PG: Lakers/Bronny Beat Raptors

[ash_k]

The superior quickness and athleticism of Mogbo with the length just jumps out of the screen! It is very intriguing.
I really want to see IQ out there playing off Star J and Gradey. (and not the other way around)
It is only been a few games, but we have never seen a transformation like Gradey's..he and his parents will be thinking MAX-Deal at this rate, in a couple of years . The last 2 games have been unbelievable. Showing why he was HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR!!

[Duffman100]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

[earth007]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

Man, I have been a die hard fan since 2002. We have been through so many dark seasons with no light at the end of the tunnel. With this group, you can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is a very likable young group, and you can see them growing every day. If we luck out on Flagg or Ace, Masai might finally realize his 6 8' /6 9' dream organically. Assuming they keep improving, a small ball lineup of Scottie, RJ, Dick, Flagg/Ace and Mogbo would give teams fits. Heck, even Comche might learn to play basketball in a year or two. He already has the physical tools to be a monster on court.

[Shakril]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I just wished, people would stop viewing everything through a tank lens, especially while we are seeing how compettive we are - while beeing handicapped.


We could be very well be 4-2 instead of 1-5, thats how good we are. We just lose close games.

I am curious to see if we maintain that level of play or if we come down a little.

[AkelaLoneWolf]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I just wished, people would stop viewing everything through a tank lens, especially while we are seeing how compettive we are - while beeing handicapped.


We could be very well be 4-2 instead of 1-5, thats how good we are. We just lose close games.

I am curious to see if we maintain that level of play or if we come down a little.

Probably come down a bit as the season wears on and rookies hit the wall etc.
but long term goal is still to get the good pick regardless.

[causal_fan]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I just wished, people would stop viewing everything through a tank lens, especially while we are seeing how compettive we are - while beeing handicapped.


We could be very well be 4-2 instead of 1-5, thats how good we are. We just lose close games.

I am curious to see if we maintain that level of play or if we come down a little.

Good point, as a tank supporter I'm worried that when healthy and especially with the weaker 2nd half schedule this team will win too many games - Hoping that the Raptors have an aggressive trade deadline approach - I'm very happy so far, prioritizing development over wins, playing the youngsters worthwhile minutes and witnessing positive play while still losing.

[tsherkin]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I feel like veteran Raps fans have a lot of practice with optimism if they've chosen that path. We had a pretty good run for a while, but before that, it was pretty rough. So that's a lot of time working on seeing silver linings and looking for future promise

[sidsid]

Say what you want about Masai, dude **** ing knows how to draft.

Which is why it was annoying when he trading away 1st rounders for vets not required on this team. While I crap on him for his lack of decision making the past several years, I never question his drafting. Mostly because I don't know enough about the prospects to do it but also because he's just so damn good at it lol. One more draft to obtain an alpha 1st option and this team is on the OKC path beginning next year.

The trading away firsts argument is a bit overblown. He traded one first outright (Poeltl) which was bad. And traded down 13 slots another time (Koloko). We still got a decent piece out of that draft.

That's it. It's not like he's trading our 1st every year.

The worrying trend with our FO is how they approach opportunity and patience (they have none). Ever since the Giannis plan fell through they are more interested in immediate returns and transactions with a low asset base. The team leans towards inefficient asset usage (cap usage, contract status, low draft position, etc.,).

It's not just trading our picks, it's what assets we get.

- Trading for RFA/UFAs that immediately close off cap opportunities (GTJ, IQ, Thad, KO, Jak).
- trading for rookie contracts with less term, leading to early cap crunch (Precious, Ochai) instead of draft picks.
- roster decisions moving you out of quality draft position (not trading Fred in multiple years, and losing out on a Bucks 1st, the disastrous Jak for Wemby shot trade).

If presented the chance, there's no doubt in my mind that if Masai was in the Spurs shoes when they had to trade Kawai, he would do the pointless DeRozan trade over and over again, instead of taking youth assets for long term. There would be no trading White/Murray for picks, tanking for Wemby, the inspired trade of our pick for juicy far future Minny picks. The cap space for Barnes and more picks, setting themselves up for multi-decade run with OKC like asset depth. They'd be fighting for the play-in with a capped out Murray/White core.

