The Ringer: Raptors should consider blowing it up

[joel]

lol at ever reading the ringer

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

There is quite a history of teams blowing it up too early and then landing in mediocrity for a very long time.

It's true that without a few lucky breaks, this team will likely never taste the finals. But that doesn't mean we should blow it up. There is a great chance here to sustain a 50+ win team for the next 2-4 years, enjoy a good product and build some history.

For many years, there were clamours for the Spurs to start rebuilding and trade away TP/Manu/TD. But they likely wouldn't have won their 2014 ring if they had done that. Dallas doesn't win in 2011 if they blow it up & traded Dirk after their 67 win team failed to do anything significant and were mediocre for the next few years. Detroit reached ECF after ECF, after their 2004 championship win, and then decided to retool/rebuild and have been trying to get back ever since. Don't you think their fans would have liked 2 more years of competing at a high level before starting over again? Should the Rockets trade James Harden and start rebuilding/tanking right now because they aren't any closer to championship team then we are?

Timing is really important in the NBA. We are unfortunate that we are stuck in the ECF while Lebron James has been in his prime (and continues to be in his prime). But this mentality that if you aren't a real contender (and there is only 3 in the league right now), then you have to tank or else you are wasting your time is really perplexing. There is this assumption that the grass is greener when you are tanking because you have a chance at a talent that could bring you to that championship status. That chance is worth it to some fans more than having a high great team that is just not good enough. For some reason, fans are more comfortable with absolutely trash basketball because they feel the rules are in their benefit then watching good basketball (because the rules don't really help you get over that hump). Despite there being countless evidence that teams have struggled to build a decent team despite multiple years in the lottery.

It's true we don't have the generational talent that the Spurs had to win a championship or give our teams potential to win one. We also don't have a championship ring like Detroit, so that we can sustain some belief in our core for a foreseeable future. But we have several players entering into their primes that have proven to be a winning product. Lowry/DeMar/JV/Ibaka should be a really good team for the next few years. I'd rather we ride out their primes and then start rebuilding once that's over.

I look at a team like Indiana, who should still be competing for a ring or being a great team, but had their team break up early because Hibbert couldn't keep himself together and Lance's ego got too big. Now their team is stuck being mediocre (not even pretender status) with a star player who is going to leave. The grass isn't always green on the other side, whether that's retooling or rebuilding from something that is proven.

What's more important is whether you have someone in charge who understands timing and asset management. Masai seems to get that and when it's time, I trust him to blow it up. We aren't Chicago or NY, holding onto aging stars and old players that have not proven to be a winning team. Our path is similar to that of the Grizzlies, always a great team but never good enough to win. And it confuses me that so many fans can't accept or enjoy that.

Sup bruh, good post.

[Primetime23]

Toronto isn’t a traditional landing spot for free agents, but if a player did want to go north, the Raptors would need to move valuable contributors like Jonas Valanciunas, DeMarre Carroll, and Cory Joseph to create the necessary cap space.

[Dr Positivity]

Bizarre timing for this article. Our chances at making the Finals have never seemed brighter with the Cavs recent struggles, so why are we getting treated like the Clippers? With how we are playing without Lowry, it would seem our upside is the best of the Celtics and Wizards who are at full strength. We're playing as well as them after the ASB so what happens when we put in the player we're traditionally WAY better with?

He brings up that East teams have a Lebron problem and we could end up like the Pacers. But we aren't facing apex Lebron, we're facing slowly declining one. We could be facing 2011, 2012, 2013 Kobe versions of Lebron. It would appear Lowry is going to decline slower than Bron. Lebron has WAY more minutes and his seasons have been going down statistically. Lowry's have only been getting better. Lowry doesn't have to outrun the bear (Father Time), he only has to outrun Lebron

[Double Helix]

There is quite a history of teams blowing it up too early and then landing in mediocrity for a very long time.

It's true that without a few lucky breaks, this team will likely never taste the finals. But that doesn't mean we should blow it up. There is a great chance here to sustain a 50+ win team for the next 2-4 years, enjoy a good product and build some history.

For many years, there were clamours for the Spurs to start rebuilding and trade away TP/Manu/TD. But they likely wouldn't have won their 2014 ring if they had done that. Dallas doesn't win in 2011 if they blow it up & traded Dirk after their 67 win team failed to do anything significant and were mediocre for the next few years. Detroit reached ECF after ECF, after their 2004 championship win, and then decided to retool/rebuild and have been trying to get back ever since. Don't you think their fans would have liked 2 more years of competing at a high level before starting over again? Should the Rockets trade James Harden and start rebuilding/tanking right now because they aren't any closer to championship team then we are?

