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  • #61
    East:

    1. Heat
    2. Bulls
    3. Pacers
    4. Nets
    5. NYK
    6. Cavs
    7. Raptors
    8. Wizards
    Mamba Mentality

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    • #62
      magoon wrote: View Post
      They have THREE 2014 first-round picks. Their own, Detroit's (protected top 8) and Portland's (protected top 12). Given Detroit and Portland's offseason improvements, it's quite possible that all three picks fire off this year.
      Even better. I forgot about Portland.

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      • #63
        You guys who are underrating the Wizards should remember the following (in addition to the fact that they were quite good with John Wall healthy, last year):
        1. Washington and Atlanta get to play Orlando and Charlotte 8 times next year;
        2. Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland have to play each other 4 times each, in addition to playing Chicago and Indiana 4 times each.

        Those are important facts. Plus, some people are forgetting that ATL, BOS, and CLE have All-Star talent on their roster, while the Raptors do NOT. We really do overestimate the value of our own players.

        I'd rank them as:
        1. Heat
        2. Pacers
        3. Bulls
        4. Nets
        5. Knicks
        6. Hawks
        7. Wizards
        8. Bucks / Celtics
        10. Raptors / Cavs / Pistons

        In other words, I think right now we are fighting for the 8th spot, but falling just short (just like last year).

        If I'm Ujiri, I wait until a bit later into the season to see what we have and which of our highly paid players is performing, and make some tanking moves based on that (unless we are playing really well). So, for instance, if we are struggling but Gay is playing well, I say get him to Charlotte (especially if they are falling short of their expectations and still want out of the basement), and get a couple of 2014 picks out of them.

        I'd be happy with either keeping most of the team after this (because we can count on having a number of 2014 picks, instead of having to blatantly tank), or with trading away the other two highly paid players on the roster to get even more 2014 picks. Even better, I would probably trade at least some of those rookies (next year, or even the year after) for a star (along with some other players on the roster, as needed). People LOVE potential, and there will sometimes be stars available, for the right price. That's how Houston got Harden (and then Howard, as a result of having Harden).

        So I say grab as many potential-laden players in this year's draft, and either rebuild slowly by keeping them, or use them as assets to speed up the rebuild (Houston-style). Because as I said above, I don't see us being a playoff team right now (or at least, not highly likely to be one). I think some of you are too optimistic (even if I hope you're dead on the money).

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        • #64
          magoon wrote: View Post
          Looking at the Charlotte fan boards, they are evenly split after the Jefferson signing - half of them are "we should tank" and half of them are "WHO ELSE CAN WE GET LET'S DO THIS!" They are seriously psyched. It's nuts.

          I wonder if Charlotte would go for a mega-trade, taking Rudy and maybe a couple of other players (Lowry, maybe Ross or DeMar or Acy, maybe the rights to Zubcic) from us in exchange for a number of their picks, Ben Gordon's terrible but expiring contract, Ramon Sessions' contract and maybe one good young player like Gerald Henderson who's an RFA anyway. Instantly upgrades them to near-contender status, gives us the tank we want plus a good young asset.
          Charlotte is a really shitty team, and they did themselves no great favor signing NO DEFENSE AT ALL Jefferson. If you think 2-3 of our players would make them "near-contenders", why aren't they more valuable to us than crap shoot out-of-the-lottery draft picks?

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          • #65
            You people underrate your own team lol. Or maybe you people just don't know what you're talking about?

            Hawks, Bucks, Celtics. No way in hell they're better than the Raptors. Pistons and Wizards you can make an argument but i think Toronto's a better team.

            Hawks just lost their best player. Bucks, i don't even know who plays for them anymore. Celtics next season will be tanking for Wiggins.

            Raps if they stay healthy will be a playoff team. Last season i predicted them to finish 9th in the East. They finished 10th. This coming season, assuming they don't blow the team up. I have them finishing 7th in the East.
            Mamba Mentality

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            • #66
              TRex wrote: View Post
              Hawks, Bucks, Celtics. No way in hell they're better than the Raptors. Pistons and Wizards you can make an argument but i think Toronto's a better team.
              Have you looked at the Hawks? Go over starters at each position:

              PG: Jeff Teague (probably) vs. Kyle. Teague is very, very good. Kyle at his best is the better of the two, but Kyle at his best is not everyday Kyle.

              SG: Kyle Korver v. DeMar. This is a no-contest: Korver is probably the best shooter in the entire goddamned league and an okay defender.

              SF: DeShawn Stevenson v. Rudy. Rudy's better. DeShawn is a perfectly acceptable fifth starting player but nothing more.

              PF: Paul Millsap v. Amir. Millsap is obviously leaps and bounds better than Amir.

              C: Al Horford v. Jonas. In a year or two this will probably go the other way around, but for now, Horford is better than Jonas is.

              So to sum up: they have better starters than us at four out of five positions, plus Lou Williams as a terrific sixth man (is Ross our sixth man?). But yeah, tell me how we're a better team than Atlanta again.

              Bucks, i don't even know who plays for them anymore.
              Right now it looks like:

              PG: Brandon Jennings (maybe)
              SG: OJ Mayo
              SF: Carlos Delfino
              PF: Ersan Ilyanova
              C: Larry Sanders

              Definitely better than us at three positions (SG, PF and C).

              Comment


              • #67
                You're putting too much emphasis on matchups. Lakers starting unit last season on paper looks better than the rest of the NBA. Where did that get them?

