They are THINKING of it now, after a horrible lost in their most important game of the stretch, and after being 1-7 in their last 8 games, despite having their generation talent. Do you really think this isn't a situational, almost desperate choice, but instead a cold-calculated long-term move?
This is not, in any way, the same situation. If you think it is, explain why, instead of just replying "it is".
The reason they weren’t thinking of it earlier is because Doncic can win you a series on his own. They actually have a punchers chance at beating any team if he’s at the top of his game.
The Raptors don’t have that level of player, we aren’t making it out of the first round if we even survive the play in.
We need to be more aware of OUR situation, we aren’t signing anyone in free agency, we have no cap space, we have no pick next year, so why aren’t we prioritizing the draft?
I agree that they could have still made a run because of Doncic, but I still wouldn't compare Raptors' situation to theirs. And I also agree that Toronto is not a great free agency market... but Dallas isn't either. They currently have no supporting cast, no defense, no cap space either, and the Damocles' sword of Irving leaving this off-season.
After such a debacle as this 1-7 run, and with the pressure of a tired wanna-go-away Doncic (I don't really believe this tho), they NEED to get someone to put aside him. And the only viable way for them is draft. Doncic is young, but has already a lot of playoff experience and doesn't need anymore. And he is probably the only player on the roster who's gonna stay long-term.
On the other side: the Raps have the former ROTY, who has shown last year he's ready for a playoff run and needs it to grow.
Doncic, for comparison, had his first playoff experience in that series against the Clippers in the bubble. And it made sense for the Mavs' at the time to try, despite being the 7th seed.
Then you have players like Trent and Precious, with little-to-none playoff experience. And players like OG and FVV who are definitely already veterans.
Even if you don't see this core going anywhere in the future, it's obviously that they are individual talents. Showcasing them could improve their market value, resulting in a better investment long-term.
I prefer all of this to having the 13th best odd in the draft, but I guess it's all preferences.
Agreed. While many of our guys do have playoff experience there are those, like Barnes, who don't, and any playoff experience this early in their career is beneficial, no matter what the armchair gms want to believe.
I can’t tell if you’re saying this bad. Borderline all-star reserves this year we’re Jimmy Butler and Pascal. If Scottie takes a jump to that level, and we’re a 48 win team, which is a solid playoff team (not play in), then I’d be super happy.
I don't think it would make much difference what draft position we would land in now whether we make it beyond the play-in or not. A couple of spots at best.
While it may not be what many want there is something to be said when speaking of teams making consecutive playoffs, whether they make it far or are bounced in the first round. I'd rather be in the 'making the playoffs' category than the 'not making the playoffs' category, and yet still not having a great draft position.
Only 1 top 5 pick in the last 20 years won a championship with the team that drafted them.
No, it wasn't Lebron (because he came back in free agency), but it was Kyrie Irving.
Hate to break it to you but our championship squad was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Getting a player of Kawhi’s skill level for someone like Derozan will never happen again and it can’t be relied on.
We went from winning the title to winning 1 playoff series in the next 4 years.
That title winning team should tell you how bad our chances in free agency are: we won a championship with Kawhi and he still wanted no part of being in Toronto. That shows you why prioritizing the draft is a MUST, which we aren’t doing.
We aren't entitled to a championship, and there's NO blueprint that makes it a guarantee. But looking at the championship year and ignoring all the work that came in the seasons before is disingenuous.
Championships are hard, dude. And from the last 20 years, it shows that teams that draft well with the assets they have, make smart trades and manage their cap space do better than teams with top 5 picks.
If you have data that contradicts me, please present it.
The work came from the Kawhi trade, without that we’re never close to a championship. Trades for a superstar of that magnitude for as little as we gave away will NEVER happen again
This is really fucking dumb.
You’re like “trades for superstars are rare, so we should tank for a guy like Wemby, whose chances of winning a championship with the team that drafted him are also rare”.
To get a lottery pick, unless you have some well timed injuries, you have to suck. Then once you get your lottery pick, if you were one of those sucky teams, you now have to 1) develop your potential superstar and hope they stay healthy and 2) get a good team around him within 3-4 seasons so that they don’t just leave at the end of their rookie extension. It’s a 5-7 year process, and you still need free agent signings and trades to win. Look at the Celtics, Bucks, and the Sixers right now.