Timing is really important in the NBA. We are unfortunate that we are stuck in the ECF while Lebron James has been in his prime (and continues to be in his prime). But this mentality that if you aren't a real contender (and there is only 3 in the league right now), then you have to tank or else you are wasting your time is really perplexing. There is this assumption that the grass is greener when you are tanking because you have a chance at a talent that could bring you to that championship status. That chance is worth it to some fans more than having a high great team that is just not good enough. For some reason, fans are more comfortable with absolutely trash basketball because they feel the rules are in their benefit then watching good basketball (because the rules don't really help you get over that hump). Despite there being countless evidence that teams have struggled to build a decent team despite multiple years in the lottery.

It's true we don't have the generational talent that the Spurs had to win a championship or give our teams potential to win one. We also don't have a championship ring like Detroit, so that we can sustain some belief in our core for a foreseeable future. But we have several players entering into their primes that have proven to be a winning product. Lowry/DeMar/JV/Ibaka should be a really good team for the next few years. I'd rather we ride out their primes and then start rebuilding once that's over.

I look at a team like Indiana, who should still be competing for a ring or being a great team, but had their team break up early because Hibbert couldn't keep himself together and Lance's ego got too big. Now their team is stuck being mediocre (not even pretender status) with a star player who is going to leave. The grass isn't always green on the other side, whether that's retooling or rebuilding from something that is proven.

What's more important is whether you have someone in charge who understands timing and asset management. Masai seems to get that and when it's time, I trust him to blow it up. We aren't Chicago or NY, holding onto aging stars and old players that have not proven to be a winning team. Our path is similar to that of the Grizzlies, always a great team but never good enough to win. And it confuses me that so many fans can't accept or enjoy that.

Great post with plenty to digest.

Basketball is my favorite sport. I love watching it played at a high level even when the Raptors themselves aren't involved. However, when the Raptors themselves are actually playing basketball at a high level and I can go to games or watch on TV and see Toronto beating really quality ball clubs with a ton of history it feels great. These are players we've seen come together and grow. Through shows like Open Gym we've seen the work they're put in and heard their stories. It's good TV right now. This team has a nice mix of veterans who really know what it takes on both ends and young players who are still finding their way. It's fun to watch and easy to root for.

There will be a time to tank and rebuild but now is too soon. If we lose Lowry and Ibaka for nothing I'll be far more open to a tear down but if both want to be here and keep this quality TV show alive for a few more seasons I'm game.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

This article should have been made after the playoffs. He now will go back and scream about how right he was if we don't make it to the eastern conference finals.

I love how he said the last 3 years have ended in playoff disappointment

ECF last year isn't a disappointment unless you assumed you could beat the Cleveland Lebrons

It was a disappointment to me cuz the series wasn't close. I'd rather lose in 4 by 10 points per game then have the performance we had. By a fair bit actually. But that's just me, and probably not a lot of other people would agree.

[___Rand___]

This article basically explores the crossroad Masai and Raptors faces, what I and many of you have been thinking. Lowry's 31, and he ain't getting younger: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1543495

If we retain all but Bruno the lux cap is going to be HUGE. It might exceed Cleveland's, currently the #1 payroll in NBA. So theoretically, we currently have a roster that's potentially second most expensive in the NBA (after Warriors sign Curry and Durant to max deals that'll be the most expensive). Is this team ready to win it all, with this payroll? Let's face it - many would question it, doubt it. Many thinks we'll be "competitive" with Cleveland. What is "competitive"? A 6 game series loss? a 7 game series loss? Let's face it - nobody realistically thinks this roster is good enough to challenge Warriors - with or without Durant.
Is that result enough to pay for the second highest payroll with a huge luxury tax and operating loss? That's what MLSE board will be deliberating on.

Too many hypothetical questions at this point. Because Lowry is injured. And let's face it, he is 31. We can expect more of the same in the coming years. If Casey can't deliver in the playoffs with this wet dream roster built for him, we should blow up this team, and this coach.

[CoachJReturns]

I'm as ready for a rebuild as the next guy, but this is just bad timing. The time to consider blowing it up article, as I've now stated a dozen times, is at next year's deadline if the current roster fails to impress. What would constitute impressing is subjective, but I would think a first round exit followed by a middle of the pack record in the east would do it.
Right now though, it's just a dumb idea. We already traded Ross and a pick for Serge and 2 second rounders for Tucker. We should be at least trying to give them a fair shot.

