Dave Feschuk : Masai is on the clock

[KL78192020]

You also need some luck every year to win a championship.

Let's look at the last few years:

2023 - Kawhi and George both got hurt rendering the Clippers useless, Giannis was hurt early in the playoffs etc.
2022 - Ja Morant gets hurt misses most of series against Warriors, Kawhi is hurt and misses the playoffs, AD and Lebron both had major injuries that year.
2021 - Kawhi is hurt, AD gets hurt in the playoffs, Kyrie gets hurt, Harden plays injured etc.
2020 - Bubble year.
2019 - Durant injured, Klay gets hurt mid-series and in game 6.
2018 - Chris Paul injures his hamstring with Rockets up 3-2 and Rockets lose the series.

So had Kawhi, George, Lebron, AD etc. been healthy the last few years, we could have possibly seen different outcomes.

To say Raptors weren't a contending team between 2016-2020 is a bit silly.

The Raptors were a contending team that could put up a good regular season and win a round or two, but there are levels to this. Championship team is a whole other level.

In all those years of injured players you mentioned, guess what another team with a superstar won: Curry, Giannis, Jokic, Lebron and Raptor with Kawhi in 2019.

Those injuries just gave way to another team with a superstar to win. Being a good regular season team and a team that can win a round or two doesn't make you a championship team. Like the Hawks of the early 2010's.

Giannis just got demolished 4-1 by an 8 seed Heat team.

Jokic the last few years couldn't get by deep in the playoffs (apart from the bubble year) and this year they look a leap.

Now I'm not saying you don't need a superstar, I'm saying your theory that our 2020 team wasn't an elite team is simply false. This was a team that was a championship level squad, which under the right circumstances could have made the finals.

I mean look at the Bucks with Giannis. They have an MVP caliber player right?

2023 - Lost 4-1 in the 1st round to an 8 seed.
2022 - Lost in the semi's.
2021 - won chip.
2020 - Lost in the semi's.

So are you telling me that the Bucks in 2020, 2022 and 2023 are not contenders because they couldn't even get past the 2nd round!!!???

The Bucks are capable of winning a chip because they have an MVP level player, even if they lose they still have an MVP level guy. Jokic is an MVP level player. Just because you have an MVP level player doesn't guarantee you a chip, but it gets you a ticket to the dance.

Who was the Raptors MVP level player in 2020? Fact is in you need an MVP level player to have a CHANCE to win. Doesn't guarantee a win. Kawhi was it.

[TheGeneral99]

The Raptors were a contending team that could put up a good regular season and win a round or two, but there are levels to this. Championship team is a whole other level.

In all those years of injured players you mentioned, guess what another team with a superstar won: Curry, Giannis, Jokic, Lebron and Raptor with Kawhi in 2019.

Those injuries just gave way to another team with a superstar to win. Being a good regular season team and a team that can win a round or two doesn't make you a championship team. Like the Hawks of the early 2010's.

Giannis just got demolished 4-1 by an 8 seed Heat team.

Jokic the last few years couldn't get by deep in the playoffs (apart from the bubble year) and this year they look a leap.

Now I'm not saying you don't need a superstar, I'm saying your theory that our 2020 team wasn't an elite team is simply false. This was a team that was a championship level squad, which under the right circumstances could have made the finals.

I mean look at the Bucks with Giannis. They have an MVP caliber player right?

2023 - Lost 4-1 in the 1st round to an 8 seed.
2022 - Lost in the semi's.
2021 - won chip.
2020 - Lost in the semi's.

So are you telling me that the Bucks in 2020, 2022 and 2023 are not contenders because they couldn't even get past the 2nd round!!!???

The Bucks are capable of winning a chip because they have an MVP level player, even if they lose they still have an MVP level guy. Jokic is an MVP level player. Just because you have an MVP level player doesn't guarantee you a chip, but it gets you a ticket to the dance.

Who was the Raptors MVP level player in 2020? Fact is in you need an MVP level player to have a CHANCE to win. Doesn't guarantee a win. Kawhi was it.

The Bucks have disappointed in multiple playoff runs. The year that they won the chip they got incredibly lucky. They were nearly knocked out by a depleted Nets team (but Durant had his foot on the 3 point line). They also benefitted from AD missing the playoffs and Kawhi getting hurt. Do you think that Bucks team beats a healthy Nets team or a healthy Clippers team?

Your narrative now would be completely different.

The Raptors in 2020 had two legitimate all-NBA players in Lowry and Pascal. They arguably also had the best defensive roster in the league that year with Ibaka, Fred, Gasol, Powell and OG in addition.

It's a very strange argument. The Raptors took the Celtics to 7 games despite Siakam and Gasol playing at a very diminished capacity. That's how good the team was.

Of course superstars help and you would want a superstar caliber player, no one disputes it. We're challenging your narrative that the 2020 Raptors were fake contenders. There is no support for that argument.

