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Is he another Lucas Nogueira?

fbalmeida wrote:A range-less Damian Jones-type double-double per 36 minute big.

That already makes him emphatically better than any C we've had for most of the season.

I wonder how mad / disappointed you're going to be when Baynes retains all of his minutes and Gillespie rots on the bench. Lord knows you spent enough time imagining baynes replacements.

This soundd way more jerkish than intended. Baynes sucks. Go tank go.

Better than Baynes?

GreatWhiteStiff wrote:

fbalmeida wrote:A range-less Damian Jones-type double-double per 36 minute big.

That already makes him emphatically better than any C we've had for most of the season.

I wonder how mad / disappointed you're going to be when Baynes retains all of his minutes and Gillespie rots on the bench. Lord knows you spent enough time imagining baynes replacements.

This soundd way more jerkish than intended. Baynes sucks. Go tank go.

I've been positively beside myself with frustration over the front office's refusal to even attempt to improve the 5 spot since we waived Len. It would be a waste of a 10-day contract and money to not even try Gillespie out there.

fbalmeida wrote:

GreatWhiteStiff wrote:

fbalmeida wrote:A range-less Damian Jones-type double-double per 36 minute big.

That already makes him emphatically better than any C we've had for most of the season.

I wonder how mad / disappointed you're going to be when Baynes retains all of his minutes and Gillespie rots on the bench. Lord knows you spent enough time imagining baynes replacements.

This soundd way more jerkish than intended. Baynes sucks. Go tank go.

I've been positively beside myself with frustration over the front office's refusal to even attempt to improve the 5 spot since we waived Len. It would be a waste of a 10-day contract and money to not even try Gillespie out there.

Two theories:

1. Tankity, tank, tank, tank has been the plan from the beginning, or at least after the 2-8 start, when it was clear that Baynes no longer had whatever had made him appealing. But why give up on Len so soon? That move, and the refusal to fill the empty roster spot, looks weirder with each passing game. Maybe it was part of the plan to trade Kyle in a 3 or 4 for 1 deal.

2. In five games against the Sixers, Bucks and Nets when relatively healthy (missing only one of OG or Kyle for those games), the mid-season Raptors won four of them. Baynes showed some ability to play defence. Why rock the boat, especially when any draft pick we'd have to give up to get Turner or some other decent C would be higher than in previous years? Then the wheels fell off again, and our draft pick looked even more valuable. Adding protections to it wouldn't have been a great idea. We wouldn't want the pick to convey for the 2022 double cohort draft. And who knows what the state of the franchise will be in 2023, if Indiana or whoever would even take a 2023 pick?

I can't wait for Masai's season ending press conference. He's got some s'plaining to do.

Guess it was clear that the Raptors lost their own guy, Alize Johnson, so they had to take what's left.

Steve Nash on Alize Johnson: ‘We think he’s a player that can help us’

With Birch now, this guy might just rot on the bench. I feel bad for these young players who just never get much of a chance to show what they can do. We're going for 10th!

ItsDanger wrote:With Birch now, this guy might just rot on the bench. I feel bad for these young players who just never get much of a chance to show what they can do. We're going for 10th!

I really hope that the 10 day signing is more to entice him to join our developmental program in the future. It's a pretty hefty financial reward for a g-league player. In terms of character guys - Khem and Gillespie are quite similar, and I'd argue their playing styles are similar too, at least in the moment, so it would be a great opportunity for him to learn and for the raps to see whether he can have success in our defensive system.

Having said that, Baynes can rot on the bench and Khem and Gillespie (and Boucher) can take all the minutes.

visionquest wrote:Guess it was clear that the Raptors lost their own guy, Alize Johnson, so they had to take what's left.

Steve Nash on Alize Johnson: ‘We think he’s a player that can help us’

Raps will be able to sign him in the offseason I think. Doubt the nets are fixated on him when they're basically cornering the buyout market.

Merit wrote:

visionquest wrote:Guess it was clear that the Raptors lost their own guy, Alize Johnson, so they had to take what's left.

Steve Nash on Alize Johnson: ‘We think he’s a player that can help us’

Raps will be able to sign him in the offseason I think. Doubt the nets are fixated on him when they're basically cornering the buyout market.