[___Rand___]

There will be a time to tank and rebuild but now is too soon. If we lose Lowry and Ibaka for nothing I'll be far more open to a tear down but if both want to be here and keep this quality TV show alive for a few more seasons I'm game.

As a fan I think we can say "keep everyone" because we don't have to pay their salaries. I don't think anyone wants to see Lowry, Ibaka or Tucker go. But there are financial constraints at the same time. I honestly don't think at least 2 players we consider "core" will be here by this time next year.

MLSE has quite a lot of work to do in order to figure out how feasible it is to do this financially by retaining all the players. But it is possible MLSE MAY let Masai run this team at a loss IF this year's playoff run ends up with a 7 game exit at ECF. You are probably going to be thankful that it is NOT a pension fund that is the owner of Raptors. Rogers and Bell will likely tolerate running a break-even or a slightly net loss team next year, IF TV ratings and media synergy values rise. They are willing to "invest" in building a sports brand for cross-platform gains.

Realistically speaking, it'll have to be an NBA finals appearance for this roster to be kept together. Less than that will see 2 or more "core" players gone by next year's trade deadline if not sooner.

[Mikistan]

This article should have been made after the playoffs. He now will go back and scream about how right he was if we don't make it to the eastern conference finals.

I love how he said the last 3 years have ended in playoff disappointment

ECF last year isn't a disappointment unless you assumed you could beat the Cleveland Lebrons

It was a disappointment to me cuz the series wasn't close. I'd rather lose in 4 by 10 points per game then have the performance we had. By a fair bit actually. But that's just me, and probably not a lot of other people would agree.

Don't get me wrong, Lebron clearly wasn't trying against us, and was probably okay to lose a couple in Toronto because it meant a little bit more practice time before the finals with his guys (after sitting for extended periods due to 4-0 sweeps to that point).

But when you look at the Toronto Raptors progression on paper:

1st round
1st round
ECF

To say that all 3 of those seasons ended in disappointment is hyperbole.
Technically 29 of 30 seasons end in disappointment...

[Double Helix]

Another way of looking at this as a fan is that the sooner we have evidence that MLSE will in fact pay tax to keep a great basketball team together the more confident in keeping teams together if we are lucky enough to draft and construct the next OKC Thunder or Minnesota Timberwolves. It could even serve as a good starting place as young stars are rising up. "Remember those Lowry, Ibaka and Derozan teams you grew up watching? We paid tax to keep those teams together and we will for you guys again. We're committed to winning."

Statements like that carry a lot more weight when there's evidence of that. Not only to players but to their families, to their agents, to quality coaches, and to basketball executives.

The superstars of tomorrow will be the ones growing up and watching the Raptors go on long playoff runs today and the ones hearing about how our ownership is willing to pay up to keep teams together. Fans are always envious of other owners who are willing to pay up and go into tax. Players are no different. Re-signing Ibaka and Lowry tells the entire league that Toronto IS the big market, cold weather Chicago/New York/Brooklyn/Boston alternative that coaches, players and agents can trust. We'll have been loyal to Casey (the next coach would have to feel good about that). We'll have demonstrated a willingness to spend money (Helpful for pitches). We'll have a brand that's associated with winning to the next generation of players and their families. Which is helpful for first impressions. In the last Open Gym PJ Tucker was talking about when he was first drafted to Toronto and he said, "The perception of Toronto then isn't like what it is now." Well, what's really changed? Better uniforms. More money spent on facilities. More wins in the regular season. More playoff wins. More sustainability. A bigger culture of wanting to win. Drake and the NBA All Star game coming here. The We the North Era has elevated our brand and winning and spending have played a part in that.

[Van_Trump]

Rebuilding should always be the last resort, because you never get full value for your stars.

Take DeMarcus Cousins, for example.

I estimate you only get a player of his calibre in the draft around once every three years.
This means full value for him should have been 3 high first round picks.

The whole point of having high draft picks is the possibility of drafting the next DeMarcus Cousins, who the Kings already had.

So you have to be really, really sure your current team is going nowhere before you take the drastic measure of blowing things up.
'Cause you're only getting pennies on the dollar for your vets, Buddy Buckets aside.

Masai's trade deadline deals were all-in. He believes in the current lineup.

The defensive roll the team is on bodes well for the playoffs, imho.