[ItsDanger]

Has Masai learned his lesson? Fred & Pascal leveraging their own situations to maximize their contracts on and off the court.

He's supposed to be in charge, start acting like it. These guys are playing him. Put aside your other crap and handle your business.

[Rapsin6]

How about Bobby be on the clock? What the **** does this guy do?

Oh, and saying any team that wins 3/4 of their games to not be contenders is weird. Did anyone go out for dinner instead of watching 2018 playoffs because you felt it was pointless. Even though chances were slim, something was there. Those guys were playing to prove something and I think without COVID, they would have had an ok chance. Old man Kyle just had his best year, turns out it broke him. Nick was actually trying to coach back then too. Hell, we took Boston to 7 games and Pascal made it almost 4 on 5. I don’t remember Boston having any player issues. Every year, there’s about 6-8 teams that are contenders to varying levels. We were one of them.

Fire Bobby.

[kem416]

Dave, that you?

[StopitLeo]

The Bucks are capable of winning a chip because they have an MVP level player, even if they lose they still have an MVP level guy. Jokic is an MVP level player. Just because you have an MVP level player doesn't guarantee you a chip, but it gets you a ticket to the dance.

Who was the Raptors MVP level player in 2020? Fact is in you need an MVP level player to have a CHANCE to win. Doesn't guarantee a win. Kawhi was it.

If more people acknowledged this they would realize that there are only a handful of teams that are legitimate championship contenders at any point in time. Every other team is trying to find their own MVP level player and that is a very difficult thing to do because trading for one or signing one in free agency is extremely rare.

In most cases you need to get lucky and draft someone who reaches that level but even having the 1st overall pick is hardly a guarantee. Looking back over the past 20 years I would argue there is only one 1st overall pick who became an MVP calibre player that can lead a contender on his own and that's LeBron.

[KL78192020]

Giannis just got demolished 4-1 by an 8 seed Heat team.

Jokic the last few years couldn't get by deep in the playoffs (apart from the bubble year) and this year they look a leap.

Now I'm not saying you don't need a superstar, I'm saying your theory that our 2020 team wasn't an elite team is simply false. This was a team that was a championship level squad, which under the right circumstances could have made the finals.

I mean look at the Bucks with Giannis. They have an MVP caliber player right?

2023 - Lost 4-1 in the 1st round to an 8 seed.
2022 - Lost in the semi's.
2021 - won chip.
2020 - Lost in the semi's.

So are you telling me that the Bucks in 2020, 2022 and 2023 are not contenders because they couldn't even get past the 2nd round!!!???

The Bucks are capable of winning a chip because they have an MVP level player, even if they lose they still have an MVP level guy. Jokic is an MVP level player. Just because you have an MVP level player doesn't guarantee you a chip, but it gets you a ticket to the dance.

Who was the Raptors MVP level player in 2020? Fact is in you need an MVP level player to have a CHANCE to win. Doesn't guarantee a win. Kawhi was it.

The Bucks have disappointed in multiple playoff runs. The year that they won the chip they got incredibly lucky. They were nearly knocked out by a depleted Nets team (but Durant had his foot on the 3 point line). They also benefitted from AD missing the playoffs and Kawhi getting hurt. Do you think that Bucks team beats a healthy Nets team or a healthy Clippers team?

Your narrative now would be completely different.

The Raptors in 2020 had two legitimate all-NBA players in Lowry and Pascal. They arguably also had the best defensive roster in the league that year with Ibaka, Fred, Gasol, Powell and OG in addition.

It's a very strange argument. The Raptors took the Celtics to 7 games despite Siakam and Gasol playing at a very diminished capacity. That's how good the team was.

Of course superstars help and you would want a superstar caliber player, no one disputes it. We're challenging your narrative that the 2020 Raptors were fake contenders. There is no support for that argument.

The two are not the same, sure making the playoffs can be called a success, and a winning a round can be celebrated. But without Kawhi they were not winning a chip. Need an MVP level player to get trophy. Raptors were a solid team, but not a championship team.

[Tripod]

Wow, some idiotic takes in here today.

.736 winning % for a team coming off a Championship, was not a contender?

Idiocy.

[torsport]

Dave Feschuk is a troll. Always has been. If you check his article history it usually follows the same formula. Doesn't mean he's wrong. A broken clock is right twice a day after all.

[Kingsway_fan]

Has Masai learned his lesson? Fred & Pascal leveraging their own situations to maximize their contracts on and off the court.

He's supposed to be in charge, start acting like it. These guys are playing him. Put aside your other crap and handle your business.

I am sure he understands it well .... now. BUT he has put the team in a difficult position and the sharks are circling .... offering cents on the dollar for Pascal... instead of raps looking to acquire real talent at a discount, he has done the reverse with the franchise...massive overpayment signings like Birch, and bad acquisitions like Thad just add to the mess he himself created...