Bleacher Report: Raps one of 5 teams to get worse

[dTox]

Mo is a pretty good read usually for what it's worth, before people start attacking the author.

Read on Twitter

?t=FSQ_0ZqC66Fe_HhqCczbIA&s=19

The team up north has fallen on some tough times. The Toronto Raptors have made a change in their front office, parting ways with team president Masai Ujiri. Their offseason has been relatively quiet, but they are on this list for past sins.

The Raptors' big move was re-signing their big man Jakob Poeltl to a three-year $84 million. That's not a bad deal, considering Poeltl's per-36 minutes stats: he'd be a double-double machine, averaging 17.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.

However, zooming out, this is an incredibly expensive roster that is not going anywhere. Toronto is set to be a first apron team with over $156 million committed to Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Poeltl.

Trading for Ingram at the deadline and giving him a three-year $120 million contract extension when there was barely a trade market for him. The contract they have given Quickley has been a failure, as he only played 33 games last season for Toronto.

This offseason should have been a chance to shed some of these contracts and start building a team that works around Barnes, the jewel of the Raptors.

Instead, this will be an expensive play-in team at best.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using RealGM mobile app

[Madvillainy2004]

I'd hate this roster a lot more if barnes was the focal point on offense instead of BI and IQ I'll say that lmao

[nikster]

No real new insights here. doesnt like Poeltl deal even those its fair value (and doesnt mention non guaranteed final year). Yeah the teams expensive but he mentions we are first apron when that is almost certainly not gonna be the case by the end of the seaso. Ingram is a gamble on his health so only time would tell on that contract. And even if you think IQ is too much how are you gonna call the deal a failure 1 year into a 5 year contract just because he was injured in a season the team wasnt competing.

[Blazing_royale]

Real Raptors fan are excited for this upcoming season. All these beaters and writers don't watch the Raptors and just looked up our record last season without knowing that our core was unhealthy the entire season. We got a loaded bench with a bunch of young talent who is ready to take the next steps from last season and we finally got a go to scorer in BI. I for one am excited for the Raptors if we stay healthy!

[MEDIC]

Got worse? Shed salary to build around Scottie Barnes?

Some.of these takes are ridiculous.

[YogurtProducer]

Get worse? Bold take.

[Brinbe]

A lot of these online pundits think every single team that isn't a surefire contender needs to pull a multi-year Hinkie operation and that's just now how things work in reality.

[Buff]

I guess people are assuming last year's team was a 30 win team when in reality they won that much in spite of trying to lose. Everybody keeps saying a "tax team" or "first apron" when its obvious we're not paying it, so... takes.

Also, lots of hate on IQ when he was obviously told to sit down so we could lose more games... its almost impossible to get any useful data from a tanking team. Now, if we suck this year...

[Zeno]

Mo Dakhil is and has always been a hack. What I mean by that is that he always latches onto whatever the predominate take is on any subject. He absolutely never veers off-course. Here he is taking the popular take that the roster is overpaid and ill-fitting(not something I really disagree with) and takes it to the extreme of nonsensically saying that they "got worse". No thought has gone into forming this opinion beyond that and that is why he is a hack.

[HumbleRen]

I get that we’re the poster child of a mediocre team but we did not get worse lol. Insane statement.

[Tor_Raps]

We can talk all we want about improving but many other teams are also going to bank on internal improvement along with their additions. We have had to tank 3 of the past 5 years so its fair to not be sold on a team that gave no reason to follow closely.

Raptors might be better from roster spot 11 to 18 than a lot of teams but its going to be the top 10 that dictate how good this team will be and thats a big TBD. Only our management/coaching staff know the development of each player and can project how this team will be next year.

[Anticon]

The degree to which people are fully ready to pronounce judgment on a tanking team is quite something.

It's an untested group, but the way they speak about it you'd think they actually had some real evidence to evaluate performance.

[RoteSchroder]

With so many analysts predicting us being bad or getting worse, we should be awarded a top 5 pick in 2026, no matter what the win/loss outcome is

[kalel123]

Worse depends on perspective. In terms of pure W/L record, I highly doubt we would be worse. But if he's saying being a first apron play-in team is a worse position than being a non-tax lotto team with the roster that we have lacking a true top talent, well, I don't disagree. I'm thinking, they will try to get out of tax position somehow and should be successful cause that's the whole pedigree of Bobby Webster being cap expert. Meaning if they can't, why TF is he even here? Will give them benefit of doubt here. But he's right that it'd be a mini disaster if this team cannot get out of tax position unless they wildly outperform expectations, which is top 4-5 seed, which is even less likely than not being able to get out of tax position.

[Tofubeque]

It wouldn’t surprise me if all those teams had a better or similar record as last year, except the Kings maybe. Obvious picks for worse records would be the Nets, Celtics and Pacers.

This listIcle would be better named “5 Treadmill Teams”, from the author’s perspective.

[right between the eyes]

Most of these writers haven't watched a single game of ours since the chip so what do they know honestly?

We had a ton of injuries last year before we were officially tanking, yet none of them make any mention of that but do so constantly for other teams.

We're one of the youngest teams in the league with a ton of recent young talent who just added BI but they talk about us like we're the Bulls or the Kings. They have no clue.

In all seriousness when have they ever projected us to be any good even in the glory days? We the overlooked.

[ArthurVandelay]

After winning just 30 games, the Raptors definitely got worse…but will be a play in at best?

Make it make sense.

[Badonkadonk]

Mo Dakhil is and has always been a hack. What I mean by that is that he always latches onto whatever the predominate take is on any subject. He absolutely never veers off-course. Here he is taking the popular take that the roster is overpaid and ill-fitting(not something I really disagree with) and takes it to the extreme of nonsensically saying that they "got worse". No thought has gone into forming this opinion beyond that and that is why he is a hack.

Further, he writes for BR. His marching orders are literally to generate clicks, which is why I think the Raps made an appearance at #5 (i.e. what team can we throw in last that'll rile up the most people).

Raptors fans are legion, they know what they're doing.

[Tripod]

When the Raps win way more games next year, it won't matter to certain media. They will just switch to "mediocre treadmill team at best.

Whatever...Raps vs the rest

[Yeezus_]

I mean they may end up being the same as last season but no way are they worse. Last season the bench was so bad and filled with young players who needed development. Those same players will probably improve. Whether its a small improvement or a big one, a few of them will be better. Particularly, JKW, Shead, and Gradey.

And IF the starting unit remains healthy, they’ll win more games just with health lol