[Sherlock]

Essentially the article says that Toronto won't win a championship with this core and their best chance to win a championship is to sell high right now and rebuild.

Of course the article ignores the fact that the Raptors are a historically bad team and that any level of success is something to be celebrated. I think most of us have come around to enjoying the run this core is having and would like to see it through to the end regardless of whether we end of with a championship or not.

I wanted to quote this, because to me this is the most important point that's being overlooked by most in this thread.

Yes, all of us here are raptors fans. We were Raptors fans when the team sucked before, we'll be raptors fans when the team will suck in the future, and we'll be Raptors fans when the team eventually wins a championship.

It's important to remember that the majority of those in, around and associated with the NBA are not Raptors fans. And for a long time, their view of the Raptors has been that this is a losing franchise.

Think of the Clippers. It's taken ~6 solid years of the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era to work off the stench of ~30 years of losing under Sterling. But now, when you think of the Clippers, you don't think of a sad sack franchise, you think of an attractive team with a good owner, respected coach/GM and a franchise with a winning culture (despite them not having won the championship).

The Mavs were a wasteland prior to Dirk's arrival -- if they'd blown it up after a couple of playoff disappointments in the face of extremely strong competition like the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, Kobe/Gasol Lakers, Duncan Spurs, etc. they'd still be a wasteland now. But instead, people will now think of Dallas as a winning franchise for the foreseeable future, even when they have down years.

The Raptors similarly are in the midst of rebranding themselves as a cool, respectable and winning franchise.

- No longer waiting for the draft lottery, now it's the Conference Finals.
- No longer losing every big free agent, now it's "I am Toronto".
- No longer Kardinal/TDot, now it's Drake/The 6.
- No longer cold, now it's "We the North"

If the Raps blow it up now, that long-term perception of the Raptors comes back and hangs over them yet again. It's a place that can't keep stars, it's a losing franchise, it's cold. Instead of Dallas or the Clips, they'd be like Charlotte*, yes they had that short run in the 90s with LJ and Zo, but it's not really a city associated with winning.

We're not the Celtics or the Lakers, or hell even the Knicks (who even when they aren't winning are still being talked about).

In this era of free agency and 4/5 year contracts, for the Raptors' next 20 years to be more successful than the last 20 years, the Raptors have to maximize this winning period and firmly associate their brand with winning -- even if they don't win championships with this core.

*and yes I know I'm mixing franchises between the old Hornets/Pelicans and the new Bobcats/Hornets, but the point still stands

[Double Helix]

I love how he said the last 3 years have ended in playoff disappointment

ECF last year isn't a disappointment unless you assumed you could beat the Cleveland Lebrons

It was a disappointment to me cuz the series wasn't close. I'd rather lose in 4 by 10 points per game then have the performance we had. By a fair bit actually. But that's just me, and probably not a lot of other people would agree.

Don't get me wrong, Lebron clearly wasn't trying against us, and was probably okay to lose a couple in Toronto because it meant a little bit more practice time before the finals with his guys (after sitting for extended periods due to 4-0 sweeps to that point).

But when you look at the Toronto Raptors progression on paper:

1st round
1st round
ECF

To say that all 3 of those seasons ended in disappointment is hyperbole.
Technically 29 of 30 seasons end in disappointment...

The idea that he wasn't trying is a joke. The Cavaliers were undefeated before facing us. They were red hot shooting the 3 to historical degrees. Our only player capable of guarding Lebron had only returned from a leg issue a month prior and was looking shaky out there. Our starting C, who was going to give us an edge inside and who had been having a great playoffs prior, was rushed back from injury and playing on one leg. We didn't have a starting caliber PF the quality of Ibaka. We were playing 36 year old Luis Scola. A guy who can't get more than 13 minutes each night on the worst team in the league this year.

The Cavs were in Championship mode against each and every game. The same mentality they used to destroy their previous opponents before us and the same mentality that let them beat the 73-9 Warriors. We can be better than we were then. More experienced for the big stage and better equipped for Lebron with a healthier Carroll and PJ Tucker and with a huge upgrade at PF in Serge Ibaka.

[Drop Shot]

The Ringer should consider blowing up their site

[Double Helix]

Essentially the article says that Toronto won't win a championship with this core and their best chance to win a championship is to sell high right now and rebuild.

Of course the article ignores the fact that the Raptors are a historically bad team and that any level of success is something to be celebrated. I think most of us have come around to enjoying the run this core is having and would like to see it through to the end regardless of whether we end of with a championship or not.

