2015 Raptors Offseason - Everything rumors, musings and rumblings

[Axel]

Carroll can defend guys without the PF or C coming up to help. Guys blowing by the perimeter forcing big to challenge was a huge problem for rebounding. Also means JV can stay on the court longer keeping the Raptors best dreb play on the floor

Unfortunately, we only have 1 Carroll. Teams will likely attack KL and DD more, and Casey's scheme still pulls the bigs out to contest shots on the perimeter. Really doubt Carroll can counter all of that.

[raptors999]

Carroll will help on the boards but I don't think that the addition of him alone will fix the rebounding issues. If PPat starts, there will also be problems with scoring from the 2nd unit. And I don't know how PPat will be able to handle games against teams that play with traditional bigs. He isn't known for his strenght. Raptors need someone tougher, stronger, more aggressive.

Hopefully that's JV. The second unit issue is moving Ross to SG leaves a huge shooting hole at SF especially if they use JJ. Adding a guy like Wrights brother at least gives CoJo a second option outside if Ross isn't open

[GLF]

2pat need to remain in the 2nd unit, he will be needed for offence, we need a rebounding defensively big to start who won't necessarily be asked to do much scoring, just scoring what comes their way, which is why I feel Gibson or faried are the best fit.

That's true. Our bench scoring will be a problem if he starts. I do agree that we need a better starting PF don't get me wrong. I just don't see a realistic way of getting a good one unless we trade either Lowry or DD. I don't see JJ or Ross or both getting us that player.

[Bendit]

That's very true as well. 2Pat and TH (if we resign him) getting to play their natural positions for once might actually help them a lot.

Your post gives me a segue to post an excerpt of a piece done on the ex coach of the Nuggets (Melvin Hunt). Among other things he speaks of the "position-less basketball" system now in vogue ala the Warriors in the finals. Is this what Masai is attempting to do with the retooling of the Raptors?....where you get talented, defense first players and have defense feed into the offense? Of course the talent on the Warriors is of a special kind! And is Casey the coach to implement it.

The big buzzword going around the NBA at the moment is position-less basketball. The Golden State Warriors are the poster-team for the phrase, as head coach Steve Kerr's major NBA Finals adjustment was changing his starting lineup, and benching his center, Andrew Bogut, in favor of 6'7" Andre Iguodala. The move made 6'7" Draymond Green the team's "center," but they were basically position-less with their front-court. Hunt is also a fan of position-less hoops, but knows forming that kind of team is easier said than done.

"I'm a basketball coach, I do both offense and defense, but one of the things that I'm very aware of is the defensive side. And position-less basketball, I've said it and I've said it in Denver, it starts with your defense," explained Hunt. "When you have a group of guys that can switch, that can all defend the post, that are pretty good on the perimeter defensively, it's going to make your offense so much better. Because now, when Draymond Green is defending a guy in the post, and he finds a way to get a stop and a rebound, now he's pushing the basketball, and now those great shooters are free without the ball to get open shots.

"When Steph is up top defending the point, and they try to switch him off, and he's a little bit smaller, but he's able to hold a guy off when the shot goes up," continued Hunt. "Now Klay gets the rebound, you got both of them running, and Iguodala's running a lane. So, position-less basketball, to me, starts on the defensive end and it grows into your offense.

http://www.denverstiffs.com/2015/6/2...-nba-mavericks

[raptors999]

Your post gives me a segue to post an excerpt of a piece done on the ex coach of the Nuggets (Melvin Hunt). Among other things he speaks of the "position-less basketball" system now in vogue ala the Warriors in the finals. Is this what Masai is attempting to do with the retooling of the Raptors?....where you get talented, defense first players and have defense feed into the offense? Of course the talent on the Warriors is of a special kind! And is Casey the coach to implement it.



http://www.denverstiffs.com/2015/6/2...-nba-mavericks

Being able to defend multiple position helps position less play but have every position be able to shoot and pass helps too. JJ can defend multiple spots but his shooting makes him a PF. Bucks have defenders at every spot but the terrible shooting keeps MCW at PG

[McRealistic]

People who think 2Pat and Carrol are our answers in PF position are in denial. They are trying to convince themselves that this will be OK. We had huge holes in SF, PF and Back up C last year and heard the same stuff from fans who were trying to down play it. At the end of the day, They all realized how big of void those holes were.

It is the same story here again with PF. I am willing to bet with anyone here that if 2Pat is our starting PF, if we do not bring a quality PF to this team and with this current players, we will not win a series in the play offs this year.

Will we even make the play offs ? Answer is yes and it is because the East is really bad but don't even try to think one second that we will make it past the first round.

[raptors999]

Unfortunately, we only have 1 Carroll. Teams will likely attack KL and DD more, and Casey's scheme still pulls the bigs out to contest shots on the perimeter. Really doubt Carroll can counter all of that.

