2024-2025 NBA/Toronto Raptors thread

[Senator Clay Davis]

If the rebuild is in fact over then I'm super excited for the next 4-6 years of first round/play-in exits. This team isn't close to contention even with this trade.

[St. Pats]

I'm still of the opinion they are going to pick Maluach so dropping a couple of spots IF they do won't matter. He is just the type of pick Ujiri makes taking a shot at a guy who could be really really good. Now he is a guy who is just a huge human being who is a project. Could he turn out as a diamond in the rough? Don't know but for the Raptors taking a flyer on guys like this is a good move. They could unearth a major talent which is dang near the only way they are going to get one on the team other than a disgruntled player.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I mean they were right there for the #1 pick until they decided to go on an 8-4 run. Just needed to take it in the pooper for Cooper, instead they are pretty much dead for that. In fact, sneaking into the play-in game is not totally implausible, only 5.5 games back with 30 games left and the Bulls have basically given up on the season.

[octothorp]

I'm a big fan of the moves they made here; the cost to acquire was just so cheap, and all the complementary moves were nice too. Hopefully they can shut Ingram down for the season and give him a full rehab. I'm not a huge fan of Ingram's game, but I think the Raptors may be evaluating that part of it is the product of playing on a Pelicans team where the offense is a fairly stagnant space-out style, similar to the Raptors under the last couple years of Nurse. He'll need to be a more active off-ball player than he's traditionally been, though he'll still be a big upgrade over anyone on the team in terms of what he can do with the ball in his hands on the perimeter. Hopefully this is what the Raptors need to commit Scottie to the point forward role that he should be playing.

They're probably locked into 5th or 6th in terms of lottery odds, especially with several of the teams ahead of them in the standings not selling as much as they could have (Chicago, Portland). They should be able to add another quality-starter level guy if not a star here.

I know a big part of Masai's philosophy is that you can't developing winning habits and a winning culture without actually winning, and so for the development of these guys who haven't had much playoff experience, you need to start competing as soon as next year. Also easier to evaluate players when you're trying to win, then evaluate them in a rebuild environment. Yeah, they probably need to upgrade another starter to a star at some point, but it's hard to add a star to a non-playoff team and hope for a quick turnaround.

[SuperMatt18]

Really as long as they are in that bottom 6 range they have a chance - NBA lottery odds are pretty flat compared to NHL.

Team 1: 14.0%
Team 2: 14.0%
Team 3: 14.0%
Team 4: 12.5%
Team 5: 10.5%
Team 6: 9.0%

Team 7: 7.5%
Team 8: 6.0%
Team 9: 4.5%
Team 10: 3.0%

Right now they sit with the 5th best odds I think:

1. Washington: .180 9-41
2. New Orleans: .235 12-39
3. Utah: .245 12-37
4. Charlotte: .250 12-36
5. Toronto: .314 16-35
6. Brooklyn: .333 17-34
7. Philly: .400 20-30
8. Chicago: .423 22-30
9. Portland: .431 22-29


So they are 4 games "ahead" of the teams to get into the top 4, but also about 4 games "behind" the teams to move out of the top 6.

Mostly likely outcome is probably 5 or 6, which is still pretty good odds at number 1 - and NBA does a lottery for all of the top 4. So still a chance to get a really good player.

Beyond Flagg, Bailey, and Harper though Maluach does feel like a guy the Raptors would target.

[trackercowe]

The NBA is kind of a joke. I don't understand many of the deals today. Then vets just get bought out and end up on the Lakers anyway. I'm going back to the Vince Carter deal where they got Alonzo, only for him to refuse to report... so they bought him out and he signed with another team. Why did they have to pay him to leave, if he didn't want to report anyway? I just don't understand how trades work in the NBA. It always feels like the rich get richer.

[Senator Clay Davis]

This week has been a reminder that the NBA's best product, by far, is the behind the scenes stuff. It is far more intriguing than the on court product. Ratings vs. social media interaction metrics pretty much tell you that. NBA is a quasi-soap opera for sports fans pretty much.

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I mean they were right there for the #1 pick until they decided to go on an 8-4 run. Just needed to take it in the pooper for Cooper, instead they are pretty much dead for that. In fact, sneaking into the play-in game is not totally implausible, only 5.5 games back with 30 games left and the Bulls have basically given up on the season.

There was no way they could out-tank the tankers with this roster. They would have had to hold healthy guys out of the lineup or trade off multiple main pieces for spare parts. This Raptors team may not be constructed well, but the bad teams are so much worse.

