Same, Better or Worse?

[thead]

If we started the season again with the lineups below, would we be better, the same or worse? If so why?



Calderon - Ross - DeRozan - Davis - Valanciunas




Lowry - DeRozan - Gay - Johnson - Valanciunas

[consmap]

Looking at the first lineup makes me want to cry.
I think in terms of our record we would be about the same, maybe a little bit worse. There isn't enough talent there to win against a lot of the big teams but with Calderon running the point the ball movement could help the team stay close in a few games. Our defense could potentially be bad since JV and Ed aren't exactly the best interior defenders (good, but not the best). But we'd definitely see way more team ball and our young players would be in a much better position to develop and succeed. Tanking could also be possible with that lineup, and it wouldn't be painful to watch.

[KeonClark]

The same or worse.

People really need to get over Ed Davis. He's not that good. Why would he be starting if the Gay trade didn't happen when Amir and Tyler are both much better? And Lowry has actually been pretty decent this year, I don't know why everybody hates him so bad. I'll take his 13 and 7 and waay better defense over Calderon, thanks.

[tucas]

I like Lowry as well but I definitely miss the PG "controversy" that we had compared to our options this year. I really thing Raptors would be in a much better place going forward if it weren't for the Gay trade.

[Nilanka]

Yeah, can't see much of a difference there. Both teams are bottom feeders in the weak Eastern Conference.

[thead]

I was leaning towards same, but the main difference being upside and giving guys like Ross, Davis, and JV more opportunity to grow.

[thead]

Also I put Davis as a starter because I felt like he was tracking that way...you could easily replace him with Johnson and I think this debate still holds up.

[hateslosing]

We'd be worse. Calderon has dropped off quite a bit since the trade and Davis is not as good as Johnson. The team we are fielding this year is actually a pretty big improvement from the last few years from a talent perspective. Their problems have mostly been system related so far.

[wallz]

I use to think Lowry and Gay would make a playoff team if they were together. Boy was I wrong

[KeonClark]

I use to think Lowry and Gay would make a playoff team if they were together. Boy was I wrong

Technically, you may be right. We could become the first and only 35 win 4th seed in history! lol...............

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Toronto would be worse without having Gay & Lowry in the lineup.

Amir/Davis are and always have been a wash in my books. I would have preferred Amir to have been the one traded (purely for financial reasons), but I really don't think it would have made a huge difference which of them was kept as the starting PF. They're the #4/5 option on offense and asked to do the banging/rebounding (the only additional benefit of keeping Davis would have been the elimination of the ridiculous 'summer 3' and having a more traditional PF in the lineup).

For as bad as Gay has been playing this year, he definitely attracts defensive attention, opening up the court for other players; DeRozan has been the primary beneficiary. Gay still defends the best opposition wing (most of the time) and contributes solid rebounding. I don't think DeRozan would have developed as well as he has, had he had both the pressure and defensive attention, from being the #1 guy on offense.

Lowry has had some great games, despite not being the long-term answer for this team. I still think a Gay/Lowry tandem is vastly superior to Calderon/Ross tandem, at least this season.

A lineup with Calderon, Ross and DeRozan would be a huge defensive downgrade from a Lowry, DeRozan and Gay lineup. Combine that with a still-learning defensive anchor (Valanciunas), and that defense would be swiss cheese compared to the current defense.

[OldSkoolCool]

I've been thinking about that...say the leader of the Atlantic division is a 30-52 team, and the team in 9th place is any number of wins better than that. Does the NBA consider saying "screw you Atlantic, you suck, you're out of the playoffs"

I sure hope so...it would be a disgrace to playoff basketball and undeserving. BTW I think it should just be conference versus conference...none of this division BS..

[iblastoff]

We'd be worse. Calderon has dropped off quite a bit since the trade and Davis is not as good as Johnson. The team we are fielding this year is actually a pretty big improvement from the last few years from a talent perspective. Their problems have mostly been system related so far.

how has calderon dropped off at all?

[hateslosing]

how has calderon dropped off at all?

His assit numbers are down quite a bit, he used to be good for 9-10 per 36 and he's at 5.7 this year. His scoring hasn't dropped off much though.

[consmap]

His assit numbers are down quite a bit, he used to be good for 9-10 per 36 and he's at 5.7 this year. His scoring hasn't dropped off much though.

I think that's because most of the ball handling duties go to Monta Ellis in Dallas, Jose doesn't orchestrate the offense as much as he did in Toronto anymore.