PG: Make your free throws

[Thaddy]

Barrett is a Canadian, his dad played in the Olympics

I don't see many people saying we need to keep RJ because he is Canadian or his dad played in the Olympics.

he's young and improving, etc. does not matter.

It's doesn't matter that he is young and improving while also playing really well since joining the Raptors?

I think you need to reconsider the logic that is leading to your conclusion. Two of the things you said seem irrelevant, and the third just makes no sense at all.

We could draft Ace or VJ and there is no guarantee that either are as good as RJ is right now. Trying to predict the future like this with false certainty a terrible way to run a sports franchise.

I kind of hope that RJ gets an all-star nod this year. It would be tough, but it would be cool to vote in a Canadian kid.

I don't know if he is a long-term piece, but in the short-term he has been productive and fans like him. He has been the one player that has lived up to expectations since they blew up the team.

It doesn't matter if he improves or not because his type of build doesn't help teams win. He's not a great shooter, he's too small to be a forward, and he's too slow laterally to defend the position. He's been a negative on/off his whole career for a reason. Similar to DeRozan he's a "addition by subtraction" type of asset regardless of what his individual numbers say.

[JB7]

I think continuity is kind of a dead concept in the NBA. It gives you some extra wins but our championship year showed it doesn't really matter. Talent is the only thing that matters. There isn't a science behind building team chemistry but there's been changes to that in the last 20 years because of technology.

Barrett is a Canadian, his dad played in the Olympics, he's young and improving, etc. does not matter. We need to use him similar to DeRozan and build value and then make a consolidation trade.

Ideally we have Barnes, Quickely, Top 5 pick, and another star acquired by trade that we take on by putting together some of the youth we're developing like Barrett, Mogbo, Chomche, Shead, Dick, etc.

revolving door is the best strategy in this nba.

I think having the guys outside the main top 3 and at most 4 revolving is a good idea. You identify who is valuable and you rebuild the top 3 to be contention status. Usually teams run their assets dry getting those core pieces and then struggle to find the peripherals but we have a good pipeline that will generate something for us. We also capitalize on our draft picks.

Any player can be traded, to upgrade talent. The DD deal proved that.

The team just needs to keep accumulating talent, and building that talent up over time (getting them as close as possible to their ceiling), and then being ready to move that talent if a deal presents itself to upgrade to a player with a higher ceiling.

[ATLTimekeeper]

I don't see many people saying we need to keep RJ because he is Canadian or his dad played in the Olympics.



It's doesn't matter that he is young and improving while also playing really well since joining the Raptors?

I think you need to reconsider the logic that is leading to your conclusion. Two of the things you said seem irrelevant, and the third just makes no sense at all.

We could draft Ace or VJ and there is no guarantee that either are as good as RJ is right now. Trying to predict the future like this with false certainty a terrible way to run a sports franchise.

I kind of hope that RJ gets an all-star nod this year. It would be tough, but it would be cool to vote in a Canadian kid.

I don't know if he is a long-term piece, but in the short-term he has been productive and fans like him. He has been the one player that has lived up to expectations since they blew up the team.

It doesn't matter if he improves or not because his type of build doesn't help teams win. He's not a great shooter, he's too small to be a forward, and he's too slow laterally to defend the position. He's been a negative on/off his whole career for a reason. Similar to DeRozan he's a "addition by subtraction" type of asset regardless of what his individual numbers say.

What the hell is going on here?

[Boogie!]

The rj hate is stupid. The guy has been improving his 3 point shot since he got here. Only thing holding him back right now is his ft percentage. Ridiculous how a bonafide scorer is getting hated on. Scottie needs a guy like rj on the team.

[GLF]

The rj hate is stupid. The guy has been improving his 3 point shot since he got here. Only thing holding him back right now is his ft percentage. Ridiculous how a bonafide scorer is getting hated on. Scottie needs a guy like rj on the team.

