Raptors going to be playoff team this year?
By koopharper
@koopharper (7477)
Canada
August 3, 2012 3:34pm CST
Yes as a Raptor fan I've been suffering the last couple of years. Last year there were signs of hope. The team finally got a coach who convinced them that being a tougher defensive team wasn't such a bad thing. This off season the team has been very active and I see them making the leap from lottery team to playoff team.
Jonas Valanciunas is coming to town to play centre. I've seen a lot of tapes of him playing and think he will be the centre the Raptors need. Defensively I'm not concerned but offensively I worry that the team isn't going to put the ball in his hands enough. Just a nagging doubt in my mind. Last season the team really didn't include Aaron Gray much in the offence to start with. There is a such thing as bringing someone along too slowly. Granted Gray disappointed me. He had some good moments and looked like he could but toward the end of the season he got the ball more and didn't deliver. Our man hasn't looked good at the Olympics though and honestly I'm hoping this is a coaching issue.
Andrea Bargnani the big Italian spent most of the season battling a nagging leg injury. Hopefully that will heal up properly during the off season. He's learned to be a part of the defense and offensively he can be fearsome. I'm hoping for a terrific season out of him.
Kyle Lowry has come to take over the point. We loved Calderon but I'm not stupid. We needed someone with more quickness of defense. Raptors really struggled against teams with quick little guards. That needs to be a thing of the past. If Calderon stays he is a great back up. Where would the Spanish Olympic team be without him.
Without beating this to death further I think the future is bright. A lot of other changes and additions have been made. Bring on the new season.
2 responses
@sodambored (82)
• Canada
5 Aug 12
Not a baseball fan and I'll believe it when they do do well.
1 person likes this
@Sportseconomics (162)
• United States
5 Aug 12
I wonder if you're giving the Blue Jays a chance. They've been a decent team this year in the MLB. Granted, the Raptors and the Maple Leafs haven't been good lately. However, all it takes is a few good players through some source (drafts, trades, whatever) to improve a team dramatically. I think it's entirely possible there's a good future on the horizon for all 3 major sports teams in Toronto.
1 person likes this
@Sportseconomics (162)
• United States
3 Aug 12
I can feel your pain, being a fan of a team that hasn't been good lately (the Warriors for me). Living in the USA, I have not seen many Raptors games (although I do remember the Jeremy Lin dagger 3 in one game, probably the most popular Raptors game in recent memory), but I do know about some players on the team.
First, about Jonas Valanciunas, I remember watching an ESPN telecast where Fran Fraschilla said that he wouldn't be surprised if he become the rookie of the year next year in the NBA. It might be a bit of a lofty expectation, but seeing him play (however briefly) makes me believe he's got potential.
Second, Kyle Lowry. I think he's a great pickup for the Raptors. Like you said, Calderon is nice, but Lowry will be a big upgrade on defense and can provide some offense as well.
I also see some potential for the other players, like Bargnani and DeRozan. DeRozan has more to his game than just flashy dunks now, and I think that Bargnani has improved (when not sidelined) in his time playing. While he shouldn't have been the No. 1 pick in 2006 (but hey, Greg Oden was No. 1 in 2007, so it could be worse), he could be a nice contributor and he certainly spreads the floor, being an outside-shooting big man.
In total, though, I think it comes down to how the pieces all fit together. While the Eastern Conference has many contending teams this coming year, the bottom part of the conference seems weaker, and I think there's a chance that if all the new additions can mix well with their teammates that they could perhaps sneak into the No. 8 spot in the East.
@koopharper (7477)
• Canada
4 Aug 12
If Valanciunas lives up to those lofty expectations they would do better than sneak into the eighth playoff spot. I think the changes will fit in well. Calderon is a great attitude guy for them. They also got rid of James Johnson who I liked but apparently he was poison in the locker room. Should be interesting.
@Sportseconomics (162)
• United States
4 Aug 12
While it's possible for them to do better than the #8 spot, I just feel that it's a huge leap to make, from being out of the playoff picture completely to suddenly being competitive in the conference. To figure out where they would go, I think you have to look at the teams that are likely to perform well and thus get into the playoffs. The ones I can think of are: Heat, Celtics, Knicks, Nets, Pacers. The ones that are questionable for various reasons are the Hawks (traded Joe Johnson), Bulls (how long will Rose be out?), Magic (will they trade Dwight Howard?), 76ers (Lou Williams, Elton Brand, others gone), Bucks, Raptors.
The way I see it, there are 6 teams competing for 3 playoff spots in the East. Of course, a lot could change with the trades throughout the offseason and beginning of the regular season, plus injuries, etc. We'll just have to wait and find out (October 30 couldn't come fast enough)!
1 person likes this
@JakeFinn (21)
• Philippines
23 Aug 12
I agree that Valanciunas' performance is going to be pivotal to the Raptor's playoff hopes because of what he brings to the table. Terrence Ross is just another DeRozan and that is not going to cut it.
If he can be a better big man than Bargnani, Il Mago can either slide down to a more comfortable PF position. No, he cannot be traded because let's face it, nobody of interest would want to play in Toronto.