[AbC?]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I'd see comments about how pro-tankers don't have the patience for a rebuild and it made no sense to me. There is a difference between the meaningless losing the team was doing last season, and losing with intent. Fans don't have patience for the former kind, but if you lose games but see young players developing and you haven't traded your draft pick, it's fun basketball.

You either sell hope or wins and the front office was selling neither for a few years. It looks really good a week+ in, but they need to stay the course even if they could scrape together 30 some odd wins. Handicap this team to keep the win total low if necessary, through trade or rest or whatever means.

If I see a Poeltl trade this season I will remove my sig. That will be the ultimate litmus test for me to see if Masai is capable of seeing through a long-term rebuild.

[sidsid]

The trading away firsts argument is a bit overblown. He traded one first outright (Poeltl) which was bad.

Yes but ... we got Poeltl. And signed him to a long term contract. For a first in what was projected to be a horrible draft year (is Shead still the top scoring draft pick so far?)

You don't think we can get more than that for Jak before the deadline? He's averaging 15-12-3 this season! I predict that when it's all said and done, the entire Jak buying and selling experience will be looked on as a strong net positive. We got him for Bargnani, ffs. And then used him to get Kawhi (and a championship). Let's wait and see what Masai turns him into this year before whining about Dillingham (drafted with our pick - hasn't seen a minute yet) or Edey or Ware.

And in the meantime, Jak is helping to make this the most entertaining and uplifting tank season I can remember. That's worth something. I hate Kelly O.'s game, but his and Jak's ability to pass to our developing yutes is invaluable. As long as they're racking up numbers while avoiding blowout losses, the good vibes continue.

imho, i think yak is *the* most vital piece for this team. w/o him, development and any type of structure evaporates. he's the stabilizing force on both ends. if we had another legit center, that's a different story but we don't. same thing last year - it was the yak injury in january when the season completely derailed. his impact would be even more pronounced when the talent level grows around him.

we are 1-5 but he's averaging 15/13/3/1.5 and is only a -0.8.

It's an interesting conceptual discussion on how best to develop and lose at the same time. I'd argue that Jak is very damaging to the development because he is driving the offensive schemes the team must use if it wants any kind of offense at all. A non-shooting, plodding C that no one guards impacts both spacing and roles for everyone else. And he's taking a major role that Scottie should be in. Unless you want to see Scottie spend all his time 35 feet from the basket driving into a clogged lane.

What this team should be built around is a flexible, mobile 4 who can weave in and out from above the break to the middle of the floor, handing off, setting screens, driving and kicking with a spaced out core in a dynamic offense. We happen to have a young rookie in Mogbo who can do some of this when Scottie is off the floor too, and a great veteran spacing C in KO to fill the gap needed. That's the recipe.

Will we be able to stop anyone? No, but we'll be somewhere between the Beal Wizard and current Pacers. Correctly developing the offensive potential of your players, with good tendencies, which our passing offense emphasizes is more important than the half measures we're in now.

[LascelleL]

A lot of people on this forum owe Masai and Bobby an apology

[PhilBlackson]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I just wished, people would stop viewing everything through a tank lens, especially while we are seeing how compettive we are - while beeing handicapped.


We could be very well be 4-2 instead of 1-5, thats how good we are. We just lose close games.

I am curious to see if we maintain that level of play or if we come down a little.

I don't see the issue with viewing it through a "tank lens"...

Yes they could be 4-2 and that's what makes the idea of adding a top 4-5 talent to the roster even more exciting! We see the potential and adding another potentially all-star caliber (or better) would be the ultimate amplifier for future success - it's pretty self explanatory. No one is "hating" on this current squad or wanting them to do bad, we just want to make them EVEN STRONGER going forward.

And I don't wanna hear about this irrational fear about how losing games will supposedly destroy morale or get guys accustomed to losing...NEWSFLASH they just went through a losing season and do you notice any drop off in competitiveness?! lol NO and they're not children, if we can comprehend that they could be better if healthy, so will they and you don't think it's actually creating MORE long term cohesion and buy in right across the roster by allowing guys further down the line up an opportunity to play and be involved in the growth?!