The team as a whole needs what RJ brings currently. RJ is our only player who can get to the basket at the rate he does and finish in there at the rate he does. He also probably gets to the free throw line more than anyone on the team. And his 3 point shot has been pretty good. People who act like the only thing Scottie needs around him is shooting always confuse me lol. Scottie needs many types of players around him to be successful. Mainly because he’s not that aggressive offensive player type and he’s not a good point of attack defender in terms of guarding on the perimeter. So yes he needs shooting, but he also needs rim protection, he needs aggressive offensive players who can get to and finish at the rim, he needs POA defence, he needs guys who can continue an advantage once he creates one, he needs good cutters etc. One player can’t give you everything unless they’re a superstar. People like to focus too much on what RJ isn’t good at and not enough on what he is.

[bape_lovers]

like i dont get it with some people, tankers want to tank but trade all our young pieces.

Its cute people think RJ is a longterm piece

I mean... I think it'd be pretty stupid to NOT want RJ as a long-term piece....

A 24 year old putting up these numbers on elite efficiency:

Yeah. I would put money on RJ getting another contract with us. He's the best scorer on the team & is doing it in a highly efficient way. He is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. He should age really well.

Plus him being Canadian & his family being connected with Canada basketball makes him very marketable here. The Raptors have stated in the past that getting a Canadian star one day would be desirable. Could you imagine RJ making an allstar team as a Raptor? The media loves that stuff.

I am not sure if certain people are in denial about these things or what, but it seems pretty obvious to me.

I am not saying he won't be traded........anyone on this team can be, but I can guarantee you Masai & Bobby aren't sitting in the office thinking about what kind of package they can get for RJ in a season or two.

[bluerap23]

I think continuity is kind of a dead concept in the NBA. It gives you some extra wins but our championship year showed it doesn't really matter. Talent is the only thing that matters. There isn't a science behind building team chemistry but there's been changes to that in the last 20 years because of technology.

Barrett is a Canadian, his dad played in the Olympics, he's young and improving, etc. does not matter. We need to use him similar to DeRozan and build value and then make a consolidation trade.

Ideally we have Barnes, Quickely, Top 5 pick, and another star acquired by trade that we take on by putting together some of the youth we're developing like Barrett, Mogbo, Chomche, Shead, Dick, etc.

revolving door is the best strategy in this nba.

I think having the guys outside the main top 3 and at most 4 revolving is a good idea. You identify who is valuable and you rebuild the top 3 to be contention status. Usually teams run their assets dry getting those core pieces and then struggle to find the peripherals but we have a good pipeline that will generate something for us. We also capitalize on our draft picks.

How's that working out for the nuggets? Or the lakers after they won their last chip and decided to trade all their role players. Or the mavs after they won their chip and decided to trade all their role players. Continuity absolutely has value.

[MEDIC]

The rj hate is stupid. The guy has been improving his 3 point shot since he got here. Only thing holding him back right now is his ft percentage. Ridiculous how a bonafide scorer is getting hated on. Scottie needs a guy like rj on the team.

The team as a whole needs what RJ brings currently. RJ is our only player who can get to the basket at the rate he does and finish in there at the rate he does. He also probably gets to the free throw line more than anyone on the team. And his 3 point shot has been pretty good. People who act like the only thing Scottie needs around him is shooting always confuse me lol. Scottie needs many types of players around him to be successful. Mainly because he’s not that aggressive offensive player type and he’s not a good point of attack defender in terms of guarding on the perimeter. So yes he needs shooting, but he also needs rim protection, he needs aggressive offensive players who can get to and finish at the rim, he needs POA defence, he needs guys who can continue an advantage once he creates one, he needs good cutters etc. One player can’t give you everything unless they’re a superstar. People like to focus too much on what RJ isn’t good at and not enough on what he is.

Well said. You understand the game.

You can see thet RJ & Quick make the game easier for Scottie. They just do it in different ways. Quick helps with the floor spacing..RJ helps with timely/ intelligent cuts and his motor in transition. Scottie needs guys with a motor that will run the floor with him, guys that will space the floor & guys that will.make timely off ball cuts. He needs not only spacing......he needs motion as well.

