Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

David Aldridge's off-season grades. Toronto Raptors: 18

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • David Aldridge's off-season grades. Toronto Raptors: 18

    David Aldridge handed out his off-season grades in three columns, the top 10, middle 10, and the bottom 10, surprisingly we are at 18. Thought we were gonna be either ranked from 25-30 cause of the recognition the Raptors get, or top 15 because of the additions of young talent.

    What do you think? Good spot, should've been higher, or lower?

    http://www.nba.com/2012/news/feature...t-2/index.html

    No. 18 -- TORONTO RAPTORS
    2011-12 RECORD: 23-43, fourth place, Atlantic Division; did not make playoffs.
    ADDED: G Kyle Lowry (acquired from Houston); G Landry Fields (three years, $20 million); G Terrence Ross (first round, eighth pick overall) C Jonas Valanciunas (Lietuvos Rytas); G John Lucas III (two years); F Quincy Acy (second round, 37th pick overall).
    LOST: F Gary Forbes (signed with Houston); F James Johnson (traded to Sacramento).
    RETAINED: C Aaron Gray (two years); F Alan Anderson.

    THE KEY MAN: C Jonas Valanciunas.
    He's just 20 and he'll certainly have his ups and downs as a rookie adjusting to the NBA game, but Toronto needs its young center to get his feet wet in a hurry. His skills are substantial, though, and when he does figure things out, Toronto will be a much different team. His presence should end the Andrea Bargnani can play some center discussion once and for all, allowing Bargnani to play the four, his more natural position. Valanciunas is going to be a good one.
    THE SKINNY: The Raptors stopped hemorrhaging points with first-year Coach Dwane Casey putting in his defensive structure, and that should continue with more weapons at his disposal next season. Toronto didn't get native son Steve Nash, but wound up a lot deeper and younger than it would have been had Nash taken its three-year, $36 million offer. Lowry and Lucas will combine for a little more than half of what Nash would have made alone. Signing Fields was part of the lure to get Nash (the offer sheet gummed up a potential Knicks sign-and-trade opportunity), but Toronto has him now and will need to figure out how he, DeMar DeRozan and Ross, the University of Washington rookie, can divvy up all of those minutes at shooting guard. Someone will move over to the three. But someone could also be potentially packaged along with incumbent point guard Jose Calderon, who will be dealt.
    Again, big news on the Raptors is the situation on Jose Calderon, which I hope at some time will just shut up and stop. Jose on this team would be my preference, I just don't see an elite wing player in our hands at deadline, because they'll all probably be key players on their respective teams...
    Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.

  • #2
    RaptorReuben wrote: View Post



    Again, big news on the Raptors is the situation on Jose Calderon, which I hope at some time will just shut up and stop.
    Hah!

    You think the guys at NBA.com have anything else to talk about the Raptors? The only constants are the Jose story, Landry=overpaid, and not getting Steve Nash.

    Before that it was Val, and Ross being a reach.

    I doubt they know anything else about our team to ride on.
    TORONTOOOOOO RAPTORSSSSSS

    Comment


    • #3
      The Sixers @ 2 and the Rockets @ 8 are had scratchers for me, he has them in the top ten, but it seems to me that general consensus is both teams have gotten worse. The raptors aren't a top 10 team in offseason moves, but I think they deserve to be a few slots higher. 12-16 ranges seems right to me.

      Other than that I have no major complaints with his off-season ranking.
      "They're going to have to rename the whole conference after us: Toronto Raptors 2014-2015 Northern Conference Champions" ~ ezzbee Dec. 2014

      "I guess I got a little carried away there" ~ ezzbee Apr. 2015

      "We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon

      Comment


      • #4
        David Aldridge wrote:
        but Toronto has him now and will need to figure out how he, DeMar DeRozan and Ross, the University of Washington rookie, can divvy up all of those minutes at shooting guard. Someone will move over to the three.
        DA is one my absolute favourites ... but I'm a littler disappointed in him.
        Colangelo has stated on numerous occasions that as the Roster stands now, Landry Fields would be our Starting 3.

        Comment


        • #5
          joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
          DA is one my absolute favourites ... but I'm a littler disappointed in him.
          Colangelo has stated on numerous occasions that as the Roster stands now, Landry Fields would be our Starting 3.
          DA just stirring the pot. Most of these NBA media types really don't have a clue regarding anything when it comes to the Toronto Raptors. I always take whatever they have to say with a grain of salt. It's mostly rubbish.

          Comment


          • #6
            Doc Naismith wrote: View Post
            DA just stirring the pot. Most of these NBA media types really don't have a clue regarding anything when it comes to the Toronto Raptors. I always take whatever they have to say with a grain of salt. It's mostly rubbish.
            While people may disagree with Aldridge's opinion on where Toronto ranks with their moves, what he discusses in that peice is pretty much the same heavily discussed issues Raps fans talk about

            -THE KEY MAN: C Jonas Valanciunas.
            -end the Andrea Bargnani can play some center discussion once and for all, allowing Bargnani to play the four, his more natural position.
            -The Raptors stopped hemorrhaging points with first-year Coach Dwane Casey putting in his defensive structure, and that should continue with more weapons at his disposal next season
            -didn't get native son Steve Nash, but wound up a lot deeper and younger
            -Signing Fields was part of the lure to get Nash
            -[Fields], DeMar DeRozan and Ross, the University of Washington rookie, can divvy up all of those minutes at shooting guard. Someone will move over to the three.
            -point guard Jose Calderon, who will be dealt

            (apparently I should have just posted the article again)

            Looking at that I think Aldridge has a very good read as to whats happening in Toronto (Now I may be wrong here but I thought that in the past he admitted being a fan of the Raptors is one of his 'dirty little secrets'. So him being up on the significant happenings in Toronto shouldn't be a suprise)

            Comment


            • #7
              joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
              DA is one my absolute favourites ... but I'm a littler disappointed in him.
              Colangelo has stated on numerous occasions that as the Roster stands now, Landry Fields would be our Starting 3.
              In all fairness to DA, I don't think he hangs on every word which comes out of BC's mouth as we Raptor fans do. And just because BC says Fields is our starting 3 it doesn't mean it's the best fit for him as far as how the rest of the league perceives Fields. Sometimes an outside perspective is much more clear than ours.

