Explain "treadmill team".

[Ramed Nazored]

This word is bandied about constantly, and yet I've never seen a coherent, consistent explanation of the term.

For many on this board, the raptors were a "treadmill team" right up until they won the finals, and then back on the "treadmill" the moment Kawhi left.

Is a "treadmill" team a team that doesn't have championship aspirations year-in-and-year out? Is it a mediocre team, a bad team, a great team that's just not great enough? Because this "treadmill" discourse term has become a giant misnomer. In fact, I think its been diluted to the point of being absolutely meaningless. Just another idiom people throw around when they're upset.

How are the Raptors, the leagues most winningest team since 2013 behind GSW, a treadmill team? They've been to the ECF, been in the playoffs every year since 2013, had multiple players in all star games, produced two coaches of the year, and an executive of the year, won 50 plus games 5 seasons in a row, won a CHAMPIONSHIP, and have done all this without a single lottery pick. NOT ONE. We lose retain FVV, which was the main prize of the offseason, and lose Serge, which most saw happening anyways, and now, all of a sudden, we're a "treadmill team"? Even with the max slot and the leagues best upper management, we're a "treadmill team"? That's just absurd to me.

The Masai era Raptors are one of the best run franchises in professional sport.

These aren't the Atlanta Hawks of the mid 2000's.

[halifax]

things can change very fast. lowry is younger than lebron, paul. who would've thought miami would win a championship ? they were treadmilling for a while.

[Tor_Raps]

See Orlando and Charlotte. Stuck fighting for the 8th seed every year.

In regards to the raptors, we are trying to position our team where we get 1 superstar via free agency to put us over the top. It feels weird going this route since we've never done that in our existence. We'll see after 2021 how smart it was because we clearly lost ibaka and have other moves for this process. Thats why I assume some think we're "treadmilling"

One thing I'll say is that I trust masai over everything. Now let's see that contract extension so we can continue to have that hope.

[KL78192020]

Yea to me a treadmill team is a 7,8,9 seed with overpaid "star" players and not much young talent/prospects/picks. Thus having no viable future to get far in the playoffs. A team that is capped out with no room for a free agency with average players.

It would be the Derozan/Lowry team with max salaries always being a bottom playoff feeder with no prospects.

[Ramed Nazored]

See Orlando and Charlotte. Stuck fighting for the 8th seed every year.

Ding ding..... You got it.

So the antithesis of the raps.

Why do fans clump us in with that group?

[Tofubeque]

The term got popularized here in the Colangelo era because we had a capped out team of veterans that still couldn’t make the playoffs, would draft in the late lottery, and had basically no avenues to get better.

This team has almost no commitments beyond this year, and the players who are signed long-term are 27 and younger, efficient on both ends, and have championship experience already. We’re basically the exact opposite of a treadmill team.

[halifax]

with a good coach that team will always be 'in it'

[ReggieSlater]

It would be the Derozan/Lowry team with max salaries always being a bottom playoff feeder with no prospects.

Derozan / Lowry teams weren't bottom playoff feeder.

[Anticon]

A treadmill just means are running in place. putting in a lot of effort but not advancing or receding.

Some treadmill teams are better than others.

The Celtics are a treadmill team. The Sixers pre Hinkie were famously so. Portland probably is too.

We, on the other hand, are transitioning or getting worse. So no treadmill here.

[KL78192020]

It would be the Derozan/Lowry team with max salaries always being a bottom playoff feeder with no prospects.

Derozan / Lowry teams weren't bottom playoff feeder.

Yes. I meant hypothetically if they were a 7-8-9 seed with max salaries year after year.

[720]

When I think of a treadmill team I think of a team that has limited potential that doesn’t do anything about it. So for example the blazers. We’ve known for years that lillard and McCollum are not going to win a championship but that organization just keeps running it back every year.

Our Derozan years, we knew he wasn’t the guy to lead us to a championship but we kept running it back.

[mrdressup]

It comes from the fact that you are spinning wheels but not going anywhere on a treadmill. Sound familiar? I guess we are spinning wheels and moving backwards right now, so maybe it's not the best analogy. One step back, two steps forward is a better way to look at it.

[Ramed Nazored]

The term got popularized here in the Colangelo era because we had a capped out team of veterans that still couldn’t make the playoffs, would draft in the late lottery, and had basically no avenues to get better.