The more and more I watch Scottie, the more I realize the best comp for him is a mini, poor mans Jokic.

[MEDIC]

revolving door is the best strategy in this nba.

I think having the guys outside the main top 3 and at most 4 revolving is a good idea. You identify who is valuable and you rebuild the top 3 to be contention status. Usually teams run their assets dry getting those core pieces and then struggle to find the peripherals but we have a good pipeline that will generate something for us. We also capitalize on our draft picks.

How's that working out for the nuggets? Or the lakers after they won their last chip and decided to trade all their role players. Or the mavs after they won their chip and decided to trade all their role players. Continuity absolutely has value.

Or the Bucks! They made some terrible moves when they really didn't have to do much of anything.

Continuity is a luxury not every team has, but if you can afford to do it, it will help you build a successful program.

I am an assistant coach for a youth rep team. I have been watching youth basketball for years. The teams that keep their coach & player core together for the most consecutive seasosn are typically the ones that have the most success. Of course you have to have talent as well. I have seen many teams with continuity beat much more talented teams many many times. The NBA is no different. It's the reason the Mavs beat possibly the strongest team ever assembled (the Heatles) for the championship.

[bluerap23]

I think having the guys outside the main top 3 and at most 4 revolving is a good idea. You identify who is valuable and you rebuild the top 3 to be contention status. Usually teams run their assets dry getting those core pieces and then struggle to find the peripherals but we have a good pipeline that will generate something for us. We also capitalize on our draft picks.

How's that working out for the nuggets? Or the lakers after they won their last chip and decided to trade all their role players. Or the mavs after they won their chip and decided to trade all their role players. Continuity absolutely has value.

Or the Bucks! They made some terrible moves when they really didn't have to do much of anything.

Continuity is a luxury not every team has, but if you can afford to do it, it will help you build a successful program.

I am an assistant coach for a youth rep team. I have been watching youth basketball for years. The teams that keep their coach & player core together for the most consecutive seasosn are typically the ones that have the most success. Of course you have to have talent as well. I have seen many teams with continuity beat much more talented teams many many times. The NBA is no different. It's the reason the Mavs beat possibly the strongest team ever assembled (the Heatles) for the championship.

Yup - even the post-championship raptors were so successful because they were already used to winning games without Kawhi in 2019 and they brought most of the guys back in 2020.

[Thaddy]

I kind of hope that RJ gets an all-star nod this year. It would be tough, but it would be cool to vote in a Canadian kid.

I don't know if he is a long-term piece, but in the short-term he has been productive and fans like him. He has been the one player that has lived up to expectations since they blew up the team.

It doesn't matter if he improves or not because his type of build doesn't help teams win. He's not a great shooter, he's too small to be a forward, and he's too slow laterally to defend the position. He's been a negative on/off his whole career for a reason. Similar to DeRozan he's a "addition by subtraction" type of asset regardless of what his individual numbers say.

What the hell is going on here?

He's another DeRozan. The same way a mid-level mid range scorer won't win you playoff games. RJ won't help you win either because he's guard sized but plays like a forward.

[tsherkin]

The more and more I watch Scottie, the more I realize the best comp for him is a mini, poor mans Jokic.

In what way?

[tsherkin]

He's another DeRozan. The same way a mid-level mid range scorer won't win you playoff games. RJ won't help you win either because he's guard sized but plays like a forward.

I'm not sure that's an apt comparison. And we'd have to see him in the playoffs before we could draw that comparison. He appears to be an efficient scorer in this system and he isn't a disaster on defense. And he does a lot more than just bomb 20-footers, so I'm not really seeing the analogy there.

[TDots97]

He's another DeRozan. The same way a mid-level mid range scorer won't win you playoff games. RJ won't help you win either because he's guard sized but plays like a forward.

I'm not sure that's an apt comparison. And we'd have to see him in the playoffs before we could draw that comparison. He appears to be an efficient scorer in this system and he isn't a disaster on defense. And he does a lot more than just bomb 20-footers, so I'm not really seeing the analogy there.

Just offensive minded wings who have struggled with a lack of efficiency at times in their career who can't really defend.

