Growing Pains 2.0: Is 2025 the 2021 timeline?

[DelAbbot]

Is our current team at the same timeline as the beginning of 2021/2022, where we accumulated many young assets and expected their organic growth (with growing pains) to propel us to contender status?

Which team has higher ceiling?

2021/2022 Starting lineup and key bench players
Pascal Siakam PF/C
Scottie Barnes PF/SF
OG Anunoby SF/SG
Gary Trent Jr SG
Fred VanVleet PG

Precious Achiuwa
Khem Birch
Chris Boucher
Malachi Flynn
Dalano Banton



2025/2026 Starting lineup and key bench players
Jakob Poeltl C
Scottie Barnes PF
Brandon Ingram SF
RJ Barrett SG
Immanuel Quickley PG

Sandro Mamukelashvili
Collin Murray-Boyles
Jamal Shead
Ja'Kobe Walter
Gradey Dick

[Godaddycurse]

2025/2026 and its not close to me (if healthy)

[LoveMyRaps]

This team is definitely better w/ a significantly higher ceiling.

[ConSarnit]

I don’t really think it’s a fair comp if you’re considering timelines. Between 2018-2020 we had maybe the worst draft asset base in the league due to needing to upgrade the team through trades in order to win the title.

That ‘21 team was hamstrung in a way the current team is not. Obviously the current team has more upside because outside of the ‘21 starters almost every young guy was drafted lower than 45th (traditionally an area where the draft shows a steep drop off).

The only argument for the ‘21 team would be Barnes potential growth, which had the highest upside of anyone we’ve drafted in the past 8 years. The young players coffers were extremely bare in ‘21.

[kalel123]

Both teams are mid. But we already know how the other one ends.

This team has better depth (hopefully) with young talent so still has slimmest of hope of advancing further but definitely has players that are turning out to be duds and need to make moves.

[wegotthabeet]

That 2021-22 bench is G League level at best.

[SFour]

2021 with Norman instead of Trent and the 2025 bench would be interesting.

Pascal Siakam PF/C
Scottie Barnes PF/SF
OG Anunoby SF/SG
Norman Powell SG
Fred VanVleet PG

Sandro Mamukelashvili
Collin Murray-Boyles
Jamal Shead
Ja'Kobe Walter
Gradey Dick


But looking back the 2021 team was very flawed without a legit starting center and a weak bench

[DelAbbot]

That 2021-22 bench is G League level at best.

But at that time, Achiuwa, Banton and Flynn were touted as the new bench mob, with good potential, just like today CMB/Shead/Walter

[Son Goku 25]

That 2021-22 bench is G League level at best.

But at that time, Achiuwa, Banton and Flynn were touted as the new bench mob, with good potential, just like today CMB/Walter

I know you laughed while writing that

[DelAbbot]

That 2021-22 bench is G League level at best.

But at that time, Achiuwa, Banton and Flynn were touted as the new bench mob, with good potential, just like today CMB/Walter

I know you laughed while writing that

one sample receipt

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2232796

many others scattered on raptors realgm

[MEDIC]

Wow. That is a really sad bench in 2021. No wonder that team couldn't get anything done. Mid starting lineup with an all time worst bemch.

[MEDIC]

2021 with Norman instead of Trent and the 2025 bench would be interesting.

Pascal Siakam PF/C
Scottie Barnes PF/SF
OG Anunoby SF/SG
Norman Powell SG
Fred VanVleet PG

Sandro Mamukelashvili
Collin Murray-Boyles
Jamal Shead
Ja'Kobe Walter
Gradey Dick


But looking back the 2021 team was very flawed without a legit starting center and a weak bench

Solid team. Possibly a 50 win team.

[ItsDanger]

Very similar situations. Tough to choose but I went with 21/22. Flynn did score 50 in a game after all.

[Tor_Raps]

The 2021 bench was putrid and had no real Center. I'll take the current team.

The biggest difference is that the 2nd apron has led to massive parity throughout the league so we're not as far off from the top teams in the East.

[Indeed]

I don’t really think it’s a fair comp if you’re considering timelines. Between 2018-2020 we had maybe the worst draft asset base in the league due to needing to upgrade the team through trades in order to win the title.

That ‘21 team was hamstrung in a way the current team is not. Obviously the current team has more upside because outside of the ‘21 starters almost every young guy was drafted lower than 45th (traditionally an area where the draft shows a steep drop off).

The only argument for the ‘21 team would be Barnes potential growth, which had the highest upside of anyone we’ve drafted in the past 8 years. The young players coffers were extremely bare in ‘21.

Plus Dragić being the dead money, which 20m can acquire you a pretty good player.
Assume that is Poeltl, that would completely change the depth of the team as well.

The front office management over those years were pretty bad.

[YogurtProducer]

That 2021-22 bench is G League level at best.

But at that time, Achiuwa, Banton and Flynn were touted as the new bench mob, with good potential, just like today CMB/Shead/Walter

No they weren’t.

There was hopes at least 1 would develop, but CMB/Walter are different tiers of prospects than any of those 3. Shead has propelled himself to ahead of the 2022 3 as well.

[YogurtProducer]

2022s problem was our depth was horrific and the starters were good enough to get paid big money but not good enough to justify being a top 2 piece of a team. Pretty much 4 guys whose best role is a 2 or a 3. That team probably would have benefited from someone “only” becoming a solid starter rather than becoming a super overpaid role player (FVV + OG particularly).

That 2022 team had 4 guys get maxed out. I don’t think we are in any worry if someone maxing out Barrett when he is a FA.

[DelAbbot]

That 2021-22 bench is G League level at best.

But at that time, Achiuwa, Banton and Flynn were touted as the new bench mob, with good potential, just like today CMB/Shead/Walter

No they weren’t.

There was hopes at least 1 would develop, but CMB/Walter are different tiers of prospects than any of those 3. Shead has propelled himself to ahead of the 2022 3 as well.

Really? Back then everyone talked about Achiuwa (myself included) like we are talking about CMB today

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2184162&hilit=achiuwa
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2185974&hilit=achiuwa
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2177109&hilit=achiuwa

[Godaddycurse]

Surprised OP didnt include the coaches in his comparison.

[VanWest82]

Draft position isn't a perfect representation of talent/ceiling but current team has #2, #3, #4, #9, #9, and #13 overall picks on it. Outside of Scottie, the 22 team didn't have a single lottery pick let alone a top 10 pick.