BuzzerBeater Forums

Couldn't agree more. So may people who know and write about the game lauded him at the time of both the J.O. and the Hedo trades thinking that it would give Bosh the support he needed to push us into the playoffs and I think that had Hedo's attitude been better and had Bosh not gotten injured after the allstar game 2 seasons ago then the Raps might have made some playoff noise. And your point about who else should he have drafted is also a very good one.

BC has clearly drafted very well in the last 2 years and I don't believe in all of this "not another Euro" rubbish that people keep bringing up. Yes Bargnani is Italian but that doesn't mean that every European player is going to completely ignore their duties on the defensive end of the floor and lack some toughness. I like the direction the team is going in and if this season is a lockout and the Raps get a nice high pick (however that would work) for next year then we are starting to look like a team of real promise.

1 should also consider the fact that most perennial contenders are way over the soft cap and for whatever reason the raptors (MLSE) have never put that much money into the payroll... this also factors in why we cant have a proper 2nd or 3rd star and maintain the bench depth

Who from the last few years would you have re-signed to get way over the luxury tax threshhold? Remember, the only way to get over the cap is to use exceptions (and the Raps have used the mid-level as much as anyone) or to re-sign your own players. The team has thrown money at kinds of players like Ford and Calderon - other than Bosh (who the offered max money to) who could they have spent money on to actually bring them way over the tax threshold?

There's lots wrong with the organization, but I've seen no evidence to suggest that its an unwillingness to spend money.

The Bargs draft was definitely weak but it's borderline silly not to argue that Gay, Roy and Aldridge would have all been much better picks. (Roy pre-injury would have held a ton of trade value). Saying that Aldridge doesn't fit with Bosh is a poor argument considering Bargs was clearly a worse fit and Aldridge is a much better player with far more trade/keep value today.

The funny thing is that on the 'inside the draft' special on Raps TV, the war room actually had Aldridge at the top of their draft board. Not sure why but it was clearly listed there on their white board.

Team of real promise isnt gonna do shiet when you cant even get a seed in your own conference. You really think with the team we have and the way its going, we can come out in the EASTERN conference? Dirk nowitzki works because Dallas surround him with tough big men.

and i suggest you read my posts more clear if you are gonna say "yes Bargnani is Italian but that doesn't mean that every European player is going to completely ignore their duties on the defensive end of the floor and lack some toughness."

My post wasn't directed at you, but more at the masses that were saying "not another Euro big man" after we drafted Jonas.

And I don't really expect them to do much this season (if there is one) but we are financially well setup to deal with the new CBA as we should be sitting quite nicely under the new cap (whatever it is) and so there is definitely room to sign some free agents that should help to improve the team. I'm definitely not expecting playoffs, but they will surprise some of the best in the league again and will definitely be entertaining at the very least.

we spend money, but makes me wonder why we never seem to actually go over the luxury threshold though...
pretty sure we couldve fudged our way to some trades to make it happen

i think its enough about BC, haters gonna hate, fanboys will be fanboys and the rest will just watch the drama unfold

what could BC do (realistically, think of the cap hits) assuming there is a season with the current salary structure
current-ish roster:
PG - calderon/bayless
SG - dd/barbosa
SF - JJ/kleiza
PF - amir/davis
C - bargs/JV/alabi
with about 47mil commited without the JV contract

its a pretty depressing line up, but with the TPE still in hand, what should we expect?

its gonna be hard to get rid of bargnani with the 8 million hes due next yr but there are a few possiblities like hamilton from detriot or could also try varejao and sessions..... if not they can wait and hope they land someone like anthony davis who would be great fit and can help create a fast brk style in toronto with bayless derozan davis and amir........ if they wait it out n take the draft route i think anthony davis in 2012 and nick johnson in 2013 both players can run the floor and are very athletic raptors would look like a pretty good team with 4 solid young players and hopefully derozan can develop even more and breakout since its his 3rd yr

We're extraordinarily bad, but the 2012 draft is extraordinarily good. Valanciunas looks surprisingly good, too. I've warmed up to the pick. Great hands, rolls well to the basket, great rebounder, good size, great length, great FT. He plays the Spain NT in an exhibition game in 10 mins (Gasol brothers, Ibaka) so that might be fun, or painful, or both if you're into that kinda thing.

Having no season would be a good thing.