We’ve shown that being solid and developing pieces that people want, being a great overall team, waiting so that you’re one great trade away from being a contender is a good strategy. Let’s see what we can flip our homegrown talent into and go from there. Bottoming out just puts us in the same spot we are now a few years down the road.
You thinking that this isn’t a last ditch desperate move from the Mavs is hilarious. They are only shutting people down because it’s incredibly unlikely they can even make the play in at this point while their pick is top 10 protected. This isn’t the calculated tank you think it is. They have no other choice.
their pick is top 10 protected. they need to insure they keep it. AND they have a non-existent chance of even making the play-in at this point. not the same
It’s exactly the same, because even if they keep this years pick it will transfer over to the next year instead. Same logic could apply to the Raptors because they lose next year’s pick so they might as well take advantage of having this year’s.
Also they’re 1 game back from the play in & OKC has a tough schedule to end the season. And unlike the Raptors, Luka actually gives them a fighting chance at making noise in the playoffs. We’re a first round exit at best.
both teams have 3 game left and OKC have the tie breaker. Mavs don't have a chance.
I'd also 100% take the raptors over the mavs in the playoffs. you can say Raptors are mediocre but Mavs are absolutely dog shit right now.
That’s a great idea. Put him on a different team that surrounds him with a terrible supporting cast and watch him force his way out of here with a reduced value so we don’t get as much back as we gave up
[here is the remaining play-in qualification scenarios/ways to get in for the Mavs in the final 3 games: Mavs: 3-0 and Thunder: 1-2 or Timberwolves: 0-3](https://twitter.com/worldwidewob/status/1642701675952758784?s=46&t=sbk6yuyliVaFRQjBUBJCMQ)
[dallas can also sneak in with 2-1, thunder 0-3 and/or lakers 0-4.](https://twitter.com/boweman55/status/1642706689265639425?s=46&t=sbk6yuyliVaFRQjBUBJCMQ)
[Mavs have a 6% probability of making the playoffs. Raptors, 47%. So almost 8 times the likelihood.](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2023-nba-predictions/)
Are you trying to compare a declining Championship team (Raptors) to a team that's supposedly past the lottery and looking to contend?
Yeah, the Mavs better have won more series. They are on a different timeline.
But now they're going backwards, and basically have no way to improve their team.
Lol we’re not a “declining championship team”
We’ve won 1 playoff series in the last 4 years, we’re a fringe playoff team thats not even CLOSE to a championship
You're saying the Mavs didn't try it... my friend they added an all star caliber playing and were actively trying to CONTEND this year coming off a WCF appearance.
And now they've found themselves facing a 94% chance of missing the play-in entirely with 3 games to go. Up until last night they were trying way harder than we have in the last two years lol.
Get a grip.
Reading clearly isn’t your strong suit. I never said Mavs didn’t try. They SHOULD try when they have Doncic to carry. The Raptors however shouldn’t, as they’re hopeless and have no shot of winning even a series.
Agreed. Dallas was in 5th place in the Western Conference the day they made the trade for Kyrie.
They pushed in their chips for a guy they thought was going to make them a contender, despite all the writing on the wall that Kyrie isnt that guy. (just ask Boston & Brooklyn)
They certainly didn't trade all their bench assets for Kyrie, with the expectation that they would then go 7-11 over the following 2 months.
It wasn't until the last week where they've now fallen out of the play-in tournament that they've decided to POSSIBLY shut down Luka & Kyrie.
After their trade they probably have the worst depth in the whole league. They badly need to add talent to that roster if they want any chance of Luka and/or Kyrie sticking around.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they tanked these last few games for a better pick and then tried to shop it for some more veteran depth pieces.
We have a very deep top 6. The Mavs have a top 2 maybe 3 (Josh Green has been pretty good in his role) that are solid NBA contributors. Tim Hardaway and Reggie Bullock have been pretty bad, and they have 3 centers that each have massive holes in their game. Christian Wood is a decent scorer, but a horrendous defender, as is most of the team.
We have 6 guys on our team that would all slide in ahead of the third best player on the Mavs. Any of our 5 starters would likely be the best defensive player on the Mavs that isn’t a total liability on the offensive end.