[tsherkin]

Just offensive minded wings who have struggled with a lack of efficiency at times in their career who can't really defend.

Hmmm. We'll see. Barrett is a better shooter and better at getting to the rim. And it's true, his efficiency is Toronto DeRozan-ish, prior to getting here. We'll see how this season breaks out. He puts a lot more rim pressure on a defense, though, which is appealing.

We'll see, I guess. Something to chew on.

[Los_29]

revolving door is the best strategy in this nba.

I think having the guys outside the main top 3 and at most 4 revolving is a good idea. You identify who is valuable and you rebuild the top 3 to be contention status. Usually teams run their assets dry getting those core pieces and then struggle to find the peripherals but we have a good pipeline that will generate something for us. We also capitalize on our draft picks.

How's that working out for the nuggets? Or the lakers after they won their last chip and decided to trade all their role players. Or the mavs after they won their chip and decided to trade all their role players. Continuity absolutely has value.

Without continuity we don’t have a championship banner hanging in the rafters. Kawhi doesn’t get a title if Lowry, Pascal, Ibaka, Norm and Fred hadn’t gone through deep playoff runs the previous 3-4 seasons.

The teams that have tried to form super teams have been an utter disaster.

[Dalek]

It doesn't matter if he improves or not because his type of build doesn't help teams win. He's not a great shooter, he's too small to be a forward, and he's too slow laterally to defend the position. He's been a negative on/off his whole career for a reason. Similar to DeRozan he's a "addition by subtraction" type of asset regardless of what his individual numbers say.

What the hell is going on here?

He's another DeRozan. The same way a mid-level mid range scorer won't win you playoff games. RJ won't help you win either because he's guard sized but plays like a forward.

I kind of agree with the size concern/mobility concern. Barrett cannot guard other guards too well and is a bit small for forwards, but I think the NBA is trending towards smaller forwards/guards more. You can have supersized Cs/PFs, but there is less focus on the oversized SFs.

Barrett isn't a lost cause because his offense is so sound (other than FT%). You look at contending teams like Phoenix, Dallas, Minny, and they have Barrett-like players. Anthony Edwards is similarly sized and guards well mainly on effort, Dallas starts Klay Thompson, and Phoenix has Devin Booker who no one thinks is a defender. I think for Barrett to make his case he just needs to take a bump up in scoring - hitting freethrows at 85% would get him in the 26-28 PPG territory I think.

[Dalek]

The more and more I watch Scottie, the more I realize the best comp for him is a mini, poor mans Jokic.

So is that in reality Ben Simmons or Boris Diaw?

[Chandan]

What the hell is going on here?

He's another DeRozan. The same way a mid-level mid range scorer won't win you playoff games. RJ won't help you win either because he's guard sized but plays like a forward.

I kind of agree with the size concern/mobility concern. Barrett cannot guard other guards too well and is a bit small for forwards, but I think the NBA is trending towards smaller forwards/guards more. You can have supersized Cs/PFs, but there is less focus on the oversized SFs.

Barrett isn't a lost cause because his offense is so sound (other than FT%). You look at contending teams like Phoenix, Dallas, Minny, and they have Barrett-like players. Anthony Edwards is similarly sized and guards well mainly on effort, Dallas starts Klay Thompson, and Phoenix has Devin Booker who no one thinks is a defender. I think for Barrett to make his case he just needs to take a bump up in scoring - hitting freethrows at 85% would get him in the 26-28 PPG territory I think.

Yeah you don't turn down a 24 ppg at great efficiency, no matter how much empty calory he appears to be. The mere fact that we talk about his TS% in a positive light already means he's a different breed of players than DD.

[tsherkin]

Yeah you don't turn down a 24 ppg at great efficiency, no matter how much empty calory he appears to be.

Well, we'll see, right? Last year, he was on a super-high with us. We'll see if he can recapture that. Even if he cannot, though, he's at something like +1% rTS right now, which is solid. As he gets back to his shooting norms, we'll see what he turns into, but he's got some use for us, no doubt.