With The Current Club, What Are We Missing?

[RobertArchibald]

We need to add 2 big guys. The first one should be a starting caliber big man (solid all around PF) and the second is a role player who's tough, brings energy, basketball IQ (I'm thinking a Nick Collison type). Quincy Acy can develop into that role but I'm not sure about his IQ.

We need a back up point guard to be the leader of the bench unit.

We need Fields to develop some resemblance of a 3 point shot because I do agree with other posters that he is smart enough to take good shots, cuts hard, defends well. The only thing really missing is his ability to hit the 3. I would even gamble and try him out as a point forward role because he has that kind of IQ & overall, his ball skills are pretty good.

We need DeMar, Rudy and Kyle (especially) to hit the weight room. Like Jack said in that 48 minute rant, "skill work, strength and fitness."

Last, but not the least, change in tempo is needed. We have to be a faster team. Teams that grind it out have punishing big men. They kind of have to play slow to take advantage of their strength.

Our offense is suited for a point guard who can make reads. Once that breaks down, we go isolation. For everyone who says the Raptors don't have shooters, Rudy and Demar overlap each other, what about Denver? They lead the league in points in the paint yet they don't have a low post threat. They play to their strengths and what their team is suited for. I think the Raptors should do the same.

Maybe that means a change in coaching staff or simply Casey realizing his pound the rock philosophy makes it harder for the team.

I think Acy has a fairly decent IQ. He takes charges, has a nose for rebounding etc. He's just a liability on offence right now. Easy to guard against P&R as the ball is basically not coming to him on the roll. His offence is all a benefit of his own hard work on the glass.

[Eric Akshinthala]

Seriously. WTF did happen?

Last year 3rd in defensive rebound percentage (75.4%), this year 23rd (72.6%).

Last year 9th (94.0) in OppPPG, this year 17th (98.5).

Last year 14th (104.5) in DefRtg, this year 24th (107.7).



And it isn't pace; last year 6th slowest (89.3), this year 6th slowest (89.9).

Puzzling isn't it? As much as last years defensive turnaround was credit to Casey, this years failure is a discredit to him. I mean helping a team correct their defensive mistakes and being unable to sustain it makes the whole process useless.

I think a coaching change is necessary 'cause Casey is a good defensive assistant coach, not head coach material.

[enlightenment]

Missing Ridnour, and John Henson. That is what we are missing. (Not to mention the addition by subtractions of AA and AB)

[IROR]

- Perimeter shooting at the wings. Gay and DD better put in work this summer to add that to their games because it is necessary going forward. Teams are already cheating off the 3 pt line on the Raps, need to get that respect from opp. D

- A PF that can give you 32 or more productive minutes. No disrespect to Amir, but he is best used as a reserve and Bargnani has yet to show us he can be that guy on a winning club. I personally would like to see Pau Gasol in this slot, depending on what it would take to get him in a Raps uniform.

- Veteran, pass-first PG. Someone steady back there, Calderon-like skill set. Luke Ridnour I've always liked as a reserve.

- JV keeps developing steadily. The team's fortunes are closely tied with his success over the next 3 years.

[ebrian]

I think I can some sum up with one word what this team is missing:

Bargnani.

Not the one we have, but the one we were supposed to have. I'm talking about the player that was promised to us 7 years ago, a scoring dynamo that can hit from pretty much anywhere on the court, who is an assassin from the 3 point line, but also deadly with great touch around the basket, and extreme quickness that causes nightmares for opposing defenses. A 7 footer who not just creates spacing because Casey imagines it to be so, but in actuality. Like, for real. What I'm talking about is a player that exists in the minds of every #SupportBargnani fanboy, that player that they are imagining in their head -- that player, is the player we are missing. Bring that imaginary player into fruition (who has seen Weird Science?) and this team starts winning games again.

[ReubenJRD]

Agreed with anything but Foye. He's a combo guard. I personally would like Ridnour over Augustin.

[psrs1]

id say we also need a coach.

Casey's strengths: Motivation and defense

casey's weaknesses: Everything else

his qualities are perfect for the role of an assistant coach. We need a real coach to run this team.

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[ceez]

A low post scorer
Wing player that can get to the basket (not someone who relies on jumpshots)
A competent coach

[FoxMachine]

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Not a chance he will coach here

[akashsingh]

we should've kept calderon and traded lowry. Valanciunas is elite at the pick and roll at an nba level, and calderon is one of the few guys in this league that could set him up. Calderon and davis also had excellent chemistry together.Terrence Ross is an elite shooter that fits the mold of an inside out team. I also have no doubt that his confidence and the level at which he is playing would be much higher with calderon running point. I wonder if there was a 3 way trade (maybe with thomas robinson in sacramento) to be had with sending lowry to a 3rd team, thereby facilitating the rudy gay trade.

enough bitching and whining though, it's done. And it's just basketball.

