In the past 24 hours, the Raptors have been the talking point in NBA basketball – so for just one day, every insecure Canadian can take a breather and absorb the attention. Not that it matters, but – wait, it does matter. If the Raptors are truly pushing for a slot on the Christmas Day TV schedule, all this attention absolutely does matter. Tim Leiweke is gone, but his vision lasts. In the past two years, the Raptors have landed: A Global Ambassador who has 28 million Twitter followers, the All-Star game, huge media attention south of the border due to its crazy fan-base during the playoffs, and a meeting with LaMarcus Aldrdidge. Not bad. All of these items are trivial to any team who’s scheduled on Christmas Day consistently – so there’s that. Attention is good.
So let’s recap the last day or so – it’s pretty easy to do and it all stems from one article. Zach Lowe discussed the DeMar situation in length, talked a little about how the Raptors use Valanciunas, had some ideas about aquiring Markieff Morris, and then reported that the Lakers are ready to give DeMar the max.
Lakers offer no surprise
There was always going to be multiple teams willing to dish out the max to DeRozan, so if Lowe’s report is true, no one really should be surprised – especially given that the Lakers have been intrigued by DeMar for some time, and know they have some sort of leverage as DeRozan is tantalized by the idea of returning home. Kobe has long-praised DeRozan’s game, and the Lakers could see DeRozan as a natural fit next season as he could slot in at the three slot and virtually take-over Kobe’s role. You will never replace prime Kobe. Prime Kobe is a generational talent and all-time great – additionally he’s a marketing machine, a money-generating juggernaut. But you can replace – nay, upgrade – this year’s Kobe with ease. This year’s Kobe does more harm than good, he’s one of the worst volume shooters in the league, and having DeRozan there would certainly be exciting for the Lakers. Maybe not Kobe-exciting, but he would form an interesting young team with D’angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle. Now that’s upside – four young players, one of whom is an all-star and in his prime.
DeRozan used to be a poor man’s Kobe, and at one point even worse – a poor man’s Rudy. That notion got flipped on its head this season. DeRozan – widely known as the hardest working player on the team – worked tirelessly to mold his game to be a more efficient player. In Lowe’s article, there was a brief section about DeRozan’s will to eliminate threes from his game – despite knowing he needs to shoot more from beyond the arc. The quote (below) points to some impressive signs of maturity.
“I have no problem shooting 3s,” he said. “I just feel like I can get to the basket at will, so it almost feels like settling. But I know I have to take them, so now I’m just gonna shoot it.”
Further proof that DeMar is debunking the myth that he’s the modern-day Rudy Gay is his shooting percentage this season: 49.8%. We’re going to actually round it up to an even 50, because it looks dope that way. It is in fact the highest mark in his career and a further testament to his incredible story of improving year-by-year. It’s easy to assume DeRozan is in his prime now, but equally plausible to suggest he’s going to be even better once (if) he develops a 3-point shot. Would anyone really be surprised if this happened, given that he adds a new dimension to his game every season?
So, all signs point to saying that the Lakers would be pretty smart to offer DeRozan the max – it’s a low-risk / high-reward scenario for them. They’ll be up against it though – fighting against DeRozan’s loyalty to the 6ix.
So… What else?
- I check the standings daily, because it’s fascinating – like truly fascinating. The East is so much more exciting this year. The Raptors are currently second, but they basically shuffle between second and fourth regularly. Assuming they finish somewhere between second and sixth, you can narrow it down and realistically predict the first round foe will be one of: Orlando, Detroit, Miami, Indiana, Chicago. Man, those last three – so tough. There has been so much emphasis on the main goal this season – playoff success – which downplays where the Raptors finish in the regular season. But you have to look at that idea and really scrutinize it now that we understand just how good the East is. You absolutely have to make a push to finish second and avoid the three latter teams in that list. A 7-game series against any of them will be a huge ordeal. That’s the realist in me talking – not the pessimist.
- Looks like I’m not taking crazy pills after all. In this week’s roundtable discussion with the squad, I stated – admitting it was an unpopular opinion – that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a gamble on Markieff Morris. Zach Lowe published this idea the following day. Obviously Morris comes with huge baggage – and of course, it’s a risk – but maybe he’s a really good scoring piece to help in that aspect, ameliorates depth, and does a good job guarding the four-spot? Or who knows, maybe Lowe has an agenda to pull Phoenix out of their sinking ship, and I am indeed, taking crazy pills.
- I have no idea why there is so much momentum from fans backing a Valanciunas (plus pick or two) swap for Marc Gasol. I love Gasol just as much as the next, but are we really willing to throw away a future asset for immediate short-term gain on a 30 year player who’s having a rough season? OK, 30 is not that old, but it’s plausible to think you can sign someone like Gasol in the off-season, given that International stars have a higher chance of signing with Toronto than American dudes.
- I’m a huge fan of patience and thus, a huge fan of the way Masai Ujiri does business. He’s not a panic trade-type, and I don’t expect a huge move before the trade deadline. The measuring stick will still be the playoffs – not whatever has happened up until now, and I think that’s a great way of building this team. If Lowry and DeMar can’t pull off a first-round win this season, I’m still not sure that means they can’t eventually do it. Continuity is so underrated. Imagine if the Warriors, after seven seasons, decided that Steph Curry couldn’t lead the team anywhere because the Warriors never really got over the hump? Just keep building, use your assets wisely, and find complimentary players until it works….
