The Raptors should be an example to us of how to build a better team

We blew it up just like other teams...when Wes went down we didn't keep that core and replace Wes with CJ...we basically blew it up...difference is we kept making the playoffs while rebuilding the team...still are....Philly, Minnesota, Knicks and Suns sure blew it up without immediate rewards.....we've remained competitive throughout the Stotts era from my view..if doubling down this season made us get to the WCF I have a problem seeing that as a problem

 

Do you believe we need a better defensive scheme to compete at a higher level?
Do you believe we need better ball handlers and decision makers on the ball?

 

Huh? First of all, nobody wants to go to Toronto. Second, are you talking about free agents or trades? Kawhi Leonard was traded to Toronto. From a small market team (San Antonio).
What keeps a "small market" team from making a monster trade? It's even possible to have two small market teams involved in a monster trade. Paul George was an MVP-level player much of the season. He was traded from Indiana to Oklahoma City.

I would like to see your graph for the last 5 years. You'd have to explain why the teams from the 3 largest markets aren't that good. Two of them stink (worst and 4th worst records in the league), two of them were lower playoff seeds and I'll be nice and give the Lakers an incomplete.

 

So what's your alternative plan?

 

Show me where this happens to small markets teams more evenly with big market teams and you would have had a point well made. To me this just seems more like nit picking.

 

I'd have to hear the theory on how we are suppose to blow the team up... when we can't get star players to come here in the first place.



No, the premise of this thread is still flawed. There are too many things being overlooked to make your point.

The Blazers went all the way to the WCF without Nurkic, had we had Nurkic the Blazers may very well have made it past an injured Warriors team and this thread, for obvious reasons, wouldn't even make sense right now. Due to the Nurkic injury, Enes had to play more minutes, and harder minutes to make up for the loss. He gets injured and can hardly play by the time the Blazers made it to the WCF. The Blazers dragged a beat up team, missing a very important piece, into the WCF. And yet your point is that the Blazers failed because they didn't blow up the team like the Raptors did?!?

 

The Raptors without Kawhi are basically the Blazers. Good but not great. If Kawhi stays, they’re elite. If he leaves, they’re behind Milwaukie and probably the Sixers. Maybe the Celtics.

 

I can point to many areas I'd like to see improvement....making 4th qtr shots and freethrows would be a start....passing...passing..passing….without turning the ball over...taking the ball right at their bigs when they're in foul trouble...what I saw was that we make shots and clean up sloppy passes and free throws...we beat the Warriors in a series....our shooting slump came with tired legs against a really, really rested Steph Curry...every turnover or ballhog bad shot comes from needing to be better ball handlers...our starters learned a deep playoff lesson this season. Part of growing into a bona fide contender and we're much closer than I projected we'd be at this point

 

Do you think we will be getting back to the WCF next year?

Keep in mind that we can't afford to keep Kanter/Hood/Curry because of our salary cap. Keep in mind that Nurk will most likely miss most of the season.

 

Nothing has been determined who we can keep and who we can't and where has it been said that Nurkic will miss most of next season? Also, were you expecting us to make the WCF this year?

 

How do we make progress from the previous year?

 

Why would you say Nurk will miss most of the season? I haven’t seen any official prognosis, but most speculation seems to be December. Dude’s already walking.

Seems like some of you just are pessimistic by nature.

 

With Nurkic we may have only gor the 4 seed and lost to the Jazz in the first round. Butterfly affect.

 

The odds are extremely low of this happening as well as Nurkic was playing this season. Your point is weak at best.

 

My point is weak? Its a possibility. The team rallied around him and played great down the stretch. He might've tried to do too much against Denver. He might not have played as well as Kanter did against OKC. Theres a full range of what ifs.

 

True, but making a point with a slim chance happening, in my opinion, is a weak point. Granted there is a slight possibility of your scenario happening, but as well as Nurkic was playing this season before his injury the higher odds easily go to the Blazers doing better with him playing in this years playoffs.

 

Not that slim. You never know how one change can affect a bunch of seemingly unrelated things.

Basically, we shouldnt play the what-if game, because we didnt. We had Nurk last year and got swept.

 

I think our team is usually pretty cautious, especially with big men now. I could see him coming back after the All-Star break. I guess we will see.

 

With Nurk, we might have swept the Nuggets, avoided the injuries to Hood and Kanter, and then swept the Warriors. Butterfly effect.

 

Again, weak point. We didn't have this same team last year. We all know that the addition of Curry, Enes and Hood made this team what it was this year. So your point is extremely illogical.

Pulling bizarre scenarios out of thin air is a waste of time for the both of us.




The Suns could have won it all this year had they made the proper trades. (Pulled right out of my butt for your enjoyment, since I had time to waste.)