              I would say 18th is a good spot for a team pulling itself together. If Jose has to be dealt I hope they can acquire a young PG with some potential. I shudder at the thought of Lucas being the first PG off the bench.

              Comment


              • #8
                RaptorReuben wrote: View Post

                Again, big news on the Raptors is the situation on Jose Calderon, which I hope at some time will just shut up and stop. Jose on this team would be my preference, I just don't see an elite wing player in our hands at deadline, because they'll all probably be key players on their respective teams...
                I am always ripping on Calderon and even I don't want them to move him at least until the allstar break.

                If you are winning and holding down a playoff spot - even then don't trade him unless it really helps.

                Packaging Calderon and Ross for iggy is not good - esp. considering Raps already owe a first round pick to Houston for Lowry deal.
                "I may be wrong ... but I doubt it"

                Comment


                • #9
                  JV will get all the attention heading in but this season is all about Bargnani when we're talking how successful the team is. They're going to need him to score his 20-22PPG for sure but more importantly he's going to need to step up and not only do his job on defense but take it to another level and be a leader to JV. He needs to take a major step forward and if he doesn't do it this team won't improve nearly as much as many fans expect. I believe this is the make or break year for Bargnani. This is his final test as a Raptor and if he fails this one he's gone.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    ezz_bee wrote: View Post
                    The Sixers @ 2 and the Rockets @ 8 are had scratchers for me, he has them in the top ten, but it seems to me that general consensus is both teams have gotten worse. The raptors aren't a top 10 team in offseason moves, but I think they deserve to be a few slots higher. 12-16 ranges seems right to me.

                    Other than that I have no major complaints with his off-season ranking.
                    Rockets seems to me are rebuilding very nicely. They've got a huge amount of talent in their rookies. It seems to me their situation is so much better than Raptors, and they definitely beat Raptors in their off-season moves.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      ezz_bee wrote: View Post
                      The Sixers @ 2 and the Rockets @ 8 are had scratchers for me, he has them in the top ten, but it seems to me that general consensus is both teams have gotten worse. The raptors aren't a top 10 team in offseason moves, but I think they deserve to be a few slots higher. 12-16 ranges seems right to me.

                      Other than that I have no major complaints with his off-season ranking.
                      I totally agree with this. DA is usually very spot on when it comes to the business side of the game along with the on-court game it self.
                      Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Really tired of writers incorrectly reporting Landry Fields contract when the correct info is available all over the internet. It's a 3 year, $18.725M contract. Not a 3 year $20 million contract. The $1.275M difference doesn't seem like a lot, but it becomes pretty damn important when we're splitting hairs over whether he is overpaid or not. I just don't see why they can't start reporting the correct number, since it's been out for nearly a month now. Further proof of how little research goes into writing those fluff pieces.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Ugh, just read through the rankings and they make very little sense to me. The Hawks are a bottom 10 team? OK, I guess he's just looking at stats of players in and out, and not contract values or salary cap implications. But wait, he specifically says in his methodology that he does take into account contract value and cap space? So which one is it?

                          I would argue the Hawks are a top 10 team for unloading the worst value contract in the NBA, Joe Johnsons deal, plus another horrible value contract in Marvin Williams deal, in exchange for a very reasonable deal to Lou Williams, a far superior player (shorter contract too) in Devin Harris in exchange for Marvin Williams, all while creating huge cap space for next summer. The Hawks maybe lose 5 more games this season with the players that were exchanged, plus they finally have flexibility. I can't see any way that this was a bottom 10 offseason. Especially considering who he put nearer the top.

                          The Sixers had the 2nd best offseason? Are you fucking kidding me? In what Bizzarro universe does this clown live in. They replace an extremely efficient Lou Williams with an abysmal Nick Young, they lose their best frontcourt player in Brand for absolutely nothing, and they explicitly state they are going to start their other absymal acquisition, Kwame Brown, at Center. How the fuck is a team that basically swapped Williams and Brand for Young and Brown considered the 2nd best offseason mover? The sixers have gotten much worse and did nothing to improve their future cap flexibility.

                          I also cannot see how you rate the NY Knicks offseason above the Raptors. They lost Lin and replaced him with Felton and Kidd, a huge mega downgrade unless Kidd and Felton find a time machine in the offseason. They lost Fields and replaced him with no one. The only position they improved at was C by getting Camby. How is that better than the Raps offseason adding Lowry, Fields, Valanciunas, and Ross? It isn't.

                          Basically, this guys rankings are shit.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            It's funny how just a few months ago we were praising David Aldridge for writing a good piece about us...
                            TORONTOOOOOO RAPTORSSSSSS

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              no matter how good a reporter they are. They never know anything about the raptors and its pretty obvious

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X