2015-2016 Toronto Raptors Thread: We Have "It"!
- Thread starter hockeyfan1
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Kin
New member
Damian said:
I think it's a combination of the way that the NBA salary cap is going to increase like crazy over the next few years and the way that Ross' particular skillset, namely making threes, is sort of the most valued skill for wing players these days.
Cory Joseph got 4 years/30 million to be a backup point guard. Demarre Carroll got 4 years/60 million to provide 3's and D. Ross is only 24 so the idea that he can round out his game still exists and he's already a good enough outside shooter to have real value around the league.
hockeyfan1
New member
Great win and so much more...well, so far anyway...
....the matchup against the Thunder was a litmus test as to just how far the retooled Raptors have come. More so culturally than schematically, their 103-98 victory over Oklahoma City shows the work that GM Masai Ujiri did in the off-season is paying early dividends.
The previous incarnation of the Raptors would have laid down and taken the loss after getting down big so early.
All the excuses were there for them: They fell behind by 12, they were going against one of the elite teams in the league that was rested and at home ? a place where since 2009 the Thunder have the second best home record in the NBA, only behind the San Antonio Spurs.
Yet, the fight that was so badly missing in the first round against the Washington Wizards last season was present in the second night of a West-coast back-to-back.
?It was a grind-it-out type game,? the Raptors coach told reporters after the contest. ?That shows mental toughness when you can win when everything is not clicking."
Read the rest here:http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-off-season-moves-paying-early-dividends/
....the matchup against the Thunder was a litmus test as to just how far the retooled Raptors have come. More so culturally than schematically, their 103-98 victory over Oklahoma City shows the work that GM Masai Ujiri did in the off-season is paying early dividends.
The previous incarnation of the Raptors would have laid down and taken the loss after getting down big so early.
All the excuses were there for them: They fell behind by 12, they were going against one of the elite teams in the league that was rested and at home ? a place where since 2009 the Thunder have the second best home record in the NBA, only behind the San Antonio Spurs.
Yet, the fight that was so badly missing in the first round against the Washington Wizards last season was present in the second night of a West-coast back-to-back.
?It was a grind-it-out type game,? the Raptors coach told reporters after the contest. ?That shows mental toughness when you can win when everything is not clicking."
Read the rest here:http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-off-season-moves-paying-early-dividends/
L K
Active member
Yeah, I think I hit my limit of Drake when he had a bit of a behind the scenes hissy fit about not having his designs used entirely for the new rebranding.
I'm struggling with the team so far this year. These 1st quarter struggles and 4th quarter meltdowns are hard to watch but they have been in pretty much every game except the Miami game so far.
I'm struggling with the team so far this year. These 1st quarter struggles and 4th quarter meltdowns are hard to watch but they have been in pretty much every game except the Miami game so far.
hockeyfan1
New member
Why Drake is important for the Raptors:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/drake-leaving-his-mark-in-role-with-raptors/
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/drake-leaving-his-mark-in-role-with-raptors/
Kin
New member
BrownRolo said:
I suppose it strikes me that tying so much of a team's brand to one particular celebrity is inherently risky given the way careers in music have their ups and downs. What if his next album isn't very good? What if he'd lost his beef with Meek Mill over the summer?
Just from an aesthetic standpoint though, it feels a little small time. Like the Lakers and Knicks have many celebrity fans but they're not letting them design their uniforms or crack corny jokes while announcing the line-up. They show them briefly in the stands and that's that.
GhostofPotvin29
New member
Nik the Trik said:
Lakers and Knicks are two of the most iconic franchises in the league though, they don't need any help promoting the brand. Raptors are still relatively new and don't have the history of success to look back on. I can't really fault them for going for different ways of trying to create a buzz or marketing opportunities for the team.
Kin
New member
Potvin29 said:
I think we've seen over the last few seasons that winning games goes a pretty long way in promoting the Raptors brand. The "We The North" stuff and 10,000 fans outside the building isn't about Drake.
With that said though, I didn't say they shouldn't associate with him at all. Just that there's a level where it feels like too much of an association and they're flirting with that.