Ibaka or Gasol.
Masai’s Choice: Is Marc Gasol or Serge Ibaka a bigger priority for Raptors? – The Athletic
It’s not Sophie’s Choice, but this would not be a pleasant decision for the Raptors, nor one that their fans would be eager to see the team make. That is why we included it in our survey of Raptors fans. Both centres are productive players, albeit in different ways, and both Ibaka and Gasol are beloved teammates.
At first blush, Ibaka is the safer choice. Gasol turned 35 in January, while Ibaka does not turn 31 until September. (This cuts both ways, as Ibaka might have a more realistic path to a multi-year deal in a market that does not figure to be kind to centres, particularly older ones.) Meanwhile, Ibaka missed 14 of the Raptors 64 games this season, most of which came due to a sprained ankle, a fairly random occurrence that can impact players regardless of age. Gasol missed twice the number of games due to a soft tissue injury to his hamstring, causing his two extended absences. Older players tend to be more prone to suffering soft tissue injuries.
Gasol played a full season and playoffs last year and then a World Championships run that ended with Spain winning it all in the summer. Though there was some talk about Gasol taking some occasional time off early in the season to account for his busy 2019, Ibaka’s early-season injury scuttled those plans. It is impossible to know if a lighter schedule earlier in the first third of the season would have helped Gasol stay healthier — he played in each of the Raptors’ first 26 games, averaging 29 minutes per game — but such a heavy workload was not part of the stated plan going into the season.
Prior to this season, Gasol had missed just 20 games over the previous three seasons, averaging more than 32 minutes per game. Ibaka missed 17 games over the same span, playing fewer minutes. This has been the most time both players have missed in years, in other words. It is possible that Gasol has hit a threshold where his availability will continue to decline in upcoming seasons given his age and the number of minutes he has behind him. At the same time, Gasol has played about 3,800 more NBA minutes than Ibaka when factoring in the playoffs — about two seasons’ worth of time.
The 2020 NBA Draft Class Isn’t Weak—It Just Isn’t Heavy on Stars – The Ringer
Shot creation is one of the most important skills in today’s league. So is versatility. The 2020 draft is littered with 3-and-D wings of many different varieties. There are players who need to improve their jumpers but already defend as if it’s their way of life, like Auburn’s Isaac Okoro. There are those who can shoot the lights out but need to improve their man-to-man defense, such as Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith. There are raw talents like Washington’s Jaden McDaniels. And there are players who flash star ability like Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdija. But Florida State wing Devin Vassell, who ranks sixth on my board, is arguably the best of the bunch. Vassell is an excellent defender who disrupts action off the ball and who has the length and agility to defend quicker guards in addition to opposing wings. On offense, he shot 42 percent from 3 and as a sophomore he displayed flashes of being more than a spot-up shooter.
Players like Haliburton and Vassell may never tempt teams into tanking, but they could help any team improve with their complementary skill sets—and they both possess upside that they could unexpectedly reach. Surprises happen! Front offices picking at the top of the lottery will need to balance risky upside versus greater certainty. Positional value will also weigh heavily on these decisions, possibly more than in most years.
Consider Memphis center James Wiseman, who is widely considered the best big in the draft. Wiseman is a physical specimen who shows flashes of Rudy Gobert on the defensive end and Rasheed Wallace on the offensive end. But there have long been concerns about his ability to make the quick reads needed to be an excellent defender and more of a creator than a finisher on offense. Unless a center projects as a bona fide star like Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic, a team is usually best served searching for a bargain and spending elsewhere—like the Lakers did with JaVale McGee, the Clippers with Ivica Zubac, and the Celtics with Daniel Theis. Plus, selecting centers high in the lottery is risky. Recent big men like Deandre Ayton (no. 1, 2018), Marvin Bagley III (no. 2, 2018), Lauri Markkanen (no. 7, 2017), and Dragan Bender (no. 4, 2016) have underwhelmed compared to wings and guards drafted after them.
Ultimate 5: The best Raptors lineup since '95 | theScore.com
Vince Carter
Time has healed some wounds, allowing Vince Carter to come back into many Raptors fans’ good graces. Regardless, he qualifies for this team based on his performance from 1999 to 2004. Carter still holds team records for most points in a season (2,107), and the highest points per game in one campaign (27.6).
Then, there’s the off-court importance. Some have argued Toronto may not still be home to an NBA team if there hadn’t been a Vince Carter, and the impact of his tenure with the Raptors is still being seen in just about every young Canadian who comes into the league.
Chris Bosh
Bosh may not have been a full-time center when he played with the Raptors from 2003 to 2010, but he could more than handle the five-spot. There’s also no way he can’t be in this starting five. Similar to Carter, his Raptors tenure may have ended on sour terms, but Bosh’s impact was undeniable.
Before joining forces with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami, Bosh was the centerpiece of two playoff teams in Toronto. He remains the franchise’s career leader in total rebounds (4,776) and blocks (600).
While DeRozan had to be traded to secure the player who delivered the team’s only championship, there’s no denying what he did for the Raptors over nine years.
DeRozan remains the franchise’s all-time leader in six major statistical categories, including games played and points. And at a time when many questioned if All-Star-caliber players really wanted to play north of the border, he did it with gusto.
Sixers podcast: Recalling Kawhi Leonard’s historic Game 7 shot
In this locked on Sixers podcast, Keith Pompey and Marc Narducci revisit Kawhi Leonard’s 15-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer that lifted the Toronto Raptors to a 92-90 victory over the 76ers in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on May 12 at the Scotiabank Arena.
One signing the Toronto Raptors need to make in free agency
VanVleet was making $9 million this season from the Raptors. As an unrestricted free agent, he is expected to get a huge payday since he’s considered to be the best point guard hitting the open market this summer. Along with VanVleet, Goran Dragic, Jeff Teague, Reggie Jackson and D.J. Augustin will become free agents.
With Lowry getting older, the Raptors need to keep VanVleet so he can be the franchise point guard of the future. Lowry is 34 and becomes a free agent himself after the 2020-21 season.
There are going to be several teams that are going to try and steal VanVleet away from Toronto. The Raptors simply can’t afford to lose this gem of a player that they developed and watched turn into one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Toronto doesn’t win the 2019 championship over the Golden State Warriors without the contributions of VanVleet, who averaged 14.0 points in the Finals and shot 40.0 percent from 3.
The Raptors’ core moving forward appears to be Siakam, Norman Powell, OG Anunoby, and Chris Boucher. Ibaka and Gasol both become unrestricted free agents this offseason. It’s unclear if Toronto will have an interest in bringing either player back.
VanVleet should be at the top of Toronto’s core along with Siakam. If the 2019-20 season is over, the trio of Gasol, Lowry, and Ibaka may have played its last game together since Ibaka and Gasol are becoming free agents. Moreover, since Lowry only has one-year left on his contract after this season, his long-term future is up in the air, which makes it even more imperative that the Raptors don’t lose VanVleet.