I see no reason at all to be fearful of the tank or not to welcome it because when you see how well these guys are doing and think of not only bringing back healthy starters but then next year adding a prospect who might have a comparable potential (or better) to Scottie, forget exciting, that's exhilarating! lol

[PhilBlackson]

A lot of people on this forum owe Masai and Bobby an apology

For what?! Wasting 3-4 years where they could've been focusing their efforts into building around Scottie as they are now (which is exactly what people have wanted from the beginning) vs wasting assets/time on a "core" of roleplayers that were never gonna do anything??

[shmoosicle]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I just wished, people would stop viewing everything through a tank lens, especially while we are seeing how compettive we are - while beeing handicapped.


We could be very well be 4-2 instead of 1-5, thats how good we are. We just lose close games.

I am curious to see if we maintain that level of play or if we come down a little.

The games never seem completely out of reach but our pt differential is -7.7 which to me says we're not as close as it seems.

[tsherkin]

A lot of people on this forum owe Masai and Bobby an apology

For what?! Wasting 3-4 years where they could've been focusing their efforts into building around Scottie as they are now (which is exactly what people have wanted from the beginning) vs wasting assets/time on a "core" of roleplayers that were never gonna do anything??

Yeah, the whole "collect a bunch of guys with athleticism and wingspan but limited skill and pray it works out" routine was never going anywhere. Maybe Masai was trying to pull an Ainge by collecting a bunch of interesting young assets with upside, but it didn't work.

I don't think anyone needs to apologize to him, but it's quite possible he had a strategy which just didn't land. It does happen. And you can do only so much if your picks aren't landing and your guys have health issues, etc, etc. We did just win the title 5 years ago.

I mention this often, but 13 NBA franchises don't have a title, and only a coupe are expansion franchises from the past 30 years. So that's a pretty big deal for us.

[Buff]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

That has a lot to do with the FO being upfront about the "rebuild". This team is too good to be this bad so by Masai and co to be open about the tanking everybody is on the same page and no one is trying to like come back from injury early or any of that jazz. In fact, last year and this one I think I've seen Scottie hunting for injuries.

We're too good to be terrible so we have to go the injury route. Everyone that matters is paid well into the future including the new kids. Davion and Ochai are on their own trying to get a contract but not good enough to win games.

I assume its a win win and we are not to become losers like the usual tankers or end up with Sarr or something. I don't think the FO or ownership is going to commit to another year of (so far masterful) intentional losing.

[Shakril]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

I just wished, people would stop viewing everything through a tank lens, especially while we are seeing how compettive we are - while beeing handicapped.


We could be very well be 4-2 instead of 1-5, thats how good we are. We just lose close games.

I am curious to see if we maintain that level of play or if we come down a little.

The games never seem completely out of reach but our pt differential is -7.7 which to me says we're not as close as it seems.

We are - 2 against Denver, - 5 Charlotte and -6 Lakers -> That are close games, where we played very good.

[johanliebert]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

Cause most of these guys want the team to get a top 5 pick. It's still early but you can tell these losses are affecting the young players.

[johanliebert]

Grady's looked good but scoring 30 in this current nba isn't that impressive. 30 is the new 25.

[Phezmo123]

I love the positivity after a 1-5 start. People can see through the record and like the positives

That has a lot to do with the FO being upfront about the "rebuild". This team is too good to be this bad so by Masai and co to be open about the tanking everybody is on the same page and no one is trying to like come back from injury early or any of that jazz. In fact, last year and this one I think I've seen Scottie hunting for injuries.

We're too good to be terrible so we have to go the injury route. Everyone that matters is paid well into the future including the new kids. Davion and Ochai are on their own trying to get a contract but not good enough to win games.

I assume it’s a win win and we are not to become losers like the usual tankers or end up with Sarr or something. I don't think the FO or ownership is going to commit to another year of (so far masterful) intentional losing.

Can u elaborate on “injury route?

Because it’s not like we’re faking injuries, and our plan at the start of the season is never to tank. Masai/Bobby have always evaluated after the first half of the season then pivoted.

If we are to tank, it’ll be clear by the deadline (ala trading Brown/Poeltl)