Trade the pick: ESPN late to the party (274)

[Matt52]

First of all, Rudy Gay makes this team MUCH better than it was this year. Second, if it's a 1:1 choice of Gay:Jones III, no GM in his right mind would choose Jones, for all the reasons already mentioned. He hasn't proven himself capable of leading/starring for a college team, let alone an NBA team. He hasn't played a game against NBA-calibre competition. He has well-noted 'intensity/grit' issues, noted even by his own college coach. This *may* all change when he gets to the NBA, but it's a crap shoot.

Gay is a known commodity, a guy who has proven his ability to dominate NBA games, and has been to the playoffs. He's experienced, but still young. He can shoot from the perimeter or get his own shot.

It's really not even debatable. Gay is the safer bet, the better player right now, and 95% likely still the better player 3-4 years from now.

The thing that keeps drawing me back to Gay is the whole potential issue that we all go on about. Gay has not reached his potential in my opinion. Casey is a phenomenal teacher and motivator. If he can tap in to Gay's physical abilities on defense.... wow.... I can't even let myself imagine.

[jimmie]

The thing that keeps drawing me back to Gay is the whole potential issue that we all go on about. Gay has not reached his potential in my opinion. Casey is a phenomenal teacher and motivator. If he can tap in to Gay's physical abilities on defense.... wow.... I can't even let myself imagine.

Co-sign. He's already a great offensive player, and has the physique of a guy who could wreak havoc defensively. If Casey can pry solid D out of Bargnani, he can certainly do it with Gay.

[NoPropsneeded]

I'm not as big a Gay fan as most on the board but if you think he wouldn't upgrade the team exponentially you're pretty delusional.

when did i say this? i said he'll make us mediocre which is true

[LBF]

Glad to see you agree that Gay will make us exponentially better.

[Nilanka]

Privately, members of the Raptors management have said bringing another rookie into the fold might not be in the team’s best interests.

Already young and getting younger with the addition of last year’s fifth overall pick, Jonas Valanciunas, the thinking is the pick could be better spent packaging it with a player already on the roster and addressing one of the club’s needs with a veteran NBA player.

That might not be too popular with the segment of the Raptors fan base that wants to see the team add to it’s young talent base in what is quite obviously a deep draft.

Even selecting eighth, the Raptors would get a good young player, the operative word there being young. Look at DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis. DeRozan is just now, after three years in the league, coming into his own. He’s still learning what it takes to score on a consistent basis. Davis, drafted the year after, is that much more raw.

Now consider Valanciunas’ arrival. He’s going to need his own time to learn the league, learn the skillset necessary to compete with men who have already learned all the tricks of the trade and aren’t likely to act too charitable with the new guy on the block.

Now double that with whomever the Raptors might select with the pick they get and ask yourself how many years you are willing to wait for this team to become an NBA playoff team? Then consider how much longer it will take those young guys to grow into the kind of players that can run with those playoff-hardened vets in the latter rounds of the playoffs.

The core of the team barring trades will be 26-year-old Andrea Bargnani, 22-year-old DeRozan, 22-year-old Davis and a 20-year-old Valanciunas.

Jose Calderon brings a solid dose of veteran savvy to the floor but even Calderon has only been to the playoffs twice in his career and never past the first round.

As much as another young gun would be great to add, the Raptors need some veteran leadership that can lead in the dressing room as well as on the floor. Rasual Butler, Anthony Carter and Jamaal Magloire all served a purpose but undeniably little of it came on game day.

Now obviously if the Raptors get extremely lucky and find themselves with one of the top three picks, all bets are off.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/29...tery-questions

Holding onto the pick may not pay dividends immediately, but I prefer to assemble talent over experience. My thinking is that in due time, our talent will eventually earn the experience. We just need to be patient.

[Matt52]

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/29...tery-questions

Holding onto the pick may not pay dividends immediately, but I prefer to assemble talent over experience. My thinking is that in due time, our talent will eventually earn the experience. We just need to be patient.

This article is a waste of pixels and ink, in my opinion.

And if they really were going to use it, wouldn’t you think they would be conducting workouts already as is the case with the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, just to name a couple?

I thought journalism was suppose to provide insight in to facts? This is just idle speculation. We all do that around here - but without the pay cheque.

Boo to Ganter.

[Soft Euro]

I thought journalism was suppose to provide insight in to facts? This is just idle speculation. We all do that around here - but without the pay cheque.

I'm pretty confident you've read (seen/heard) enough by journalists who need to get earns their paycheque somehow and need to come up with something, anything, to not believe you really mean it when you say "I thought journalism was suppose to provide insight in to facts?" ...

[Matt52]

I'm pretty confident you've read (seen/heard) enough by journalists who need to get earns their paycheque somehow and need to come up with something, anything, to not believe you really mean it when you say "I thought journalism was suppose to provide insight in to facts?" ...

Very true.

A lot of journalism is marshmallow like puff but this piece, in my opinion, made marshmallow look like a sturdy building material.

*EDIT*

I forgot to mention, BC has been traveling looking at prospective draft picks workout.

[NoPropsneeded]

BS article. Toronto Sun posts anything actually a lot of newspapers do that. We won't trade the pick unless we get Rudy Gay or someone really good

[ceez]

I'll be pretty disappointed if they trade the pick. Really disappointed.

[thead]

I'll be pretty disappointed if they trade the pick. Really disappointed.

I wouldn't make a blanket statement like that...it would depend on what we got really. To say that outright is a mistake...you never know what teams are willing to cough up in order to start rebuilding through the draft

[blackjitsu]

The man sees Ed Davis as part of our core...how is that? That voids the article on its own.

For the right player Batum, Iggy, Gay, etc., of course you trade the pick. Personally I think with Portland having 2 top 10 picks someone will drop, so it's best to see who that person is before a trade.

[Nilanka]

As per RaptorsHQ:

There is also the possibility that the Bobcats' pick at number two may be in play. Without being able to add a franchise player like Anthony Davis, the Bobcats are now in need of multiple talented pieces which could mean swapping that pick for multiple picks, or some combination of picks and players which, one would think would have to make the Raptors a possible player in that scenario.

http://www.raptorshq.com/2012/5/31/3...for-rebuilding

I wonder how realistic a scenario this is. And if Charlotte is willing to swap picks, who would it take to do so (Calderon, Bargnani, Davis, DeRozan)?

[ceez]

oof i'd offer anyone and everyone for it, not exaggerating.

[Nilanka]

Having said that...

“I’ve seen some people speculate that we may move the pick,” Colangelo said. “Obviously, if there is a transaction that warrants moving the pick, we will consider that. But we are not actively shopping it. We actually like this selection at eight.”

http://www.barrysbaythisweek.com/Art...aspx?e=3573904

That's what I like to hear.

[ceez]

i think had we moved down BC would have thrown his hands in the air and traded it. the fact is, the team has a zillion (hyperbole alert!) holes and needs more than a shot of talent. i realize Casey wants vets and BC wants to win now but this isn't the year to go all in imho. Next year.

[planetmars]

As per RaptorsHQ:



http://www.raptorshq.com/2012/5/31/3...for-rebuilding

I wonder how realistic a scenario this is. And if Charlotte is willing to swap picks, who would it take to do so (Calderon, Bargnani, Davis, DeRozan)?

I always thought Davis made sense in Charlotte due to the UNC connection. I'd trade our #8 pick and Davis for a guy like Beals, MKG or T-Rob. But would Charlotte, especially after the year they just had?

[planetmars]

Having said that...



http://www.barrysbaythisweek.com/Art...aspx?e=3573904

That's what I like to hear.

Thanks for this.. it just made my day :-)

Hibbert wasn't even our pick and yet years later people still question that trade for O'Neil. If we gave up our 8th pick for some vet (even a guy like Gay) I'm sure that transaction would be ripped apart years from now when the draft pick becomes a perennial all-star.

[ceez]

Gay is the only player i can talk myself into being interested in trading the pick for. Even then, i'd want to flip picks.

[Nilanka]

Gay is the only player i can talk myself into being interested in trading the pick for. Even then, i'd want to flip picks.

I agree both on Gay, and needing a 1st rounder back.

Having Gay as well as Tony Wroten Jr. would be highway robbery