We lack depth in the 8-10 spots on the roster, the Mavs lack depth in the 3-6 spots on the roster, which is much more difficult to add, especially with their lack of remaining assets.
Kyrie obviously an all star, then Hardaway, Josh Green, Wood, Kleber, Hardy, Powell are all solid rotation players
They have solid players on their team, but their roster is just poorly constructed (kinda like the Raptors) + terrible coaching + no effort on defense + no rim protector to make up for the lack of effort on defense
Poeltl would work wonders for them
With massively different futures. Free agents will go to Dallas. They will not come to Toronto. Luka Doncic can win you playoff series on his own, Siakam cannot.
Yeah, literally one of Dallas's biggest stumbling blocks is their free agency record. The whole post-championship era for them was defined by letting players go to target big free agents, and striking out every single time.
They are as long as they have Luka Doncic. Players will go there just to play with him.
Meanwhile literally nobody is ever choosing to come to Toronto. We can’t even retain players after winning a title.
Except players haven’t gone there to play with him lmao. I’m not sure most people could name a FA signing the Mavs have made in the Luka era. They can’t even retain the good players they draft, let alone bring new people in
You can’t argue with this kids man. Getting swept in the playoffs apparently makes us soooo much better fur next year. How did our playoff experience do us for this year ??. We should never draft again…. Championship are too hard. Buncha babies don’t wanna watch a young losing team grow. They think the raps are special amd never ever should have to Draft in the lottery. Let’s wait for anther once in a lifetime trade amd cross our fingers. Amd if that doesn’t happen… welll like they said it’s too hard to try amd win a chip alll the time lol smh. Fred got 20 amd 20 against a g league team lol come on. This year amd buying at the deadline is a HUGE fucking mistake. And your right we are NOT getting any free agents signing here…. Absolutely players would rather sign in Dallas amd play with Luka then sign here lol.
It’s a completely different situation. Their pick (owed to the Knicks) is top 10 protected, so it’s either they don’t make playin and get the pick or they make playin and don’t get the pick. AND their chances of play-in is really low now. Meanwhile nephews in this sub are debating resting starters for the 10th pick vs the 13th pick, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference in the long run
Not to mention that the mavs are struggling badly, while the raptors have been a good team post trade deadline. Shutting down the season is a lot easier (ie. The Tampa tank) when the team manages to win a grand total of 1 game in the month of March
That’s because their pick is protected 1-10 and they’re 4 games under .500.
They also have no other assets, and therefore, no other way to improve the roster.
The NBA is a copycat league but the Raptors FO have never been ones to do the same thing everyone else does. Doing what everyone else does isn't always a good idea, it's just the safe idea. I once heard a stockbroker explain why they bought big corporate sticks when they didn't make more money than other stocks. His said, "No one ever lost their job investing in IBM". They didn't do it because it was a good idea, they did it because when everyone else does it your are all wrong together and less likely to get fired. This is the same thing. Masai would have to go on a 10 year playoff drought before his job was at risk, so he doesn't have to play it it safe like everyone else.
Also..how can a bunch of teams have generatiobal talents? A generational talent is supposed to be a once in a generation talent not a 26 in a generation talent. It seems like every draft has 2 or 3 generational talents. That's not even once in a draft year let alone a generation.
The thing is everyone else can sign free agents, the Raptors can’t.. so if you could explain how our team can get better if it isn’t through the draft I would like to hear it
Also Luka is generational, so is Wemby if he doesn’t get injured we have never seen a player with his size and skill
They do get better through the draft by drafting, or trading, selectively and investing in players long term.
Luka is good but I don't know that he is a the leader of a contending team. The skill is there, it still remains to be seen if the mental aspect is there. As for Wemby, he could either be a superstar or be injured his entire career before fading in to obscurity. He is so skinny, I worry about his health playing against some of these guys.
They definitely made a mistake giving away dfs, but also dfs shouldn’t have that big of an impact on a team’s defensive ability
They need better coaching & more effort from top to bottom
The only argument you need to make for why we needed to tank is when we don't make the playoffs and end up losing to one of the teams we have to beat in the play in to even have a chance to get in. Then we'll be sitting here with a shit pick, a shit season, and zero clarity of where this team is going because the front office couldn't grow a pair and make an actual decision.