                Hawks are overrated. They've always been. They overachieved last season. Raptors underachieved. Losing Josh Smith will hurt them this season.

                Bucks on the other hand are clearly diggin for Wiggins as well. They just traded one of their better players for draft picks in Mbah a Moute.
                Mamba Mentality

                Comment


                • #68
                  TRex wrote: View Post
                  You're putting too much emphasis on matchups. Lakers starting unit last season on paper looks better than the rest of the NBA. Where did that get them?
                  The Lakers spent most of last season injured, and when Nash was healthy and actually able to execute the only trick D'Antoni knows they played fine. Also they you know MADE PLAYOFFS.

                  Hawks are overrated. They've always been. They overachieved last season. Raptors underachieved. Losing Josh Smith will hurt them this season.
                  Replacing Smith with Millsap was the right move for them. Smith is a ridiculously talented player who insists on doing what he can't (shooting). Millsap gives you 90% of Smith's upside with none of his downside.

                  Bucks on the other hand are clearly diggin for Wiggins as well. They just traded one of their better players for draft picks in Mbah a Moute.
                  I love Mbah a Moute, but let's be straight up: guy is an all-defense SF and they needed reliable scoring more than they needed his defense, given the presence of Ilyasova, Larry Sanders and Delfino in the frontcourt. (That having been said, Mbah a Moute would probably fit better in the Raptors' current frontcourt than Rudy does.)

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                  • #69
                    magoon wrote: View Post
                    Have you looked at the Hawks? Go over starters at each position:

                    PG: Jeff Teague (probably) vs. Kyle. Teague is very, very good. Kyle at his best is the better of the two, but Kyle at his best is not everyday Kyle.

                    SG: Kyle Korver v. DeMar. This is a no-contest: Korver is probably the best shooter in the entire goddamned league and an okay defender.

                    SF: DeShawn Stevenson v. Rudy. Rudy's better. DeShawn is a perfectly acceptable fifth starting player but nothing more.

                    PF: Paul Millsap v. Amir. Millsap is obviously leaps and bounds better than Amir.

                    C: Al Horford v. Jonas. In a year or two this will probably go the other way around, but for now, Horford is better than Jonas is.

                    So to sum up: they have better starters than us at four out of five positions, plus Lou Williams as a terrific sixth man (is Ross our sixth man?). But yeah, tell me how we're a better team than Atlanta again.



                    Right now it looks like:

                    PG: Brandon Jennings (maybe)
                    SG: OJ Mayo
                    SF: Carlos Delfino
                    PF: Ersan Ilyanova
                    C: Larry Sanders

                    Definitely better than us at three positions (SG, PF and C).
                    Korver is entirely one dimensional, and far from an OK defender.

                    Millsap is older, shorter, less of a defender, and less efficient offensively, but "leaps and bounds better than Amir"?????

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      p00ka wrote: View Post
                      Korver is entirely one dimensional, and far from an OK defender.

                      Millsap is older, shorter, less of a defender, and less efficient offensively, but "leaps and bounds better than Amir"?????
                      He has no idea what he's talking about. Also Jeff Teague isn't better than kyle lowry, he reminds me a lot of jennings. Both players think they are so good that they don't think they need to train to improve their games. Jeff Teague isn't a great rebounder despite his size and he's less of a distributor than lowry.

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                      • #71
                        magoon wrote: View Post
                        Have you looked at the Hawks? Go over starters at each position:

                        PG: Jeff Teague (probably) vs. Kyle. Teague is very, very good. Kyle at his best is the better of the two, but Kyle at his best is not everyday Kyle.

                        SG: Kyle Korver v. DeMar. This is a no-contest: Korver is probably the best shooter in the entire goddamned league and an okay defender.

                        SF: DeShawn Stevenson v. Rudy. Rudy's better. DeShawn is a perfectly acceptable fifth starting player but nothing more.

                        PF: Paul Millsap v. Amir. Millsap is obviously leaps and bounds better than Amir.

                        C: Al Horford v. Jonas. In a year or two this will probably go the other way around, but for now, Horford is better than Jonas is.

                        So to sum up: they have better starters than us at four out of five positions, plus Lou Williams as a terrific sixth man (is Ross our sixth man?). But yeah, tell me how we're a better team than Atlanta again.



                        Right now it looks like:

                        PG: Brandon Jennings (maybe)
                        SG: OJ Mayo
                        SF: Carlos Delfino
                        PF: Ersan Ilyanova
                        C: Larry Sanders

                        Definitely better than us at three positions (SG, PF and C).
                        I can take you serious when you say that a backcourt of Teague/Korver is better than Lowry/DeRozan. You do know that DD gave Korver the okay defender 30 right before the season ended right?
                        @Chr1st1anL

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                        • #72
                          Did Cleveland signing Bynum change the playoff picture?

                          If healthy, you bet..... big if I know.

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                          • #73
                            Raptors will need a LARGE step forward this year to compete.
                            The Baltic Beast is unstoppable!

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                            • #74
                              enlightenment wrote: View Post
                              Raptors will need a LARGE step forward this year to compete.
                              I feel it coming. A huge break out season is coming, lets goo! i'm so pumped

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                              • #75
                                Matt52 wrote: View Post
                                Did Cleveland signing Bynum change the playoff picture?

                                If healthy, you bet..... big if I know.
                                Oh great. This playoff thing is beginning to sound more unrealistic for us by the day, but I'm just hoping for a big season. Literally every game will count.

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