There's only one ball, if Carroll forces a pass to a worse player switch or have Demar or Lowry guard the worse player while DC denies the return pass. Also ball hawk the pass. As long as DC doesn't give up the layups like last year the D improves. CHA and Spurs defense was terrible without MKG and Kawhi guarding the best player

[Axel]

There's only one ball, if Carroll forces a pass to a worse player switch or have Demar or Lowry guard the worse player while DC denies the return pass. Also ball hawk the pass. As long as DC doesn't give up the layups like last year the D improves. CHA and Spurs defense was terrible without MKG and Kawhi guarding the best player

Ok, but the other team's second option isn't going to be a terrible player.

Basically, when we play Washington, who guards Wall, and who guards Beal? Carroll can't prevent both (maybe not either) from getting to the hoop, and when that happens, the defence scrambles and open shots get contested by our bigs; thus leaving the glass open for opposing bigs to tag team our lone remaining big in the paint.

[raptors999]

Ok, but the other team's second option isn't going to be a terrible player.

Basically, when we play Washington, who guards Wall, and who guards Beal? Carroll can't prevent both (maybe not either) from getting to the hoop, and when that happens, the defence scrambles and open shots get contested by our bigs; thus leaving the glass open for opposing bigs to tag team our lone remaining big in the paint.

Usually Lowry guards Wall and DC guards Beal. Lowry needs to prevents Wall inside since he can't shoot and DC stops Beal from getting open since he can't drive. If Wall gives up the ball to Beal now Wall is spotting up and Beal is ball handling. Demar can easily guard Dudly. A SF is really important for D

[slaw]

People who think 2Pat and Carrol are our answers in PF position are in denial. They are trying to convince themselves that this will be OK. We had huge holes in SF, PF and Back up C last year and heard the same stuff from fans who were trying to down play it. At the end of the day, They all realized how big of void those holes were.

It is the same story here again with PF. I am willing to bet with anyone here that if 2Pat is our starting PF, if we do not bring a quality PF to this team and with this current players, we will not win a series in the play offs this year.

Will we even make the play offs ? Answer is yes and it is because the East is really bad but don't even try to think one second that we will make it past the first round.

Well, they filled the backup centre role with a legit backup. They hugely upgraded the SF spot and, in my opinion, they upgraded the backup PG spot. Those are three significant improvements over last season and 2 of your 3 issues.

This isn't like going to the grocery store and grabbing ingredients off the shelf. You can't simply collect all the pieces you need straightaway. I am fairly confident that the management team recognizes the need to improve the PF spot but that's not always easy to do in a cap league where trades are difficult to engineer. If it were, it would have been done already.

[Bendit]

Being able to defend multiple position helps position less play but have every position be able to shoot and pass helps too. JJ can defend multiple spots but his shooting makes him a PF. Bucks have defenders at every spot but the terrible shooting keeps MCW at PG

If in fact this is what MU's vision is then he has still some work to do! It also raises questions about JV and his mobility, DC's comment about him and of course Mu's confidence vote on DC. Could JV be moved for a more mobile big?

This is all very speculative of course but his acquisitions and deletions so far seem to point towards this style....exciting if it can be executed but of course patience will be needed to get the right fits and a Faried/Gallinari may be examples.

[McRealistic]

This isn't like going to the grocery store and grabbing ingredients off the shelf. You can't simply collect all the pieces you need straightaway. I am fairly confident that the management team recognizes the need to improve the PF spot but that's not always easy to do in a cap league where trades are difficult to engineer. If it were, it would have been done already.

No one claims here that it is EASY. If it was an easy job, then these guys would not be getting paid MILLIONS of dollars and fly with private jets.

It takes talent, planing and ... that being said, when you have such a huge hole in one position and you know that Amir is going to be most likely gone, then you should be better prepared.

We have made improvements but it is not enough to get us past what we achieved last year.

[Nilanka]

Well, they filled the backup centre role with a legit backup. They hugely upgraded the SF spot and, in my opinion, they upgraded the backup PG spot. Those are three significant improvements over last season and 2 of your 3 issues.

This isn't like going to the grocery store and grabbing ingredients off the shelf. You can't simply collect all the pieces you need straightaway. I am fairly confident that the management team recognizes the need to improve the PF spot but that's not always easy to do in a cap league where trades are difficult to engineer. If it were, it would have been done already.

I agree with your overall point that there's still plenty of time left to address the PF hole.

But not sure I agree Biyombo is a legit backup. I might even prefer Hayes, lol.

[raptors999]

If in fact this is what MU's vision is then he has still some work to do! It also raises questions about JV and his mobility, DC's comment about him and of course Mu's confidence vote on DC. Could JV be moved for a more mobile big?

This is all very speculative of course but his acquisitions and deletions so far seem to point towards this style....exciting if it can be executed but of course patience will be needed to get the right fits and a Faried/Gallinari may be examples.

Galinari works better but the elephants are Lowry and JV they are definitely PG and C

[Snooch]

We do. We really don't have enough consistent shooting. Ross is sportatic and misses a lot of open looks and PPatt fell off a lot last year shooting wise. So did Lowry. Only Carroll is reliable.

Carroll is gonna be kapono here without someone getting him his open looks.