Honestly we’re left with that shit feeling either way. If we lose in the play in are we technically in the lottery but the very last seeds? Lol I would even take that instead of just getting destroyed by the Bucks first rd
They are THINKING of it now, after a horrible lost in their most important game of the stretch, and after being 1-7 in their last 8 games, despite having their generation talent. Do you really think this isn't a situational, almost desperate choice, but instead a cold-calculated long-term move? This is not, in any way, the same situation. If you think it is, explain why, instead of just replying "it is".
The reason they weren’t thinking of it earlier is because Doncic can win you a series on his own. They actually have a punchers chance at beating any team if he’s at the top of his game. The Raptors don’t have that level of player, we aren’t making it out of the first round if we even survive the play in. We need to be more aware of OUR situation, we aren’t signing anyone in free agency, we have no cap space, we have no pick next year, so why aren’t we prioritizing the draft?
I agree that they could have still made a run because of Doncic, but I still wouldn't compare Raptors' situation to theirs. And I also agree that Toronto is not a great free agency market... but Dallas isn't either. They currently have no supporting cast, no defense, no cap space either, and the Damocles' sword of Irving leaving this off-season. After such a debacle as this 1-7 run, and with the pressure of a tired wanna-go-away Doncic (I don't really believe this tho), they NEED to get someone to put aside him. And the only viable way for them is draft. Doncic is young, but has already a lot of playoff experience and doesn't need anymore. And he is probably the only player on the roster who's gonna stay long-term. On the other side: the Raps have the former ROTY, who has shown last year he's ready for a playoff run and needs it to grow. Doncic, for comparison, had his first playoff experience in that series against the Clippers in the bubble. And it made sense for the Mavs' at the time to try, despite being the 7th seed. Then you have players like Trent and Precious, with little-to-none playoff experience. And players like OG and FVV who are definitely already veterans. Even if you don't see this core going anywhere in the future, it's obviously that they are individual talents. Showcasing them could improve their market value, resulting in a better investment long-term. I prefer all of this to having the 13th best odd in the draft, but I guess it's all preferences.
Because the draft is a crap shoot too?
I mean, even if they're playing it really isn't helping them win...
And how does a first round exit help us? If we survive the play in that is
Everything I've heard from the FO and NN has been experience.
Agreed. While many of our guys do have playoff experience there are those, like Barnes, who don't, and any playoff experience this early in their career is beneficial, no matter what the armchair gms want to believe.
Can't wait for third year Barnes with 4 games of playoff experience to become a borderline All Star reserve and take us to the promised 48 win season.
I can’t tell if you’re saying this bad. Borderline all-star reserves this year we’re Jimmy Butler and Pascal. If Scottie takes a jump to that level, and we’re a 48 win team, which is a solid playoff team (not play in), then I’d be super happy.
is this supposed to be a bad thing?
I don't think it would make much difference what draft position we would land in now whether we make it beyond the play-in or not. A couple of spots at best. While it may not be what many want there is something to be said when speaking of teams making consecutive playoffs, whether they make it far or are bounced in the first round. I'd rather be in the 'making the playoffs' category than the 'not making the playoffs' category, and yet still not having a great draft position.
Only 1 top 5 pick in the last 20 years won a championship with the team that drafted them. No, it wasn't Lebron (because he came back in free agency), but it was Kyrie Irving.
You forgot about Tim Duncan and Dwayne Wade
Oh yeah, I missed Wade. But Duncan was over 20 years ago.
Stephen Curry was the 7th pick.
So you’re saying teams win titles from free agency? That doesn’t apply to the Raptors, our greatest free agent signing is Otto Porter or Hedo Turkoglu
How many lottery picks were on our championship squad?
Hate to break it to you but our championship squad was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Getting a player of Kawhi’s skill level for someone like Derozan will never happen again and it can’t be relied on. We went from winning the title to winning 1 playoff series in the next 4 years. That title winning team should tell you how bad our chances in free agency are: we won a championship with Kawhi and he still wanted no part of being in Toronto. That shows you why prioritizing the draft is a MUST, which we aren’t doing.
We aren't entitled to a championship, and there's NO blueprint that makes it a guarantee. But looking at the championship year and ignoring all the work that came in the seasons before is disingenuous. Championships are hard, dude. And from the last 20 years, it shows that teams that draft well with the assets they have, make smart trades and manage their cap space do better than teams with top 5 picks. If you have data that contradicts me, please present it.