[Jason14h]

Raptors will be right up against the luxury tax next season for a team that will struggle to be .500

No idea what they have been doing the last 5 years

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by St. Pats

I'm still of the opinion they are going to pick Maluach so dropping a couple of spots IF they do won't matter. He is just the type of pick Ujiri makes taking a shot at a guy who could be really really good. Now he is a guy who is just a huge human being who is a project. Could he turn out as a diamond in the rough? Don't know but for the Raptors taking a flyer on guys like this is a good move. They could unearth a major talent which is dang near the only way they are going to get one on the team other than a disgruntled player.

Interesting post. Looked up the current mock drafts:
Pick 6
Pick 12
Pick 26

They seem to be all over the place at the moment on him.

[octothorp]

I like Maluach more now than I did early in the year... he's still raw but from what I've seen, there's the sort of improvement through the season that tells you he's going to be able to pick up things at the next level.

It seems like it's a really good draft for bigs in terms of late-first and into the second round talent, so if the Raptors end up going with a non-C with their first-rounder, they should still have good options to get someone (maybe someone more NBA-ready who could come in and play backup minutes) with their Portland 2nd-rounder.

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1887886469248782379

https://twitter.com/user/status/1887710862300864977

https://twitter.com/user/status/1887864447252729889

[Kasi]

Classic AD and Mavs. Rushed him out of injury to save face, plays awesome for a half gets injured and now out a month.

[bluejays]

Ingram signing for 3 years at $40M/season is pretty good news. Ideally all contracts would be like that. Short enough to see if it will work.

[SuperMatt18]

Hopefully the Raptors training staff can work some magic to keep him healthy.

A guy that can give you a pretty consistent 22-5-5 when he's actually on the court.

If they could somehow win the lottery a group of Flagg, Barnes, Poetl, Ingram, Barrett, Quickley, Dick, Agbaji, Walter actually looks pretty good.

[mile]

Embiid you suck


Raptors trying their best to lose this one

[trackercowe]

Did anyone watch any of the NBA Rising Stars and Skills Contest last night? I watched a few minutes between intermissions and it was atrocious. I felt bad for those in attendance who paid good many to watch players put zero effort into the show. I'm certain that'll carry for to tonight. The league is at a precipitous with its all-star weekend. It's obvious the players don't care, and are just there to party and good off. Fans in general are starting to withdraw from the NBA as a sport, and this weekend only makes the situation worse.

I wonder if they'll change the format to something similar to Four Nations after witnessing how successful that has become? Yet again it's a matter of getting the players to put effort into a game that's not relevant to the standings.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Did anyone watch any of the NBA Rising Stars and Skills Contest last night? I watched a few minutes between intermissions and it was atrocious. I felt bad for those in attendance who paid good many to watch players put zero effort into the show. I'm certain that'll carry for to tonight. The league is at a precipitous with its all-star weekend. It's obvious the players don't care, and are just there to party and good off. Fans in general are starting to withdraw from the NBA as a sport, and this weekend only makes the situation worse.

I wonder if they'll change the format to something similar to Four Nations after witnessing how successful that has become? Yet again it's a matter of getting the players to put effort into a game that's not relevant to the standings.

Why have an all star weekend? Why have a skills competition or even an all star game? Why do North American leagues mandate this?

I watch soccer from all over the world, and none of those leagues (that I know of) have anything resembling this.

Obviously, there must be money to be made somehow and that's why leagues insist on this weekend, but where does that money come? Players clearly don't enjoy it. I've never watched a minute of it, do fans tune in and enjoy it?

At least some other incredibly stupid things that the NBA does make financial sense for the league and players (taking 20 minutes to play the last two minutes of a game, tv commercial money $$$ thanks to all the time outs, don't get me started on how I wish timeouts didn't exist in North American sports) But all star weekends? I'll never understand it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

Why have an all star weekend? Why have a skills competition or even an all star game? Why do North American leagues mandate this?

I watch soccer from all over the world, and none of those leagues (that I know of) have anything resembling this.

Obviously, there must be money to be made somehow and that's why leagues insist on this weekend, but where does that money come? Players clearly don't enjoy it. I've never watched a minute of it, do fans tune in and enjoy it?

At least some other incredibly stupid things that the NBA does make financial sense for the league and players (taking 20 minutes to play the last two minutes of a game, tv commercial money $$$ thanks to all the time outs, don't get me started on how I wish timeouts didn't exist in North American sports) But all star weekends? I'll never understand it.

Kids love all star games.

[Paulie Walnuts]

I loved all star weekend as a kid. You get to see all the stars you usually don’t. The skills competition is great.

I loved the slam dunk and hardest shot in the NHL.