Raptors Off-season Training Thread

[MEDIC]

What part of outlining his glaring weaknesses means I'm giving up on him? If we talk about how horrible of a shooter Barnes is, does that mean we're giving up on him too?

It just means there are aspects they need to improve on, it'll be on them to do it and determine the calibre of player they'll become. Gotta develop thicker skin lol.

Sure, if that's what you're doing, by all means. This is a message board after all, we've seen plenty of posts of ppl wanting everyone traded for one weird,/impatient reason or another.
Saying a 2nd yr player needs to get stronger is like saying is water wet tho...

There's getting stronger and then there's the mentality of being as strong as your body allows. Wemby/Holmgren are sticks but they play tougher than their weight. Take a look at Walter on our team, dudes also thin but plays as strong as his body allows. It's the mentality that Dick needs to improve to go with the body..

I 100% agree with you on this. It's a strength thing and its a mentality/ confidence thing. Walter makes Gradey look bad because he has the confidence and the mentality that Gradey lacks, even though Walter himself is a little too skinny.

Having said all of that, sometimes the mentality & confidence comes after you gain the strength & a bit of mass. When you feel.sttonger, you want to test yourself a little. You have congidence that you can hold yout position & not get bullied.

I am willling to give GD one more.season to prove himself. This offseason is probably more important for him than anyone else on the team. If he puts in tbe work, it will be obvious. If he doesn't put in the work, it will also be obvious.

[TNRaps4life]

[aminiaturebuddha]

Not training, but a bunch of the Raps are back in Toronto and were at the Leafs game last night - IQ, Mogbo, Shead, Ja'Kobe, Chomche at least, and maybe others.

I'm guessing the team brought them all back for something. I'm kind of surprised, normally it's a bit later in the off-season when they start doing these team activities. Unless they all just decided to come back to enjoy some playoff hockey on their own as friends.

I don't think those guys will have off-seasons. Probably better to train in Toronto until the summer Vegas stuff.

It's not really off-season. It's just that usually they'll have been given stuff to train on individually for a good chunk of the early part of the summer before they come back together as a group. And often they do that in gyms and with trainers that they've already worked with, frequently back closer to their home towns or with recognized trainers in places like LA or Miami.

We've already seen some clips and pictures of some of the guys doing that. I'm just surprised that they were back in Toronto so soon after the season ended.

[Appostis]

Dick needs more than just 15 more pounds. He lacks a handle and athleticism. This might even be his last year here if we go after JJJ or Giannis.

When you're wrong you're wrong.

It's like you just choose not to watch the first half of the season.

[Thaddy]

Dick needs more than just 15 more pounds. He lacks a handle and athleticism. This might even be his last year here if we go after JJJ or Giannis.

When you're wrong you're wrong.

It's like you just choose not to watch the first half of the season.

He had a good stretch where he was a volume scorer that didn't play defense. He won't get that type of role on any winning team unless it's as a sixth man. The lack of defense is a huge concern? You're only as good as your weakest link. A ton of analysts are saying that in these playoffs with the amount of parity we're seeing.

[Yeezus_]

That Mogbo highlight was terrible. Show us spot up shooting, full court dribbling drills, etc, we know the guy can dunk. He can't even make lay ups lol. Show him making a floater?

If we saw a highlight of Mogbo nailing 20-30 floaters from the mid paint I'd be excited. That's how bad his offence is.

Are you okay? Its a 6 second clip man. It’s not that serious.

[LoveMyRaps]

1-1.5lbs pounds of muscle added

[TheGeneral99]

Not training, but a bunch of the Raps are back in Toronto and were at the Leafs game last night - IQ, Mogbo, Shead, Ja'Kobe, Chomche at least, and maybe others.

I'm guessing the team brought them all back for something. I'm kind of surprised, normally it's a bit later in the off-season when they start doing these team activities. Unless they all just decided to come back to enjoy some playoff hockey on their own as friends.

I don't think those guys will have off-seasons. Probably better to train in Toronto until the summer Vegas stuff.