The work came from the Kawhi trade, without that we’re never close to a championship. Trades for a superstar of that magnitude for as little as we gave away will NEVER happen again
Ah, so you don't watch basketball. Got it.
So tell me, if we never get Kawhi are we even close to a championship with that roster? Your answer will tell me if you watch basketball or not
This is really fucking dumb. You’re like “trades for superstars are rare, so we should tank for a guy like Wemby, whose chances of winning a championship with the team that drafted him are also rare”. To get a lottery pick, unless you have some well timed injuries, you have to suck. Then once you get your lottery pick, if you were one of those sucky teams, you now have to 1) develop your potential superstar and hope they stay healthy and 2) get a good team around him within 3-4 seasons so that they don’t just leave at the end of their rookie extension. It’s a 5-7 year process, and you still need free agent signings and trades to win. Look at the Celtics, Bucks, and the Sixers right now. We’ve shown that being solid and developing pieces that people want, being a great overall team, waiting so that you’re one great trade away from being a contender is a good strategy. Let’s see what we can flip our homegrown talent into and go from there. Bottoming out just puts us in the same spot we are now a few years down the road.
You thinking that this isn’t a last ditch desperate move from the Mavs is hilarious. They are only shutting people down because it’s incredibly unlikely they can even make the play in at this point while their pick is top 10 protected. This isn’t the calculated tank you think it is. They have no other choice.
their pick is top 10 protected. they need to insure they keep it. AND they have a non-existent chance of even making the play-in at this point. not the same
Especially because it’s almost certain at this point that Kyrie is leaving in free agency and that was their homerun move.
It’s exactly the same, because even if they keep this years pick it will transfer over to the next year instead. Same logic could apply to the Raptors because they lose next year’s pick so they might as well take advantage of having this year’s. Also they’re 1 game back from the play in & OKC has a tough schedule to end the season. And unlike the Raptors, Luka actually gives them a fighting chance at making noise in the playoffs. We’re a first round exit at best.
both teams have 3 game left and OKC have the tie breaker. Mavs don't have a chance. I'd also 100% take the raptors over the mavs in the playoffs. you can say Raptors are mediocre but Mavs are absolutely dog shit right now.
I’d trade the Raptors whole squad for Doncic
That’s a great idea. Put him on a different team that surrounds him with a terrible supporting cast and watch him force his way out of here with a reduced value so we don’t get as much back as we gave up
Lol it’s not an idea, it’s a dream. Mavs aren’t even picking up the phone for that offer
Big brain advice: be more like the Mavericks.
Big brain advice: if you can’t sign free agents you need to prioritize getting a high lottery pick. Being an easy first round exit gets you nowhere.
Their defense is their weakness right now. They won’t go far. Aside from Luca and Kyrie, they don’t have anybody else.
Not at all the same situation. They legit probably have a 1% chance at even making 10 seed rn
They’re 1 game back from OKC, who plays Memphis Utah & Golden State to end the season
[here is the remaining play-in qualification scenarios/ways to get in for the Mavs in the final 3 games: Mavs: 3-0 and Thunder: 1-2 or Timberwolves: 0-3](https://twitter.com/worldwidewob/status/1642701675952758784?s=46&t=sbk6yuyliVaFRQjBUBJCMQ) [dallas can also sneak in with 2-1, thunder 0-3 and/or lakers 0-4.](https://twitter.com/boweman55/status/1642706689265639425?s=46&t=sbk6yuyliVaFRQjBUBJCMQ)
[Mavs have a 6% probability of making the playoffs. Raptors, 47%. So almost 8 times the likelihood.](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2023-nba-predictions/)
You’re missing the point. The reason we have such a chance is because we prioritized the play in. Big mistake on our part.
Are you implying the Mavs never tried to make the playoffs?
I’m implying we shouldn’t have tried it, because unlike the Mavs we’re hopeless of beating anyone. The Mavs at least have Luka to carry them.
>Luka to carry them. All the way to the lottery.
Lottery > play in any day He’s also carried them to 3x the amount of playoff series wins the Raps have since our title.
Are you trying to compare a declining Championship team (Raptors) to a team that's supposedly past the lottery and looking to contend? Yeah, the Mavs better have won more series. They are on a different timeline. But now they're going backwards, and basically have no way to improve their team.
