jaysblue

Who is Whole Lotta Spooge?

Against weaker teams, Raptors could get by with KL, though playoff positioning is really still important. I don't have a problem with them resting him to make sure he's fully healthy for the playoffs. If he sits out tonight, he shouldn't be allowed to play in the All-Star Game then. Plain and simple. If he's good enough to play on Sunday, then he is good enough to suit up tonight.

Jedd Gyorko could be a solid piece if healthy.

Good thing I didn't waste a draft pick on him in the League of Despair.

Take a look at my bullpen.

Omri Casspi would be a nice pickup. Has had success in the past shooting 3's. Last season he was a solid bench player on Golden State.

Yes, but it still doesn't happen overnight like you're suggesting. You probably still need 4-5 years until you're a serious contender for an NBA championship. Tanking won't work in Toronto. Fans won't come to the games and as well it'll even be a lot more tougher to sign FA's or keep players here. It's better that the Raptors stay relevant even if that means coming in 4th or 5th and getting eliminated in the second round for 2-3 years after KL leaves. Because when a player like KL or AD become available with one-year left on their contract, you likely will able to swing something and greatly improve your team. We're talking about the East here which has been pretty weak for some time. Even after KL leaves, there is no reason for the Raptors to tank. They still have Siakam, OG and Freddy, along with solid veterans in Lowry, Ibaka, Gasol and they likely will re-sign Green. Masai could get creative again and make another trade this offseason to bring in a solid player to replace KL. As well, might be able to sign a middle-tier FA that could help as well. If the Raptors didn't have Siakam and OG, and if Lowry and Gasol were in serious decline, then sure blow it up.

I'm willing to make a move that upgrades my team roster for this season.

Raptors sucked for how many years and did they win a championship from it? Did those lottery picks turn into anything special? Other than Chris Bosh in 2003 and Demar DeRozan in 2009, the Raptors high draft picks after sucking all those years really weren't franchise changing players. The Raptors the past 4-5 years have been able to remain competitive and draft solid players like OG, Siakam, and Poeltl (who was used as a trade chip in the KL deal).

Matt Devlin made the point before tipoff tonight that the Raptors have done a good job at being competitive and keeping an eye towards the future. The Raptors weren't a team who tanked the past 4-5 years but still have managed to draft guys like Siakam, and OG. I forgot the exact quote he said, but it was perfect.

Cruz is going to have to get his outfield glove back out of storage.

Looking to trade Stephen Strasburg.

MLSE cares about the regular season lol. It's a freakin' business. When the Raptors sucked, the ACC was empty. The Raptors aren't like the Leafs, who can still fill an arena even if they suck. I don't think the Raptors need to go into a complete rebuild after KL leaves and I doubt Masai does that anyways. He'll have Siakam and OG already with more experience, and if they keep Lowry and Gasol around, resign Green and bring in another piece or two to replace KL, they still have a very competitive team in the East. The Raptors still have a very bright future with guys like Siakam, OG and Freddy to build around long term with some vets like Lowry, Green, Gasol and Ibaka. Add some other complimentary pieces to that, and the Raptors are still a very good team in the East.

They don't need to pull the trigger on a complete rebuild though, even after KL leaves. You surely don't remember some of the awful seasons the Raptors had - did the win a championship after from it?

Where is the draft taking place? Like how can we see who is available?

He was ahead of Joey Votto as well lol.

Not really. Travis Snider I think was ranked as a Top-10 prospect in baseball at some point and there was a lot of hype surrounding him on the message board in 2008. Not as much as Vlad obviously. Lawrie was maybe considered a Top 20-25ish prospect in all of baseball, but with him being Canadian there was a lot more hype around his callup.

Don't forget Travis Snider.

I'm not worried about the future as well. This team isn't going to go through a complete rebuild like tank for the next 4-5 seasons. Even if KL leaves, the Raps can retool on the fly and still be competitive. They likely will still have Lowry and Gasol, unless Masai trades Lowry and Gasol declines his player option. Siakam and OG will have another year experience under their belt, so will Freddy. Better to stay relevant rather than being the Atlanta Hawks or the New York Knicks for the next 4-5 years. Basketball isn't like hockey here in the city. Fans won't be filling the arena if the Raps are only a 20 win team for the next couple of seasons.

I would sign Moose in a heartbeat if the Jays didn't plan on having Vladdy Jr. play at 3B this season once he comes up. Gio Gonzalez or Ervin Santana would be nice pickups for the rotation. Romo would be a nice pickup as well for some BP depth.

We have a female owner in that league now?

But during the regular season? