BC has 2 years - what would you do if you were him?

[joey_hesketh]

I think Aminu is fine as a SF. He still needs to improve his skills, but he's young and apparently has a similar work ethic as DeRozan, so that's definitely encouraging. If nothing else, it gives the Raptors a young asset with a lot of upside who should only go up in value (as opposed to Bargnani, who will probably only go down from now on). And if he fulfills his potential, then the Raptors have their SF for the future.

What's interesting about this is that James Johnson also went to Wake Forest (same as Aminu), and has a similar body type to Aminu. But the thing I like about Johnson over Aminu is his Ball-Handling skills as well as aggressive Defense. I'll admit I haven't had a chance to watch Aminu much with the Clips, but with Wake Forest, his ball-handling was a serious weakness in his game. He basically played PF for them with a SF title.
Both managed to put up similar numbers though.

I guess with Johnson being a few years older, we have more of an idea of what he can do, but I'd be fine with just letting Johnson play out the season as our Starting SF, to see what he can do.

The other thing I'm iffy on with Aminu is that he is still VERY immature from what I understand, Ala Andray Blatch.
The guy did a Drive-By shooting with a BB Gun and got Arrested for it, for Christs Sake!! hahah

[tenforthewin]

1) Trade Andrea Bargnani + fillers for a veteran SF + 1st round pick of 2012 or 2013
2) Give DD the max
3) Draft a high pick SF (Barnes or Miller) in the 2012 nba draft and PG (Myck Kabongo)
4) Draft a PF in 2013 nba draft (Rakeem Christmas, Patric Young or Dwight Powell)
5) Trade Amir Johnson + Barbosa for a backup C for Valanciunas
6) Sign a center in the offseason leading to 2011-12 short term season (K.Brown, C.Hayes)

[Tim W.]

1) Trade Andrea Bargnani + fillers for a veteran SF + 1st round pick of 2012 or 2013
2) Give DD the max
3) Draft a high pick SF (Barnes or Miller) in the 2012 nba draft and PG (Myck Kabongo)
4) Draft a PF in 2013 nba draft (Rakeem Christmas, Patric Young or Dwight Powell)
5) Trade Amir Johnson + Barbosa for a backup C for Valanciunas
6) Sign a center in the offseason leading to 2011-12 short term season (K.Brown, C.Hayes)

I don't have a problem with the first one, but why would you give DeRozan the max? Paying him elite money doesn't make him elite, and if you can lock him down for less and he becomes a great player, then all the better. Plus, it's not likely you'll be able to offer him an extension for another couple of years.

What if the best player available isn't a SF? Why lock yourself into drafting for a position?

On the other hand, why would you draft a PF in 2013 when you've already got two above average PFs, 1 of whom might be a future All-Star? Now, if the Raptors ending up being crap again in 2012 and they get a high pick again, and if a PF is the best player available, then obviously you do it, but to decide, two years in advance, that you want to draft a position that is currently your biggest strength, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

If you trade Amir and Barbosa and all you get out of the deal is a backup center, then that is an incredibly horrible deal and you should be fired on the spot. Sorry.

If you're trading for a center, why would you then sign a center? If you're going to trade Barbosa, it has to be before the trade deadline this season, or else his contract will have expired, so I presume this backup center that you trade for will be coming before the start of the next season. In which case getting another mediocre center doesn't make much sense at all.

I like the way you numbered them, though.

[RaptorFan (proud?..)]

\ I like the way you numbered them, though.

+1 That was the funniest/classiest picking apart of an idea I've seen in a while.

[joey_hesketh]

What if the best player available isn't a SF? Why lock yourself into drafting for a position?

Solid breakdown. This is only point take issue with, and heres why:

I think knowing that Harrison Barnes, (and Anothony Davis, James McAdoo, Quincy Miller), is in the draft, and already having a fairly good idea of who else will be enterting the draft; I think we can make a safe assumption that SF will not only be the strongest Position available, but also be the position with which to Target our Draft Choice.

[Matt52]

Solid breakdown. This is only point take issue with, and heres why:

I think knowing that Harrison Barnes, (and Anothony Davis, James McAdoo, Quincy Miller), is in the draft, and already having a fairly good idea of who else will be enterting the draft; I think we can make a safe assumption that SF will not only be the strongest Position available, but also be the position with which to Target our Draft Choice.

As of now I'd put Anthony and McAdoo more as 4's than SF's.

If the best player available is a PF, you obviously take him. ED may be able to fetch another draft pick which could lead to a SF or PG.

So much can happen in the next year. It really is a pivotal time in the course of the franchise's next 8-10 years.

*I'm assuming Bargnani will already be gone - remember what happens when one ass-u-me-s though*

[joey_hesketh]

I've always been of the opinion that Barnes is the best pick available. Even at #1 we should take him.

[Tim W.]

Solid breakdown. This is only point take issue with, and heres why:

I think knowing that Harrison Barnes, (and Anothony Davis, James McAdoo, Quincy Miller), is in the draft, and already having a fairly good idea of who else will be enterting the draft; I think we can make a safe assumption that SF will not only be the strongest Position available, but also be the position with which to Target our Draft Choice.

You target the best player available. Period. It LOOKS like the best player available might be a SF, but one never knows what's going to happen. And just because the SF position looks like a position of strength in the draft doesn't mean that a small forward is going to be the best player.

And I've got to agree with Matt, that Davis and McAdoo look more like 4's than 3's. That doesn't mean I don't think they might be able to play the 3, but if you could place the at any position, it would be the 4.

That said, a starting front line of Valanciunas, Ed Davis and Anthony Davis would be potentially incredible.

[NoPropsneeded]

harrison barnes brings the 3 point shooting and defense, but i think we need a more explosive SF. I'd go with quincy miller or barnes, and as i've stated before we should grab a second pick maybe from philly and draft Kobongo.