The Raptors and the 2015 Draft

[Axel]

Don't put words in my mouth. All I said is that lets wait till they play a game first before saying these guys are perennial all-stars.

Oh, so you agree with me that those guys are likely going to be better than DD, even though they haven't played a game yet?

[magoon]

People say that every year though.

Last year smart, randle, vonleh were all supposed to be amazing.

The hype train was rolling on stauskas too.

and elfrid payton is still considered one of the higher upside guys, and i don't see him becoming all that great either

Smart WAS amazing for the half season he played in the ways he was expected to be amazing - IE, a point guard who could do everything but shoot and needed to find a jumper. Randle was injured. Stauskas barely got minutes because Rudy Gay and McLemore both played extremely well (and SAC's system wasn't any good for Stauskas because he's a playmaker rather than an off-ball shooter). Payton was great. Your only real disappointment was Vonleh and he, too, barely got minutes.

[Chr1s1anL]

Yup.

2000 - 3 all-stars (in a bad draft)
2001 - 8 all-stars
2002 - 4 all-stars
2003 - 9 all-stars
2004 - 6 all-stars
2005 - 5 all-stars
2006 - 5 all-stars
2007 - 4 all-stars
2008 - 5 all-stars
2009 - 6 all-stars
2010 - 3 all-stars

So average of 4.8 per draft.

So you think 3 of these five will be picked out of the top 5?

[octothorp]

Some drafts are better than others.

I think this draft is very top heavy.

Lots of good players at top.

I think this year's top 10 is better than last years.

Last year became a lot of hype.



Actually tough to really know due to injuries to Randle, Parker, and Embiid.


I do like top of this year's draft.

I think it's a good draft, but from Toronto's perspective, they either need to get up into the top 7 or else moving up doesn't make a lot of sense. If, for example, you trade up to Miami's 10th, the best players on the board are probably Cs, (WCS, Kaminsky, Turner), and then after that there's just a big group of decent but unspectacular guys, any of whom could drop into low teens or early 20s.

[Cody73]

Well guys....


I think were gonna stay pat and draft RHJ. Unless we do make a deal... MU hopefully nabbing up younger guys and a good pick.

[yabadabayolo]

Oh, so you agree with me that those guys are likely going to be better than DD, even though they haven't played a game yet?

They are not IMO. They have a chance to. Just like the 60th pick in the draft has the chance to as well. But it's not guaranteed.

But then again I don't have a time machine like yourself. So you must be right

[CalgaryRapsFan]

The Only problem is that Utah does not need DD at all ...

Who suggested DeRozan was the way to acquire him? Maybe they want Lowry? Maybe they want Gallinari? Maybe they want a 2016 draft pick? Maybe they become part of a multi-team trade?

I just pointed out that he's my ideal starting PF going forward. How to acquire him? That's up to MU...

[The Great One]

WCS at 21, interesting.

There's no way he drops that low. He's a top 10 talent iin this draft IMO. If you're Masai and Stein is still on the board at 20, you take him without any hesitation.

[Axel]

So you think 3 of these five will be picked out of the top 5?

So the stats support 5 all-stars per draft (1999 had 9 - so that should bump the average over 4.8).

Without running the pick by pick analysis, I would say that the Top 7 should produce at least 4 of the all-stars with 1 other from later on.

[Just Is]

Well guys....


I think were gonna stay pat and draft RHJ. Unless we do make a deal... MU hopefully nabbing up younger guys and a good pick.

Even though he's grown on me, I think I can relatively confidently say that we aren't drafting RHJ. I think Masai said they were going for 2 way players who don't necessarily have to be able to contribute right away.

[Miekenstien]

So you think 3 of these five will be picked out of the top 5?

just 1

[Chr1s1anL]

Oh, so you agree with me that those guys are likely going to be better than DD, even though they haven't played a game yet?

No, I don't. They only one I think that has a chance for sure is Mudiay.

[Balls of Steel]

Anybody you guys like in 2015 NBA Draft?

I like Delon Wright. As much as they need a 3 or 4. They need a guard that can defend the perimeter. GV needs to go.

[blackjitsu]

and one of those teams thinks gallo is a better player and run by a guy who has seen them both pretty closely.

also the part we don't get is the obviousness that demar immediately makes a team a winner.

Where do I say that? I didn't say that!

I clearly said that he may impact their draft pick percentage. They may be a lottery team next year (even with this trade that would be assumed) but have a worst pick. They could get better than say 2 Eastern teams, get in the lottery system and have higher odds for a worse selection.

I'm not saying DeMar is the truth and he will save Denver. I never said don't trade him. Just don't trade a top 10 SG to Denver, or NY. Even if it takes an all-time great season from DeMar for Denver to improve, why would you gamble the value of that pick? We already own their pick in a better draft. Why would you potentially make it worse?

Life isn't perfect. You guys are seeing this way to linear. Statistics are not straight lines. Why gamble a single year anomaly that makes the Raps future pick worse? For all we know a change of environment, a better coach improves DeMar. This is a guy who feeds off of his doubters. You can't see him having an all time season the year he gets traded to show people it was a bad idea? And it's essentially a contract year for him. Really? That sounds like the perfect catalyst.

If they move DeMar, there are other teams in the Top 10 they can negotiate with and preserve value of their future asset. This is just Denver pumping up the value of an asset.

[Axel]

They are not IMO. They have a chance to. Just like the 60th pick in the draft has the chance to as well. But it's not guaranteed.

But then again I don't have a time machine like yourself. So you must be right

LOL yeah, the 60th pick has an equal chance of being as great as the 7th pick.

The 7th pick will produce a highly skilled rookie on a nice rookie scale deal before the cap jumps. That is better than 1 year of DD before he either gets overpaid by us or someone else.

You should totally get a time machine though. Then you could contribute to the convo.