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Alright so I hate to make this post, but some of you need a reality check:

In bad teams, SOMEONE has to take shots. This can often result in average players putting up 20pt seasons. Remember the past inflated Raptors stats:

Mike James put up a 20ppg season
Chris Bosh (Rupaul) put up 24 ppg season

Unsurprisingly teams faired poorly in the standings. This is also what’s going on right now with Gradey and RJ getting inflated stats. Guys like Mogbo and Poeltl aren’t asking for any shots.

Remember; when Scottie and Quickley come back, both of those guys are ahead of RJ/Gradey in the offensive pecking order. Add in Kelly/Brown, and the shot distribution will drastically change.

Enjoy these moments for building up the young players confidence, but remember: this is only due to tWo.

You don't have anything better to do?

ghettobplayer wrote:You don't have anything better to do?

I do, but I am procrastinating and I made this thread on the toilet seat.

Do u want a pic? Come on FaceTime.

Except they're doing it efficiently. So that's a reality check too.

We dont live in the reality you think we live in. Thanks for the concern though

Duffman100 wrote:Except they're doing it efficiently. So that's a reality check too.

Mike James scored 20ppg on 47% FG / 44% 3PT for the Raps.

At the time, NBA teams used to score lower, so you could argue these numbers would actually be higher if indexed to todays game.

The point is, these are good and efficient numbers, and a reason to be happy… but within context.

You are technically correct. But you didn't support this self-evident argument effectively.

Yes. If you put 5 G-leaguers on an nba starting roster....2 of them would typically combine for 50 to 60 points.

MessiahUjiri wrote:

Duffman100 wrote:Except they're doing it efficiently. So that's a reality check too.

Mike James scored 20ppg on 47% FG / 44% 3PT for the Raps.

At the time, NBA teams used to score lower, so you could argue these numbers would actually be higher if indexed to todays game.

The point is, these are good and efficient numbers, and a reason to be happy… but within context.

And Mike James had a crazy good season that season. It's underrated in Raptors history, the guy shot the lights out.

The fact that Gradey and RJ, in the spotlight, are scoring good numbers on good efficiency is a real big positive.

MessiahUjiri wrote:

ghettobplayer wrote:You don't have anything better to do?

I do, but I am procrastinating and I made this thread on the toilet seat.

We can tell.

Generally, I view stats as inflated when they are racked up during blowouts. That hasn't been the case so far outside of opening night.

There are only so many shots to go around but I'm expecting everyone's efficiency to go up when everyone is healthy.

There is an element of truth to it.

You need context to evaluate stats on bad teams, the same way you can't take stats at the end of the season in meaningless games seriously. Think of the infamous Ben Uzoh triple double.

Gradey passes the eye test because his shooting percentages aren't inflated and his process is good. He's scoring contested looks and against increased defensive attention. His counting stats will likely go down but his game should translate on a good team. The defense is still bad and needs improvement. It doesn't feel like empty calories.

Who worries me is Scottie. He puts up the counting stats because he's given so much undeserved usage. 4 years of below average efficiency. He wouldn't get the same shot attempts on a team serious about winning. It's time for him to actually show he's worth building around.

The question isn't deciding if their stats are good vs bad at the moment. We can all read basic efficiency stats these days. The question isn't can they replicate this as-is with IQ and Scottie back, either.
The question is, what have we discovered with this current rotation that we can blend into Scottie-centric minutes? What have we discovered here that we can blend into a rotation with Scottie and IQ back on that will help us win more minutes.

So far, it looks like we've discovered that Gradey and IQ have amazing chemistry, that they can win minutes offensively with role players around them. For a whole game? Not quite, but when this team is healthy can the coach figure out the rotations and the play calls that will amplify every player as much as possible?

Worth noting that Poeltl has been quite good as well.

This would certainly be less interesting if they weren’t 20 and 24 years old respectively. You can’t compare that to the 32-33 year old Mike James.

What's important is not the counting stats, but the efficiency and scoring versatility they're displaying.

Yes, a lot of guys can put up big scoring numbers on bad teams, but a lot of them do it inefficiently.

Gradey has a 60 TS% this season and RJ has upped his efficiency dramatically as a Raptor in his 35 or so games. In no universe is that not a positive sign.

Yes, these statistics won't carry over as they play with more talent. Barnes prefers to be a playmaker anyways so let's see how we look when everyone's healthy.

People think you just add good players while the guys who are thriving right now will continue to thrive. It doesn't work that way lol

It's not even 10 games in, so sure. This may not be real.

All I care about is that both are better in a way that is impactful for the future of the Raptors. Since both IQ and Scottie are great off the ball, I can only see Gradey and RJ playing like all-stars as a good thing. Sorry to give OP a reality check, but this is overwhelmingly good news for the Raptors. We have a 4 headed monster brewing and may not even be able to get a high pick.

MessiahUjiri wrote:

ghettobplayer wrote:You don't have anything better to do?

I do, but I am procrastinating and I made this thread on the toilet seat.

Do u want a pic? Come on FaceTime.

People are criticizing, but failing to mention how impressive it is for you to be able to take what was in the toilet and convert it into words on here.

beanbag wrote:

MessiahUjiri wrote:

ghettobplayer wrote:You don't have anything better to do?

I do, but I am procrastinating and I made this thread on the toilet seat.

Do u want a pic? Come on FaceTime.

People are criticizing, but failing to mention how impressive it is for you to be able to take what was in the toilet and convert it into words on here.

I used Claude 3.5 AI for it. I see you are also doing it, but you are using an inferior model like ChatGPT3.

Its actually the opposite. Dick will do even better when he is not the #1 option.

Mike James was a huge ball hog. As was CB4. They basically got most of their points by being ball stoppers. They were definitely on bad teams. I wouldn't call this team a "bad" team. It's just a young team that is learning how to play. You don't need to tear it down. You need to run it for a few years & see what you got.

RJ (when Scottie & IQ are back) is an off the ball scorer. So is Gradey Dick.You can't really compare them to those guys.

Unfortunately for RJ, he is not in his best role right now. We need Scottie or IQ to be that primary ball handler & facilitator.

Gradey Dick.......man......if he can keep this up, they need to find a way to get him his shots because right now his a more dynamic scorer than IQ. With his off ball movement & motor, it's kinda hard to not get him the ball. He just puts himself in a good position to score constantly.

artsncrafts wrote:

Its actually the opposite. Dick will do even better when he is not the #1 option.

50/40/90 here we come!!!