More hot roundtable content from the RR crew. This time we’re talking trade deadline deals, tinder, most improved player and playoff prognostications.
1. Most Improved Player?
Tamberlyn: Patrick Patterson: I pull out my hair because he doesn’t get enough touches, but he has incorporated a move to the basket this season from his time spent this summer with Olajuwan. He also is much better on his rebound positioning and he’s shown improvements defensively. Obviously Valanciunas is improving, but I think we all expected that.
Matt: James Johnson has exceeded every one of my expectations from when he was signed this summer. Solid defence, playing within the offense, and a generally positive influence. Great value for $2.5M/year. Runner-up: Patrick Patterson.
Tim C.: James Johnson. He plays way more under control than he did in his first stint with the club, and he’s one of the best on the club at finding driving lanes to the basket and trying to make plays for others. His wing defence, even if it is a bit foul-y and gamble-y, is still better than any other wing on the team. If only he could hit that corner three…
Nick: Ross! Just joking. I think JV has taken a large step forward. He’s coming into his own and starting to look like the monster we all want him to be. Except in the 4th quarter when he is not allowed to play.
Tim W.: Lou Williams doesn’t count since he wasn’t with the team, and a month ago the answer would have been Terrence Ross, but the last month has changed that. So I would say Landry Fields, who has gone from a guy who looked like his career was done to a guy who looks like he might not be done. He’s already started more than 4 times as many games as last year, his shooting percentage went from .403 to .529 and his free throw percentage increased from .636 to .833, showing he might be able to shoot again eventually.
Sam: Lowry has elevated himself to top-15 (maybe top-20) status. He seems more mature, thinks the game a bit more, and has done his best to carry a heavy load with DeRozan out. #beiber err…what was it again? hashtag-play-in-the-all-star-game!
Garrett: Jonas Valanciunas. There’s still work to be done, but that’s exciting, given how often this year we’ve seen short stretches of sheer dominance on the offensive side of the ball.
Barry: JV continues to evolve into a great big man. With each game he looks more comfortable around the rim and has developed some nice low post moves that don’t involve pump fakes. He’s still a step or two slow on defence sometimes but he’s young. Definite upside to his game, looking forward to watching more of his growth in the second half.
William: There’s no obvious candidate. Lowry has been given the opportunity to do more and he has delivered, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s improved. Valanciunas has taken a few baby-steps towards being a better team defender. James Johnson has been significantly better in his second stint with the team.
Scott: James Johnson. He’s been great, but the competition wasn’t really steep either. Lowry is the other candidate but it’s hard to say he’s improved when he was just given more possessions to use.
2. Have you matched with Terrence Ross on Tinder?
Tamberlyn: No, I don’t tinder (sorry folks)
Matt: I go back and forth on Ross, but if he were to be traded I would be disappointed until I got a good concept of the return. For me, ideally Ross would come off the bench in a Lou Williams like role, with a legitimate small forward in the starting line-up.
Tim C.: No. Ross is in a regression phase, but he was never that good to begin with. He can’t pass, he can’t dribble, he can’t rebound, his man-to-man defence has fallen off and his understanding of the team’s defensive schemes is as bad as it was last season. I just don’t think he does enough to be an NBA starter.
Nick: Hahahahha. I’m gonna try to catfish him. Will let everyone know.
Tim W.: I don’t even know what that means.
Sam: Yes..no…whatchusay?
Garrett: He hasn’t come up yet, but when he does, I’m swiping right. He still has far too much promise to give up on – I fully believe his issues are all mental and have nothing to do with ability, and a 23 year old having emotional struggles is, you know, pretty normal. I may eat my words, but I’m confident he’ll figure it out.
Barry: We all need to swipe right for Terrence. The man is a fragile bird and needs any help he can get to boost his confidence. Now that the #NBABallott campaign is done we can start a new one: #SwipeRightForRoss
William: Based on the first picture alone — that being his shooting and athleticism — you’d definitely swipe right on T-Ross. But if you click through and view more pictures, you see the inconsistent effort, the passivity and you ultimately decide to swipe left after uttering a heavy sigh.
Scott: No, but I would let him slide into my DMs.
3. Will Ujiri make a move at the deadline? If so, what will he do?
Tamberlyn: Add backup vet center via Landry Fields salary dump. I don’t envision other huge moves because he’ll have money this summer to add pieces and attract free agents. The team is committed to seeing Ross and Valanciunas through their growth period (my guess is they’ll reevaluate after playoffs) prior to making any big decisions/moves. Plus, with so much activity out west this year and team parity there aren’t copious available prospects. Either teams are looking to upgrade themselves, are committed to growth or want draft picks. The only teams really in play to apple pick from are Denver, Brooklyn and maybe Sacramento or Indy.
