Sarcasm? It sounded like a legitimate question to me. Consider the directions the two teams have been moving in recent seasons: Portland: Wins = 21, 32, 41, 54 Toronto: Wins = 47, 41, 33 And it might be easy to see why Portland fans are skeptical that the Raptors will be a better team any time soon. That's not bashing. It's sharing an opinion based on cold, hard, measurable data. Again, maybe not what you want to hear, but at least its based on the recent performance of the two teams and not just the baseless ranting of a bunch of homer fans (we may be homers, but we're not baseless). Portland had the second youngest roster in the league last season (the youngest rotation, since our oldest player, Raaf LaFrentz didn't spend even one second on the active roster) - and still won 54 games in a very tough conference. The only people who thought the Raptors were a top 4 team in the East were their fans. After the O'Neal trade, Delfino leaving etc., with teams like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago getting better, I thought the Raptors would be lucky to make the play-offs, and would probably finish somewhere in the 8th to 10th range in the East, mostly due to the same problems they still haven't addressed (rebounding, defense, no starting caliber SG and a weak bench). I think you guys are a little better off this year, and if you can shore up your bench, you have a shot at making the play-offs. But that's the upper limit ~0.500, 7th or 8th seed and a 1st round exit. Again, that's not hating or bashing. It's just my honest opinion based on your current roster. If you want nothing but sunshine and rainbows, you'll probably get more of that in your team's forum that you will here. BNM
Wrong. In the last 7 seasons the Blazers have made the play-offs twice winning a total of 5 games. BNM
I love this line: "As Raptors fans, we’re pessimistic by nature" and he then goes on to compare the 2009-10 Raptors to the 62-win 2004-05 Phoenix Suns team. Raps fans were basically saying the same kind of things last year after the Jermaine trade that, combined with the Delfino defection, completely gutted their bench. They should be better offensively, and if they can bring back Delfino and grab a big-body-with-a-pulse to play the back-up 5, their bench will be better, but as I've been saying over and over in this thread, they are still a weak rebounding, poor defending team without a starting caliber SG on their roster. 42 wins is not totally out of the realm of possibilities, but 62 wins? Yeah, right. BNM
He's certainly not a starter at this point in his career. The reason he was gradually phased out of the rotation in Indiana is that he just doesn't fit in their faster-paced gameplan. He's still a very strong defensive rebounder (mediocre offensive rebounder), and a good fundamental post defender. I'm also looking forward to the veteran presence he brings to the locker room. I think he could be a quality backup center for Toronto. I still feel like you overemphasize the importance of offensive rebounding (or just refuse to differentiate between the two). Poor defensive rebounding will kill any team. Poor offensive rebounding won't necessarily do the same. Just look at those contending Suns, Spurs, and Magic teams over the last few years. The Raptors aren't a poor defensive rebounding team right now. They haven't been since Colangelo took over the team.
