved what was expected. I think there are maybe 2 years where I would really say they definitely underachieved (2015-2015 and 1999-2000), but that's it.

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Wait until OG channels his inner-Draymond Green.

[Tofubeque]

NBA writers salivating at the thought of us trading Lowry or DeRozan to a contender for nothing, and becoming the next Bulls or Pacers or Hawks. You see the same thing with Memphis and Conley/Gasol.

It's OK for some stars to not play on superteams. The best 5 teams don't need every single top-30 player.

[ATLTimekeeper]

I feel like they just found a writer to sell us out to their Celtic readership to assure them that we're not a threat. Including the tug of Paul Pierce.

[OakleyDokely]

Any article that focuses the treadmill on being a high 40s and low 50s win team loses my interest. You can talk about the scratching for 8th place at all costs treadmill that sags into the muddle of the 30s, but this angle is just Being good but not great is far from the worst place to be.

I always thought that treadmill teams were those 7-11 seeds. Teams that just miss the playoffs or those teams that just sneak into the playoffs and then get crushed by the top teams. Teams that have no chance of winning a playoff round and pick 8-16 in every draft and miss out on the top prospects.

Somehow treadmill has morphed into teams that win 45-55 games, that can make it to the 2nd round or conference finals, but are a notch below the championship favourites.

For me, treadmill examples are Detroit and New Orleans. They are a bubble playoff teams that have no chance to win in the playoffs but are too good to get a top draft pick.

[Double Helix]

Any article that focuses the treadmill on being a high 40s and low 50s win team loses my interest. You can talk about the scratching for 8th place at all costs treadmill that sags into the muddle of the 30s, but this angle is just Being good but not great is far from the worst place to be.

This.

When you’re constantly stuck in 8-6 range and not winning playoff rounds and with no interesting paths up... that’s a treadmill. I can understand being annoyed with that.


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[Inevitable]

NBA writers salivating at the thought of us trading Lowry or DeRozan to a contender for nothing, and becoming the next Bulls or Pacers or Hawks. You see the same thing with Memphis and Conley/Gasol.

It's OK for some stars to not play on superteams. The best 5 teams don't need every single top-30 player.

This is exactly why I’ve become pro-winning. These people have destroyed our team in the media for two decades and the minute we actually start winning games they show us no respect and pray we go back to losing.

[binjumper]

Some writers are so busy with digging up the past like the same perception exists; Quoting the star for sports articles >_<

[Badonkadonk]

Yet another stupid narrative that invokes 'treadmill' but offers no practical path to go from a ~50 win team to beating the Warriors.

These people don't live in the real world.

[6ixSideSniper]

Treadmill team was a coined term for any team that wasn't particularly moving in any direction, just moving but going nowhere ala a treadmill, people have different definitions of it, but I tend to agree it should be reserved for teams that aren't good enough to win rounds in the playoffs, and not bad enough to add lotto picks. The Chris Bosh-era Raptors are my definition of a treadmill team.

[JediQ]

The writer tried to be hip and lacked substance. He focused more on throwing Stephen A Smith-level random dictionary words rather than fact-checking and sprinkling in details as to why or how the team underachieved (thus, treadmill status) for the past few years.

If anything, "treadmill" is a misused word here. Teams like us, wizards, the previous Hawks gen, nash's suns, etc. just hit a glass ceiling, where they just can't take down the incumbent ahead of them. If anything, to me, a treadmill team is barely making the playoffs and not doing anything, or not making the playoffs but not bad enough to tank properly (hello Charlotte???)

[Troubadour]

I don't know what this person is watching, but this has been the most fun I've had as a fan. Lots of young talent, a consistent core, and some success to celebrate each year. Short of winning a championship, I don't know how much more you can really ask for as a fan. The players are all fun to root for and seem to love being a part of the organization/city/country.

[VinBaker6]

NBA writers salivating at the thought of us trading Lowry or DeRozan to a contender for nothing, and becoming the next Bulls or Pacers or Hawks. You see the same thing with Memphis and Conley/Gasol.

It's OK for some stars to not play on superteams. The best 5 teams don't need every single top-30 player.

This is exactly why I’ve become pro-winning. These people have destroyed our team in the media for two decades and the minute we actually start winning games they show us no respect and pray we go back to losing.

This is a good point. I want nothing more than for the team to go on another ugly ass playoff run to the ECF where NBA writers are whining about our style of play while we win like in 2016.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

I just love how US media tries to hang the treadmill title on us after three years. While calling Chicago a contender for the last decade plus.

It's not like we are an old team either. I love how Kyle is old in Toronto and Boston with Horford as a core piece is a young team.

[Raps in 4]

Coming up short implies coming close. We were never built to contend. Our ceiling was always ECF.

A Toronto team that fell short in recent years were the Blue Jays. They were built to win a title but fell short two straight years.