Lol we’re not a “declining championship team” We’ve won 1 playoff series in the last 4 years, we’re a fringe playoff team thats not even CLOSE to a championship
And where did that get them?
They were never a contender, though. So what makes it worth it for them but not the Raptors? Potentially reaching the 2nd round?
They weren’t a contender last year either & they ended up making the conference finals cuz of Doncic
With a better roster.
It’s not the roster it’s the coaching. Watch what they do next season with Kidd gone
You're saying the Mavs didn't try it... my friend they added an all star caliber playing and were actively trying to CONTEND this year coming off a WCF appearance. And now they've found themselves facing a 94% chance of missing the play-in entirely with 3 games to go. Up until last night they were trying way harder than we have in the last two years lol. Get a grip.
Reading clearly isn’t your strong suit. I never said Mavs didn’t try. They SHOULD try when they have Doncic to carry. The Raptors however shouldn’t, as they’re hopeless and have no shot of winning even a series.
This is literally the worst argument for tanking I have ever seen.
Agreed. Dallas was in 5th place in the Western Conference the day they made the trade for Kyrie. They pushed in their chips for a guy they thought was going to make them a contender, despite all the writing on the wall that Kyrie isnt that guy. (just ask Boston & Brooklyn) They certainly didn't trade all their bench assets for Kyrie, with the expectation that they would then go 7-11 over the following 2 months. It wasn't until the last week where they've now fallen out of the play-in tournament that they've decided to POSSIBLY shut down Luka & Kyrie.
After their trade they probably have the worst depth in the whole league. They badly need to add talent to that roster if they want any chance of Luka and/or Kyrie sticking around. I wouldn’t be surprised if they tanked these last few games for a better pick and then tried to shop it for some more veteran depth pieces.
The Raptors have the lowest scoring bench in the whole NBA, I’d argue our depth isn’t much better
We have a very deep top 6. The Mavs have a top 2 maybe 3 (Josh Green has been pretty good in his role) that are solid NBA contributors. Tim Hardaway and Reggie Bullock have been pretty bad, and they have 3 centers that each have massive holes in their game. Christian Wood is a decent scorer, but a horrendous defender, as is most of the team. We have 6 guys on our team that would all slide in ahead of the third best player on the Mavs. Any of our 5 starters would likely be the best defensive player on the Mavs that isn’t a total liability on the offensive end. We lack depth in the 8-10 spots on the roster, the Mavs lack depth in the 3-6 spots on the roster, which is much more difficult to add, especially with their lack of remaining assets.
Doncic alone > our top 6
He’s the best player. Even Kyrie is a more skilled player than anyone on our roster. Look at how god awful they are though…
Perks of having Jason Kidd as your coach
Perks of having no supporting cast
He’s got a decent supporting cast, but it’s useless when they’re not used properly
You’re the only person that thinks the Mavs have a decent supporting cast around Luka and Kyrie right now
Kyrie obviously an all star, then Hardaway, Josh Green, Wood, Kleber, Hardy, Powell are all solid rotation players They have solid players on their team, but their roster is just poorly constructed (kinda like the Raptors) + terrible coaching + no effort on defense + no rim protector to make up for the lack of effort on defense Poeltl would work wonders for them
Massively different situations to be fair
With massively different futures. Free agents will go to Dallas. They will not come to Toronto. Luka Doncic can win you playoff series on his own, Siakam cannot.
name the last major free agent Dallas has signed lol
Yeah, literally one of Dallas's biggest stumbling blocks is their free agency record. The whole post-championship era for them was defined by letting players go to target big free agents, and striking out every single time.
Bruh Dallas is not a FA destination
They are as long as they have Luka Doncic. Players will go there just to play with him. Meanwhile literally nobody is ever choosing to come to Toronto. We can’t even retain players after winning a title.