If I was a Raptor why wouldn't you live in Toronto for most of the summer.

Great weather in a world class city with world class facilities and you get treated like a celebrity wherever you go.

[Clay Davis]

Not training, but a bunch of the Raps are back in Toronto and were at the Leafs game last night - IQ, Mogbo, Shead, Ja'Kobe, Chomche at least, and maybe others.

I'm guessing the team brought them all back for something. I'm kind of surprised, normally it's a bit later in the off-season when they start doing these team activities. Unless they all just decided to come back to enjoy some playoff hockey on their own as friends.

I don't think those guys will have off-seasons. Probably better to train in Toronto until the summer Vegas stuff.

If I was a Raptor why wouldn't you live in Toronto for most of the summer.

Great weather in a world class city with world class facilities and you get treated like a celebrity wherever you go.

It's silly for them to suffer through the Winter just to not enjoy the rizz of what looks to be the start of an amazing Summer .

[Tripod]

Not training, but a bunch of the Raps are back in Toronto and were at the Leafs game last night - IQ, Mogbo, Shead, Ja'Kobe, Chomche at least, and maybe others.

I'm guessing the team brought them all back for something. I'm kind of surprised, normally it's a bit later in the off-season when they start doing these team activities. Unless they all just decided to come back to enjoy some playoff hockey on their own as friends.

I don't think those guys will have off-seasons. Probably better to train in Toronto until the summer Vegas stuff.

If I was a Raptor why wouldn't you live in Toronto for most of the summer.

Great weather in a world class city with world class facilities and you get treated like a celebrity wherever you go.

Family? Lifelong friends? A woman?

[Duffman100]

People are sleeping on Mogbo.

[LoveMyRaps]

People are sleeping on Mogbo.

Finished the season on a very high and promising note.

[tsherkin]

People are sleeping on Mogbo.

Hmmm.

That was about as bad a rookie scoring campaign as they come. He had 66 dunks (almost 22% of his total shooting volume and over 40% of his FGM) and he was still like 6% worse than league average inside the RA. No range, weak draw, some turnover issues, very low upside as a scoring threat.

On the other hand... Love the passing, love the athleticism. Love the offensive rebounding. <i>Loooove</i> the D. For a dude his size, he switches his hips like he was 6'4; couple that to his wingspan and he's a nasty defender.

That's FANTASTIC out of a second round pick, and he should be a very useful piece going forward.

I guess the ultra-fantasy kind of high expectations would be what, like Draymond Green type?

[PushDaRock]

People are sleeping on Mogbo.

Hmmm.

That was about as bad a rookie scoring campaign as they come. He had 66 dunks (almost 22% of his total shooting volume and over 40% of his FGM) and he was still like 6% worse than league average inside the RA. No range, weak draw, some turnover issues, very low upside as a scoring threat.

On the other hand... Love the passing, love the athleticism. Love the offensive rebounding. <i>Loooove</i> the D. For a dude his size, he switches his hips like he was 6'4; couple that to his wingspan and he's a nasty defender.

That's FANTASTIC out of a second round pick, and he should be a very useful piece going forward.

I guess the ultra-fantasy kind of high expectations would be what, like Draymond Green type?

I got reminded of Draymond as well very early on, but a lot of that will come down to his game processing speed as he gains more experience. He has better physical tools than Draymond though and there are some similarities between them.

I don't think his offensive game can really get any worse at this point so he can only really improve from here. The 73% at the line is encouraging albeit not on a huge sample size.

[tsherkin]

I got reminded of Draymond as well very early on, but a lot of that will come down to his game processing speed as he gains more experience. He has better physical tools than Draymond though and there are some similarities between them.

He's bigger, that's for certain. And he does seem springier, though my memories of young Draymond are foggy at this point, haha!

I don't think his offensive game can really get any worse at this point so he can only really improve from here. The 73% at the line is encouraging albeit not on a huge sample size.