I have thought about the two and while Alize came up through the 905 the past season, it is not like they have invested a lot in him. During his time in Indy everyone knew he could rebound and defend 3s and 4s. What he needed to show was that he added something to his offensive game. Even after dominating at the 905 he still cannot shoot outside a small flip shot at the rim, and his passing is average. He is essentially a 6'7 center / power forward in the NBA. Brooklyn likely only needs defensive players like him, so it works for them.

Toronto likely had a window once the G-League was winding down to sign Alize, but they went Donta Hall and Henry Ellenson before Johnson even got signed by Brooklyn. Likely they saw Alize enough and said to themselves "is this guy better/different than Stanley Johnson or Yuta?" To me Alize is nothing special beyond what we currently have.

Toronto needs more size and someone more skilled. Gillespie can rebound and given his size can play center in a pinch. That's a good starting point for him and it fills a need for Toronto. Not sure if he is more skilled than Alize at this stage, since Alize has been in the league longer, but Gillespie has shown to be a quick learner at every level. As people have pointed out he is an analytics darling, and he lead the G-League in blocks. To me, he is worth a look.

If birch is like an average defensive guy and not horrible offensive guy, could he break our tank? I suppose that s a risk with signing anyone though.

Dalek wrote:

Merit wrote:

visionquest wrote:Guess it was clear that the Raptors lost their own guy, Alize Johnson, so they had to take what's left.

Steve Nash on Alize Johnson: ‘We think he’s a player that can help us’

Raps will be able to sign him in the offseason I think. Doubt the nets are fixated on him when they're basically cornering the buyout market.

I have thought about the two and while Alize came up through the 905 the past season, it is not like they have invested a lot in him. During his time in Indy everyone knew he could rebound and defend 3s and 4s. What he needed to show was that he added something to his offensive game. Even after dominating at the 905 he still cannot shoot outside a small flip shot at the rim, and his passing is average. He is essentially a 6'7 center / power forward in the NBA. Brooklyn likely only needs defensive players like him, so it works for them.

Toronto likely had a window once the G-League was winding down to sign Alize, but they went Donta Hall and Henry Ellenson before Johnson even got signed by Brooklyn. Likely they saw Alize enough and said to themselves "is this guy better/different than Stanley Johnson or Yuta?" To me Alize is nothing special beyond what we currently have.

Toronto needs more size and someone more skilled. Gillespie can rebound and given his size can play center in a pinch. That's a good starting point for him and it fills a need for Toronto. Not sure if he is more skilled than Alize at this stage, since Alize has been in the league longer, but Gillespie has shown to be a quick learner at every level. As people have pointed out he is an analytics darling, and he lead the G-League in blocks. To me, he is worth a look.

He's RHJ2.0. Raptors have too many SG's and PF's.

At first glance I thought the Raps signed Freddie Gibbs.

Wish we had taken a 10-day look at Kabengele, but Cavs picked him up.

Dread-Eye wrote:Wish we had taken a 10-day look at Kabengele, but Cavs picked him up.

I've been curious about Kabengele for a long time. I hope to see him play against us tomorrow.

While I definitely like Freddie Gillespie and people like Alize Johnson and Mfiondu Kabengele, I'm really looking ahead to what the Raptors can accomplish in the offseason and depth signings with NBA pedigree. Names like Khem Birch and Daniel Theis and Nerlens Noel etc.

fbalmeida wrote:

GreatWhiteStiff wrote:

fbalmeida wrote:A range-less Damian Jones-type double-double per 36 minute big.

That already makes him emphatically better than any C we've had for most of the season.

I wonder how mad / disappointed you're going to be when Baynes retains all of his minutes and Gillespie rots on the bench. Lord knows you spent enough time imagining baynes replacements.

This soundd way more jerkish than intended. Baynes sucks. Go tank go.

I've been positively beside myself with frustration over the front office's refusal to even attempt to improve the 5 spot since we waived Len. It would be a waste of a 10-day contract and money to not even try Gillespie out there.

positively beside myself

I think that is what happens in one of the physics colliders. A Baynes particle hit you at very high speed and you split.

If its a Baynes particle though you know damn well it ain't moving faster than a walking pace.

SurgeIblocka wrote:Is he another Lucas Nogueira?

This guy needs to play in NBA game before we compare him to Lucas