I wanted to quote this, because to me this is the most important point that's being overlooked by most in this thread.

Yes, all of us here are raptors fans. We were Raptors fans when the team sucked before, we'll be raptors fans when the team will suck in the future, and we'll be Raptors fans when the team eventually wins a championship.

It's important to remember that the majority of those in, around and associated with the NBA are not Raptors fans. And for a long time, their view of the Raptors has been that this is a losing franchise.

Think of the Clippers. It's taken ~6 solid years of the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era to work off the stench of ~30 years of losing under Sterling. But now, when you think of the Clippers, you don't think of a sad sack franchise, you think of an attractive team with a good owner, respected coach/GM and a franchise with a winning culture (despite them not having won the championship).

The Mavs were a wasteland prior to Dirk's arrival -- if they'd blown it up after a couple of playoff disappointments in the face of extremely strong competition like the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, Kobe/Gasol Lakers, Duncan Spurs, etc. they'd still be a wasteland now. But instead, people will now think of Dallas as a winning franchise for the foreseeable future, even when they have down years.

The Raptors similarly are in the midst of rebranding themselves as a cool, respectable and winning franchise.

- No longer waiting for the draft lottery, now it's the Conference Finals.
- No longer losing every big free agent, now it's "I am Toronto".
- No longer Kardinal/TDot, now it's Drake/The 6.
- No longer cold, now it's "We the North"

If the Raps blow it up now, that long-term perception of the Raptors comes back and hangs over them yet again. It's a place that can't keep stars, it's a losing franchise, it's cold. Instead of Dallas or the Clips, they'd be like Charlotte*, yes they had that short run in the 90s with LJ and Zo, but it's not really a city associated with winning.

We're not the Celtics or the Lakers, or hell even the Knicks (who even when they aren't winning are still being talked about).

In this era of free agency and 4/5 year contracts, for the Raptors' next 20 years to be more successful than the last 20 years, the Raptors have to maximize this winning period and firmly associate their brand with winning -- even if they don't win championships with this core.

*and yes I know I'm mixing franchises between the old Hornets/Pelicans and the new Bobcats/Hornets, but the point still stands

I agree with a lot of this. Biggest takeaway for me is that when the Clippers do decide to rebuild again post CP3/Blake Griffin/DeAndre/Doc they will have accumulated close to a decade of goodwill with the next generation's prospects and their families as far as being able to imagine winning in that market. They could tank for 3 straight years and those kids drafted will be talking about the Lob City era in a positive way and they will have long forgotten how horrible everything had been there before. That's why you want your rebuilds and compete modes to be cyclical. You buy patience and goodwill and good faith on the win-now cycle that you cash in for your rebuild cycle. The previous good years give your fans, your sponsors, the prospects, their families, coaches, GMs, etc legitimate optimism of better times up ahead because there's evidence that good times have recently happened. It's not rocket science. It starts that relationship with future stars on the right foot and makes them want to be the pillar of your franchise. The Raptors have been building that goodwill with this We the North era. We're showing basketball people that players will play prime years in this cold weather climate in the only market outside of America and all of this will help us when we do decide to rebuild in the future.

If you can go 3 straight tank years followed by a gradual rise up and then maybe 5-7 years of playoff basketball that hopefully maxes out at a Conference Finals or better and then blow it all up and focus on 3 straight tank years again and the same cycle it's a lot less painful with a lot more enjoyable basketball to watch over the course of your basketball-watching life than the equivalent of what the Kings have been doing over the past 11 years of irrelevancy! You do that 4 times in a basketball fan's life and that's 44 years of their life where they looked forward to ping pong balls more than actual basketball games. You have to reward your fans more frequently than that even if it doesn't end with a title. They've basically done the opposite of the Clippers and Raptors now. The next wave of talent doesn't even remember that Cow Bell era and why should they? It has to be cyclical and that means putting money and good trading and good team building into your process following a few years of outright tanking and collecting assets. If the assets you draft aren't for you then trade them for pieces that can help you more.

[HiMyNameIsTrey]

Just read the article. It was pretty good, not sure why it triggered a lot of people on here.

[Mikistan]

Essentially the article says that Toronto won't win a championship with this core and their best chance to win a championship is to sell high right now and rebuild.

Of course the article ignores the fact that the Raptors are a historically bad team and that any level of success is something to be celebrated. I think most of us have come around to enjoying the run this core is having and would like to see it through to the end regardless of whether we end of with a championship or not.

I wanted to quote this, because to me this is the most important point that's being overlooked by most in this thread.

