Reasons for Optimism

[Miekenstien]

What has happened since the season has started?

1) All financial flexibility (barring a trade before the deadline) is lost with DeRozan contract. Forget whether it is a good contract or not, it is about the leverage the Raptors had to match any offer while also creating an advantage on the trade front once the season ended until the moment DeRozan signs an offer sheet or a contract from Toronto.

2) Bargnani is no longer running on potential. He is who he is. He is reliably unreliable.

3) The team has regressed defensively.

4) The culture change was a crock of shit. Raptors are back to being the rudy-poo, candy-asses the majority of the league already took them for. Grind it out, protect the paint, rebound the shit out of the ball is so 2011-12.

5) The realization the team is not only failing at accelerating the rebuild but the team is also losing pace with other bottom dwellers in making progress.


The only positive I see so far this season is JV is farther along and not the 'project' thought.

1) i don't think it's fair to forget wether the contract is good or not. If it is good then it was a great move but if it ends up being a bad deal then it kills our finacial flexibility.

2) for me bargs hasn't been running on potential for 3 years. I was happy he had his streak last year and hoped it was something to build on but he is the same player he was before then. Which to me is a good nba calibre player. I also think he should be coming off the bench behind klieza for a couple games though. The hell or high water comment is the opposite of what casey says for everyone else.

3) i agree but feel it is more because they are trying to implement some offense into it as well.

4) disagree. They aren't losing the games because of defense. They are losing because they either can't play 4 quarters of ball or late game execution.

5) again disagree. If it is wins losses i think only the cats of exceeded expectations and give credit to my boy mkg.