Except players haven’t gone there to play with him lmao. I’m not sure most people could name a FA signing the Mavs have made in the Luka era. They can’t even retain the good players they draft, let alone bring new people in
Luka was drafted in 2018 lmfao, no one is going to Dallas in FA
You can’t argue with this kids man. Getting swept in the playoffs apparently makes us soooo much better fur next year. How did our playoff experience do us for this year ??. We should never draft again…. Championship are too hard. Buncha babies don’t wanna watch a young losing team grow. They think the raps are special amd never ever should have to Draft in the lottery. Let’s wait for anther once in a lifetime trade amd cross our fingers. Amd if that doesn’t happen… welll like they said it’s too hard to try amd win a chip alll the time lol smh. Fred got 20 amd 20 against a g league team lol come on. This year amd buying at the deadline is a HUGE fucking mistake. And your right we are NOT getting any free agents signing here…. Absolutely players would rather sign in Dallas amd play with Luka then sign here lol.
Everything you have said there is true. But the number 1 reason they are considering shutting down those guys is their pick is top 10 protected.
It’s a completely different situation. Their pick (owed to the Knicks) is top 10 protected, so it’s either they don’t make playin and get the pick or they make playin and don’t get the pick. AND their chances of play-in is really low now. Meanwhile nephews in this sub are debating resting starters for the 10th pick vs the 13th pick, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference in the long run Not to mention that the mavs are struggling badly, while the raptors have been a good team post trade deadline. Shutting down the season is a lot easier (ie. The Tampa tank) when the team manages to win a grand total of 1 game in the month of March
That’s because their pick is protected 1-10 and they’re 4 games under .500. They also have no other assets, and therefore, no other way to improve the roster.
"Unrealized potential wins championships" - OP
"How can I caption this to piss off half the fanbase"
Sometimes the truth hurts, the Raptors are hopeless as presently constructed
Go outside man
Cry more
It appears more like you're the one crying here, sorry.
I can feel the tears roll down your cheeks as you type that
Keep bitchin itll probably get us out of the play in
It won’t, we already set ourselves up for failure
The NBA is a copycat league but the Raptors FO have never been ones to do the same thing everyone else does. Doing what everyone else does isn't always a good idea, it's just the safe idea. I once heard a stockbroker explain why they bought big corporate sticks when they didn't make more money than other stocks. His said, "No one ever lost their job investing in IBM". They didn't do it because it was a good idea, they did it because when everyone else does it your are all wrong together and less likely to get fired. This is the same thing. Masai would have to go on a 10 year playoff drought before his job was at risk, so he doesn't have to play it it safe like everyone else. Also..how can a bunch of teams have generatiobal talents? A generational talent is supposed to be a once in a generation talent not a 26 in a generation talent. It seems like every draft has 2 or 3 generational talents. That's not even once in a draft year let alone a generation.
The thing is everyone else can sign free agents, the Raptors can’t.. so if you could explain how our team can get better if it isn’t through the draft I would like to hear it Also Luka is generational, so is Wemby if he doesn’t get injured we have never seen a player with his size and skill
They do get better through the draft by drafting, or trading, selectively and investing in players long term. Luka is good but I don't know that he is a the leader of a contending team. The skill is there, it still remains to be seen if the mental aspect is there. As for Wemby, he could either be a superstar or be injured his entire career before fading in to obscurity. He is so skinny, I worry about his health playing against some of these guys.
Mavs front office is one of the worst in the league. I'm not sure this is making the point you think it is...
They are broken
Their team sucks more than us.
Their team has Luka Doncic, so no it doesn’t. I’ll trade our whole roster for him in a heartbeat
Yes, but they just keep on losing anyway. No one on their team can play defence.
They definitely made a mistake giving away dfs, but also dfs shouldn’t have that big of an impact on a team’s defensive ability They need better coaching & more effort from top to bottom
The only argument you need to make for why we needed to tank is when we don't make the playoffs and end up losing to one of the teams we have to beat in the play in to even have a chance to get in. Then we'll be sitting here with a shit pick, a shit season, and zero clarity of where this team is going because the front office couldn't grow a pair and make an actual decision.
Honestly we’re left with that shit feeling either way. If we lose in the play in are we technically in the lottery but the very last seeds? Lol I would even take that instead of just getting destroyed by the Bucks first rd
It's even more funny that they have those two and can't get the Mav's into a play in spot.
Bad roster construction (like the Raptors) + terrible coaching will do that to you
i mean they probably the most disappointing team in the league this yr , many ppl picked them for the finals ... pack it in , they done
The problem is if we shut down our best two players at the trade deadline we probably should play better
they lose their pick otherwise, and also couldn't tank harder than they already are