Yes, all of us here are raptors fans. We were Raptors fans when the team sucked before, we'll be raptors fans when the team will suck in the future, and we'll be Raptors fans when the team eventually wins a championship.

It's important to remember that the majority of those in, around and associated with the NBA are not Raptors fans. And for a long time, their view of the Raptors has been that this is a losing franchise.

Think of the Clippers. It's taken ~6 solid years of the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era to work off the stench of ~30 years of losing under Sterling. But now, when you think of the Clippers, you don't think of a sad sack franchise, you think of an attractive team with a good owner, respected coach/GM and a franchise with a winning culture (despite them not having won the championship).

The Mavs were a wasteland prior to Dirk's arrival -- if they'd blown it up after a couple of playoff disappointments in the face of extremely strong competition like the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, Kobe/Gasol Lakers, Duncan Spurs, etc. they'd still be a wasteland now. But instead, people will now think of Dallas as a winning franchise for the foreseeable future, even when they have down years.

The Raptors similarly are in the midst of rebranding themselves as a cool, respectable and winning franchise.

- No longer waiting for the draft lottery, now it's the Conference Finals.
- No longer losing every big free agent, now it's "I am Toronto".
- No longer Kardinal/TDot, now it's Drake/The 6.
- No longer cold, now it's "We the North"

If the Raps blow it up now, that long-term perception of the Raptors comes back and hangs over them yet again. It's a place that can't keep stars, it's a losing franchise, it's cold. Instead of Dallas or the Clips, they'd be like Charlotte*, yes they had that short run in the 90s with LJ and Zo, but it's not really a city associated with winning.

We're not the Celtics or the Lakers, or hell even the Knicks (who even when they aren't winning are still being talked about).

In this era of free agency and 4/5 year contracts, for the Raptors' next 20 years to be more successful than the last 20 years, the Raptors have to maximize this winning period and firmly associate their brand with winning -- even if they don't win championships with this core.

*and yes I know I'm mixing franchises between the old Hornets/Pelicans and the new Bobcats/Hornets, but the point still stands

I agree with a lot of this. Biggest takeaway for me is that when the Clippers do decide to rebuild again post CP3/Blake Griffin/DeAndre/Doc they will have accumulated close to a decade of goodwill with the next generation's prospects and their families as far as being able to imagine winning in that market. They could tank for 3 straight years and those kids drafted will be talking about the Lob City era in a positive way and they will have long forgotten how horrible everything had been there before. That's why you want your rebuilds and compete modes to be cyclical. You buy patience and goodwill and good faith on the win-now cycle that you cash in for your rebuild cycle. The previous good years give your fans, your sponsors, the prospects, their families, coaches, GMs, etc legitimate optimism of better times up ahead because there's evidence that good times have recently happened. It's not rocket science. It starts that relationship with future stars on the right foot and makes them want to be the pillar of your franchise. The Raptors have been building that goodwill with this We the North era. We're showing basketball people that players will play prime years in this cold weather climate in the only market outside of America and all of this will help us when we do decide to rebuild in the future.

If you can go 3 straight tank years followed by a gradual rise up and then maybe 5-7 years of playoff basketball that hopefully maxes out at a Conference Finals or better and then blow it all up and focus on 3 straight tank years again and the same cycle it's a lot less painful with a lot more enjoyable basketball to watch over the course of your basketball-watching life than the equivalent of what the Kings have been doing over the past 11 years of irrelevancy. 11 years is way too long to go without playoff basketball. They've basically done the opposite of the Clippers and Raptors now. The next wave of talent doesn't even remember that Cow Bell era and why should they? It has to be cyclical and that means putting money and good trading and good team building into your process following a few years of outright tanking and collecting assets. If the assets you draft aren't for you then trade them for pieces that can help you more.

Long-term vision is nice - but when Players, Assistant Coaches, Coaches and even General Managers are rotated every 3-7 years - that is how you end up constantly making short-sited "win-now" moves at the expense of the future plan.

While we kept Masai and Casey for all these years, we have a positive in consistent tone-at-the top at least.

And by all reports, Masai's culture is all about pushing people to perform at their peak with a open communication.
Why would he just blow it up when we're still succeeding?

Masai will do the same thing he has always done if we flounder in the playoffs: he will shuffle the supporting cast and probably fire some assistant coaches.

[TOStateofMind]

How about no.

[Ipsofact0]

i can't comprehend the stupidity of some people...how does this guy still have a job?