[NoPropsneeded]

Originally i posted this on a different thread but i decided to make a new thread on this seeing as i haven't started a thread in a while. Anyways, if we truly want to make a run next year and make it to the playoffs as not only an 8th seed but a 7th or 6th, we need to upgrade the roster in certain positions for sure, there are a lot of holes that need to be filled. There are a TON of good FA this summer so it's a very good year to shop and fill out the roster with good solid bench players and solid starters(who can actually contribute consistently). We have 5 guys that are UFA this summer: Alan Anderson, Aaron Gray(Player option), LK(Player option), Pietrus, and Telfair. Of these 5, imo, we should keep Gray, and resign Telfair as a 3rd string pg, i'm kinda torn on LK because i love his toughness coming off the bench but he just can't stay healthy. Guys i wanna see gone are: AA, Pietrus, Bargnani, and Lucas. Maybe we could package Lucas and Bargs in a deal to bring in some picks and cash(can't see these two netting much more). So then we're left with:

PG: Lowry,---, Telfair
SG: DeRozan, Ross
SF: Rudy, Fields
PF: Amir,---, Acy
C: Valanciunas, Gray

Now for FA signings. Here's a list of FA's i want the Raps targeting:

Insurance Wings:(in case of injury)
Dahntay Jones
Anthony Morrow
Reggie Williams

3rd Big:(only if Starting PF is not aquired)
Mo Speights
Zaza Pachulia
Brandan Wright
Emeka Oakafor

Backup PG:*
C.J Watson
D.J Augustin
Beno Udrih

Starting PF:*
Elton Brand
Al Jefferson

*- Positions in need of upgrade

Let me know what you guys think. What positions really need an upgrade? What can we get for Bargs? Who should we target?

[enlightenment]

Al Jefferson would be killer on this team.
I dont agree with Beno Udrih, I wouldve gotten him before the trade deadline because he is already expiring. I wouldnt sign him for extra years!
Zaza would be a nice insurance for our bigs in foul trouble
And I vote Anthony Morrow, because that kid can shoot.

[ceez]

Good luck with getting any of that with the diarrhea milkshake of a financial situation we have

[[email protected]]

Anthony Morrow is a ridiculously good in-game 3pt-shooter (ie not Kapono). We should definitely pick him up.

[blackjitsu]

The Raps have 5 players-- sadly they all start. Their bench is littered with players who should have significantly less usage in their ideal roles. Of the starters the Raps have only 4 actually starters. Amir would be best as the first big off the bench.

So we need one starting PF.

EDIT: This is my 3rd time trying to get this right.

The two things the Raps need is a proper assessment of what they have, and moves that place those players in the best situation to succeed.

PF is the perfect example. Amir is built for the first big off the bench role. He can play both the 4 and 5, high energy, but has a fairly high foul rate. If he starts you lose some of that energy because he has to hold back on the incidental fouls. Off the bench he is free to play his game. Once the 5 players are playing in the right roles then they can assess who to keep, trade, offer a contract, draft, etc. Depending on the type of PF replaces Amir in the starting 5 further adjustments need to be made.

[NoPropsneeded]

Good luck with getting any of that with the diarrhea milkshake of a financial situation we have

Amnestying LK and trading bargs for some picks and cash should free up enough space. Pasta is getting payed like 23 Mill over the next 2 seasons. I'm not so great with all the cap space and luxary tax stuff as you can clearly tell

[enlightenment]

We can probably sign Morrow for the mini MLE
And use the MLE on a big.

But Im not sure how we get Jefferson in town..

[white men can't jump]

Good luck with getting any of that with the diarrhea milkshake of a financial situation we have

Agreed...

I mean, the team needs a backup PG for sure...and a 3rd big (probably PF) who can be a main part of the rotation with JV/Amir, and a 4th big who has C size but isn't immobile like Gray. Gray and Acy are good as bruising/hustle 3rd stringers.

The team has to turn Bargnani into at least a backup PG or 3rd(whether he or Amir starts) big. Then use the MLE to get whatever is missing.
I know if it came to PFs, my #1 MLE target is Carl Landry, if he opts out. If he doesn't, I might actually not bother using the whole MLE on someone. Maybe try to get a couple of depth bigs from guys like Brand, Wright, Clark, Hickson, Turiaf, etc..

[isaacthompson]

Anthony Morrow is a ridiculously good in-game 3pt-shooter (ie not Kapono). We should definitely pick him up.

Morrow was the first one I thought of...correct me if I'm wrong, but I think percentage-wise he's in the top 5 for the last 3 years, which is amazing considering he's locked to the bench in Atlanta, and now Dallas. Also I really like CJ and DJ's games, DJ can be a lot more effective than Lucas as a backup. Lucas provides the scoring, but he can't run our offense if his life depended on it.

[enlightenment]

Al Jefferson
Paul Milsap
Ersan Ilyasova
Carlos Boozer
Pau Gasol

Who would fit the best at the starting PF?