Time to hit the 'Panic' button?

[makokid]

the problem is:
the starters: out of the 5 starters we have now, only 1 is a legit starter in an average nba team (Lowry)...
the others are at their best spot players(Bargnani would be on the floor only when a scoring punch is needed),rotation players(Derozan),bench players(Val) or d-leaguers (Fields)
the bench: only Calderon is in his natural role like pg backup... the others would be at their best bench players out of the rotation or d-leaguers...
is not easy to compete in the nba with only one starter on the roster...

[footarez]

the problem is:
the starters: out of the 5 starters we have now, only 1 is a legit starter in an average nba team (Lowry)...
the others are at their best spot players(Bargnani would be on the floor only when a scoring punch is needed),rotation players(Derozan),bench players(Val) or d-leaguers (Fields)
the bench: only Calderon is in his natural role like pg backup... the others would be at their best bench players out of the rotation or d-leaguers...
is not easy to compete in the nba with only one starter on the roster...

With only one starter who is injured now However I don't fully agree because Amir is a GREAT big off the bench and Derozan is not that bad of a starter (he isn't Kobe or Wade but he is like Young,Willie and Gerald Green minus the 3 point shooting)

[KeonClark]

the problem is:
the starters: out of the 5 starters we have now, only 1 is a legit starter in an average nba team (Lowry)...
the others are at their best spot players(Bargnani would be on the floor only when a scoring punch is needed),rotation players(Derozan),bench players(Val) or d-leaguers (Fields)
the bench: only Calderon is in his natural role like pg backup... the others would be at their best bench players out of the rotation or d-leaguers...
is not easy to compete in the nba with only one starter on the roster...

What? Derozan and Bargnani, though they are often disrespected, are "average" starters. Amir Johnson is a quality bench player, Ed Davis is not a terrible bench player. Let's not over exaggerate to make this team pathetic.

[Nilanka]

It's not at all surprising that some fans are hitting the panic button, but I'd be disappointed if anyone in the organization is. Unless you come in with a veteran team, most of whom have played together for a while, it takes about 20 games before you know what you've got. Look at the Lakers as a prime example. Even without 1 HOFer in the line-up, they still trot out 3 HOFers in the starting line-up, and a 3 time DPOY manning the middle, and have the same bloody pissy record as the Raps, from a softer schedule to date.

Panic? Hell, one sure way to marginalize the organization to players, coaches, GMs throughout the league, as well as most fans and local media, is to hit the panic button after 5 games. They've got a very tough schedule ahead of them, but let's see how they look after another 15 games. The last time they had a team that made some noise, in 2006-07, they started out 2-8, winding up 7-13 after 20, then went on to a 47-35 record. This is not the time to panic, unless you're a fan and that works for you.

Well, after firing Brown, it sure looks like the Lakers are panicking now...

The Raptors have even less room for error because we don't have the talent to easily climb out of a deep hole in the standings.

[makokid]

What? Derozan and Bargnani, though they are often disrespected, are "average" starters. Amir Johnson is a quality bench player, Ed Davis is not a terrible bench player. Let's not over exaggerate to make this team pathetic.

Amir is not big enough to be a C and not talented enough to be a PF so i would say he is a bench player for limited minutes in an average team... Ed Davis is very similar to Amir but with a little bit higher basketball IQ and a little bit less muscles... so the point is: this team is a sub par nba team and make below average players starters or rotation players to fill the roster passing them off like a talented group of young players in order to sell tickets... in the game with OKC they won the game playing seriously only one quarter and a half and with Dallas they have lost playing against second units...

[makokid]

Amir is not big enough to be a C and not talented enough to be a PF so i would say he is a bench player for limited minutes in an average team... Ed Davis is very similar to Amir but with a little bit higher basketball IQ and a little bit less muscles... so the point is: this team is a sub par nba team and make below average players starters or rotation players to fill the roster passing them off like a talented group of young players in order to sell tickets... in the game with OKC they won the game playing seriously only one quarter and a half and with Dallas they have lost playing against second units...

update: 32-7 in a quarter against Philly at home.... really? (is 7 points in a quarter an nba record?)
0 starters in the lineup with a deep bench player as a starter(Anderson... better than Fields anyway,out with a very "suspicious" injury...)...
is going to be a loooong season guys...

[Nilanka]

Is it panic time now? At 1-6 so far, winning 7 of the next 13 games brings us to just 8-12 on the season (after 20 games played).

What are the odds of winning those 7 games? Slim to none. 5-15 seems more like it, especially with so many games on the road.

And what are the odds of this fragile/inexperienced team clawing back into the playoff picture from 10 games under .500? ZERO!

[slaw]

Is it panic time now? At 1-6 so far, winning 7 of the next 13 games brings us to just 8-12 on the season (after 20 games played).

I think the even bigger immediate issue is that the Raps are 1-6 without compensation (a useful chess term). Lowry is hurt, Fields is hurt (and was beyond useless when healthy), Ross can't get on the floor, Valanciunas can't stay on the floor. Derozan has shown some signs but the rest is same old, same old....

And, now, they face a brutal schedule including the always Raptor-killing early season west coast swing. I'm not sure if he's panicking yet but Colangelo's collar must be a little warm these days.

[Mediumcore]

I really like Casey, but he needs to start ripping guys in the middle of games when they blow a defensive assignment, a la Greg Poppovich. He's way too casual when players don't do what they are supposed to.

[Nilanka]

I really like Casey, but he needs to start ripping guys in the middle of games when they blow a defensive assignment, a la Greg Poppovich. He's way too casual when players don't do what they are supposed to.

He's too casual with the refs too. "Oh c'mon, that was a foul. Please? I'll be your friend...".