Fan Duel Toronto Raptors

Morning Coffee – Wed, Aug 14

Serge touring Congo like a G | Delon will take the ring, but feels no connection to championship

Serge touring Congo like a G | Delon will take the ring, but feels no connection to championship

Listen to the Raptors HQ Podcast — That’s A Rap #45: Truth or Dare – Raptors HQ

On This Week’s Episode:

Jeremy Lin’s recent comments about feeling neglected by the NBA has sparked debate about player movement, roster construction, and, most importantly, players’ feelings. Rightly or wrongly, Lin is making headlines. Do you commend him for speaking out on a feeling that a lot of players are also experiencing? Or do you think he’s having a harder time adjusting to a post-championship life?

Lin is not the only player experiencing this. JR Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Nick Young are all former stars that are unemployed and hoping to make a roster. Should we feel sorry for them? Or have each of them outlived their NBA usefulness?

Superfan, Nav Bhatia, thinks Kawhi Leonard’s jersey should not be raised to the Scotiabank Arena rafters. What do you think? Is one season of excellence enough to garner such a prestigious honour? Probably not. But if the Raptors go a long time without another title run, does the profile and importance of this championship, and Kawhi’s contributions, make this notion more feasible?

Another item that doesn’t appear to be feasible, is the Toronto Raptors getting a Christmas Day game. It’s mind-boggling that the defending NBA champions would not be one of the 10 teams scheduled, but Kawhi’s departure (and the Canadian media numbers not counting towards American TV revenue) is likely enough reason to keep expectations low (again).

Would you cheer for the Raptors if they (hypothetically) were moved to an American city? What’s the best nickname in Raptors franchise history? Would you rather tweet the pet name your significant other calls you, instead of answering either of the first two questions? This is just a sampling of the questions we tackled. Comment below with your answers.

Fringe NBA Playoff Teams Better off Tearing It Down | Bleacher Report

Toronto Raptors

We’re going to look back on the Raptors’ 2018-19 title as one of the great oddities in NBA history. For years, they failed to get past LeBron James in the Eastern Conference playoffs. But in the first season after he went West, they won the championship.

However, while most teams that win one title are usually in the mix for several, the Raptors’ window lasted just a single year, slamming shut after Kawhi Leonard exited his Toronto home.

Not only have their chances at another title dwindled, but they might also be completely rebuilding this time next year.

Three of their key veterans—Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol—will be unrestricted free agents next summer. And while Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet will likely stick around to lead the next phase of Toronto basketball, they’ll also be free agents in 2020 and could draw large offers from teams attempting to outbid the Raptors.

Lowry has proclaimed his love for Toronto on many occasions, but president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is one of the smartest executives in the league. He knows undersized, injury-prone point guards have checkered histories and that Ibaka and Gasol are already showing signs of decline.

Given all that, don’t be surprised if the Raptors look completely different come summer 2020.

Delon Wright primer: New Maverick has new confidence and maybe some new bling – Mavs.com

Wright, a 6-5 guard who could be starting in the backcourt alongside Luka Doncic, said he’s grateful to the Raptors for considering him to be a piece of the championship, even though he didn’t get to see it through to the end.

But does he feel a connection to the championship?

“Personally no,” he told mavs.com Tuesday. “But the fans are still saying I should get a ring and they still support me in everything and on Instagram. Every day, fans are messaging me saying how much they miss me.”

That’s not surprising. The affable Wright made a swing through Dallas and it was quickly apparent that he is salt of the earth and the odds are good he’ll be a hit with fans and in the locker room. He also took time out to do a mavs.com podcast that can be found here.

Send me any Raptors related stuff…or just say hi! rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com