Matt: With the arms race that we’ve seen to date on the season, I expect Ujiri to sit out the trade deadline. Expiring contracts aren’t worth much, and that’s primarily what we have to offer. Hopefully the market has slowed, and the Raptors can make a move for some wing help.
Tim C.: Maybe. Two weeks ago I thought there was no way, but if Ross is out of the starting lineup then the rotation has gotten all mucked up. The club really needs a starting small forward that can hit threes, play defence and facilitate ball movement. Of course, those players are both really rare and really expensive. Good luck trying to land one on the trade marker.
Nick: I don’t think he makes a move. I think he let’s this team sail these choppy seas and inspects the boat when the tides calm.
Tim W.: If Colangelo was still in charge, the answer would be yes, definitely, but I think Ujiri stays with this team unless they continue to struggle at a similar rate they are now. And I don’t think they will. If they do trade someone, I could see Ujiri taking advantage of Lou Williams’ value or possibly either Amir or Patterson.
Sam: Unless Cousins becomes inexplicably available, it’s unlikely. The Raptors chemistry seems to be off, and introducing yet another player might make things worse. If he did, I would like a starting PF/C…Cousins, for example…
Garrett: Depends who’s available and for what price. The market is skewed this year (2 first rounders for Mozgov??), but the Raptors really need a backup centre. As much as I enjoy Tyler Hansbrough’s antics, I think he, and maybe a package of picks, will be the ones on their way out.
Barry: Adding some rebounding would be nice. If there’s anyway to add a decent big man in exchange for some expiring contracts that would be great. Kevin Garnett is a good option. He’s averaging 7 boards a game right now and is still crazy enough to head but guys. His contract expires this year too, could be a good rental for the second half.
William: I’ve been pedalling the idea of acquiring Ed Davis or Jonas Jerebko as a cheap, short-term move that could help the team in areas in which they’re weak. I’d prefer Masai to keep his chips for the summertime.
Scott: Nope. Ujiri said as much in Zach Lowe’s feature. This team got too good too quick and has outpaced the development of younger pieces. Teams respect “process” far more than the average fan (see: The Extra 2% by Jonah Keri for an example).
4. Assuming the team’s current structure, how far will the Raptors advance in the playoffs?
Tamberlyn: Dallas, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Chicago, Memphis, Cleveland and Houston are all either currently dealing with injury, trades or are in the same situation as Toronto. Adversity makes good teams better and this current phase will make the Raptors stronger while ensuring they return to their defensive identity.
To that end, the goal was always to advance to the second round, continue to grow and gain experience. Looking back at question 7, I think of Detroit who picked up Rasheed Wallace at the deadline and went on to win the championship and am reminded this season (especially in the East) anything is possible. Ultimately, if Toronto reaches the second round we are on track and if they can win a game 7 en route or go further its gravy.
Matt: Assuming current structure of team, I expect a hard fought exit in the second round with an off chance at the Eastern Conference Finals. The East is wide open, but it will largely come down to match-ups within the top five teams.
Tim C.: They should be able to get out of the first round given how bad the bottom of the East’s Playoff standings are. Cleveland won’t stay in sixth, so Toronto has to worry about a team like Milwaukee, Charlotte, Brooklyn, Detroit or Miami. If they can’t knock one of them out in seven games then it will be a busy summer for the men upstairs.
Nick: Despite this disaster stretch. I still deal like this is a second round team.
Tim W.: It depends on first round matchups. They could end up going against Cleveland, which would be the worst case scenario, but Miami, with their playoff experience, could also be trouble for them. Teams with as predictable an offense and as inconsistent a defense don’t tend to go far in the playoffs, so I would say the second round is their limit unless injuries to their opponents occur.
Sam: Depends who they get in the first round. A motivated LeBron is bad, an experienced Miami team is also bad. If the Raptors regain their mojo, I’m more confident, but as it is, a second round birth isn’t guaranteed.
Garrett: 51 wins likely gets the Raptors the 3rd or 4th seed, and, possibly, a first round matchup against the Cavs, which scares me for entirely LeBron-centric reasons. I’ll say a second round exit after a tough series, though. Right on schedule.
Barry: Based on the first half of the season play this team can still win a round in the playoffs. They’re struggling now but it’s a long season. They’ve got time to figure everything out and get back to their winning ways from earlier in the year. The recent losses have shown they’re not an elite level team but still talented enough to make it to the second round of the playoffs.
William: Raptors need to fight like all hell to finish with a third seed or better so as to avoid facing one of Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland or Washington in the first round. The Raptors have it in them to take down Detroit, Charlotte, Brooklyn or the Bucks. A second-round series win is possible against the Wizards.
Scott: They can make the second round, but I fear a match-up with Cleveland. There is nothing more “Toronto sports” than the Raptors running into that powerhouse in the playoffs.