Yeah, I mean he took 82 FTA, so I don't really care about his FT% just yet. He was a 69% FT shooter for San Fran, but 43% for Missouri. But he was also like a 64% FT shooter in JuCo, so that's probably closer to real. The idea that he could be a 70-ish percent FT shooter isn't out there, I guess. I'm a little less concerned about that. He doesn't feel like a 35 mpg player anyway, and he's a frontcourt guy, so as long as he doesn't spend TOO many minutes on the floor w Poeltl, or in key crunch time minutes, it should be all right. And as long as he doesn't AIR BALL A FREE THROW like Mitchell Robinson!! JFC, what a shot that was. Not even to the side, UNDER the rim...

Anyway.

The D looks great. The rebounding is solid. There's contribution waiting to happen there, and that's a 2nd rounder, so that's a win.

[Duffman100]

People are sleeping on Mogbo.

Hmmm.

That was about as bad a rookie scoring campaign as they come. He had 66 dunks (almost 22% of his total shooting volume and over 40% of his FGM) and he was still like 6% worse than league average inside the RA. No range, weak draw, some turnover issues, very low upside as a scoring threat.

On the other hand... Love the passing, love the athleticism. Love the offensive rebounding. <i>Loooove</i> the D. For a dude his size, he switches his hips like he was 6'4; couple that to his wingspan and he's a nasty defender.

That's FANTASTIC out of a second round pick, and he should be a very useful piece going forward.

I guess the ultra-fantasy kind of high expectations would be what, like Draymond Green type?

Yup you can't around that just awful touch around the bucket and away from the bucket

But he basically does everything else well. I'm bullish that they'll improve that touch / tell him to just try and dunk eveyrthing.

The 70%+ from FT and a decent 3P form makes me believe it's possible.

[tsherkin]

But he basically does everything else well. I'm bullish that they'll improve that touch / tell him to just try and dunk eveyrthing.

The 70%+ from FT and a decent 3P form makes me believe it's possible.

I'm not holding my breath on the 3, but maybe he can get it from the corner? In any case, if the rest of the team develops, then we can get away with him being a garbage scorer anyway, just like Draymond, haha.

But yeah, he needs to improve his short game, and particularly his non-dunk touch inside the RA. The fact that he was 6% worse than league-average there while getting dunks on over a fifth of his shot attempts is pretty bad.

But again, 2nd rounder. The idea that we have a guy who might one day contend for an All-D team out of a second rounder is pretty wild.

[Duffman100]

But he basically does everything else well. I'm bullish that they'll improve that touch / tell him to just try and dunk eveyrthing.

The 70%+ from FT and a decent 3P form makes me believe it's possible.

I'm not holding my breath on the 3, but maybe he can get it from the corner? In any case, if the rest of the team develops, then we can get away with him being a garbage scorer anyway, just like Draymond, haha.

But yeah, he needs to improve his short game, and particularly his non-dunk touch inside the RA. The fact that he was 6% worse than league-average there while getting dunks on over a fifth of his shot attempts is pretty bad.

But again, 2nd rounder. The idea that we have a guy who might one day contend for an All-D team out of a second rounder is pretty wild.

Yeah exactly. Despite my bullishness, I'd still say we shouldn't be relying on him for rotation minutes next season. He should be end of the bench depth.

[PhilBlackson]

Where’s the Maluach training clips, amirite?! lol

[tsherkin]

Yeah exactly. Despite my bullishness, I'd still say we shouldn't be relying on him for rotation minutes next season. He should be end of the bench depth.

We're going to be looking to stop being flagrant wastes of skin on offense next year, so we'll have to be careful about minutes for him. But the D and rebounding should probably keep him playing some, I'd think. Maybe 9th, 10th man type of thing, just so he can get some reps. Come in as a stopper in certain matchups, disrupt runs, like that. I dunno. I guess it depends on where we're at with every one else.

If BI, RJ and the shooters are looking good and Barnes is more 2024 than 2023 or 2025, then we can afford to sneak a defense-focused guy into the rotation more, right?