This team has almost no commitments beyond this year, and the players who are signed long-term are 27 and younger, efficient on both ends, and have championship experience already. We’re basically the exact opposite of a treadmill team.

Agreed.

[bboyskinnylegs]

this is more of a bridge year where we try to remain as competitive as we can without adding any multi-year salary

[NeoDragonKnight]

Treadmill team has ALWAYS meant a team that is maxed on cap battling for 8th seed or just missing year after year, with no room for improvement because the draft picks are middling, and assets worthless, maybe just enough to make the playoffs but not quite good enough to make a deep playoffs run and the only option would be to tear it all down to tank.. Perfect example is the Bosh era Raptors where they could not improve past that really good 06-07 year, in fact got worse due to short sighted moves at middling or no draft picks and assets and aging veterans who could not be replaced.

Somewhere along the line people kept using the term out of the correct context to further their own goals in disparaging a team to the point where it simply means any team that doesn't get a championship, it is stupidly annoying. For instance this eras raptors IS NOT a treadmill team despite what idiots say, the team made deep playoff runs including that ECF run AND a championship, moves could be made due to flexibility and young assets (DeRozan, JV, Ross). Same could not be said for the Bosh era as no one had trade value because BC traded for and signed JO (who was a horrible fit and on his last legs) and Hedo and gave Bargs a big contract, and waited too long to trade TJ or Calderon because Horford ruined TJs career, there was no value left.

[Parataxis]

A Treadmill team on this board means this same thing as a role-player. It's a term that people throw out to mean literally anything that they want it to mean, when they want to take a shot at a team/player without needing to put any thought into it.

It's the Cheshire Cat of RealGM

[aminiaturebuddha]

When I think of a treadmill team I think of a team that has limited potential that doesn’t do anything about it. So for example the blazers. We’ve known for years that lillard and McCollum are not going to win a championship but that organization just keeps running it back every year.

Our Derozan years, we knew he wasn’t the guy to lead us to a championship but we kept running it back.

Except that even in that case the fact that we hung onto him and kept our assets, rather than adopting an unproven tanking strategy, meant that we were in the position to make a move and push for a championship, and ultimately bring one home, when the time was right.

[bluerap23]

This word is bandied about constantly, and yet I've never seen a coherent, consistent explanation of the term.

For many on this board, the raptors were a "treadmill team" right up until they won the finals, and then back on the "treadmill" the moment Kawhi left.

Is a "treadmill" team a team that doesn't have championship aspirations year-in-and-year out? Is it a mediocre team, a bad team, a great team that's just not great enough? Because this "treadmill" discourse term has become a giant misnomer. In fact, I think its been diluted to the point of being absolutely meaningless. Just another idiom people throw around when they're upset.

How are the Raptors, the leagues most winningest team since 2013 behind GSW, a treadmill team? They've been to the ECF, been in the playoffs every year since 2013, had multiple players in all star games, produced two coaches of the year, and an executive of the year, won 50 plus games 5 seasons in a row, won a CHAMPIONSHIP, and have done all this without a single lottery pick. NOT ONE. We lose retain FVV, which was the main prize of the offseason, and lose Serge, which most saw happening anyways, and now, all of a sudden, we're a "treadmill team"? Even with the max slot and the leagues best upper management, we're a "treadmill team"? That's just absurd to me.

The Masai era Raptors are one of the best run franchises in professional sport.

These aren't the Atlanta Hawks of the mid 2000's.

According to this board there are 28 treadmill teams in the league

[Rapsalot]

To me it is not continuous improvement or rebuild. So you get decent draft picks but not game changers. You sign bad free agents or none to try and win now but don’t move up or down in standings. Now if you are on the bottom that is very bad. If you are fighting to make playoffs but either way just in or out and get swept or lose in 5 first round. Some times called no-mans land too.

However, treadmill always negative. If you are treadmill top of the standings you could be contenders like Spurs of 2000s. Raps pre KLaw were there maybe like Bucks now? Except Bucks have a MVP so should not be a treadmill but they are until they win.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

It's the off season, people have a hard time extrapolating nebulous subjects.

Projections are hard for people, that's why we get all the "hot takes".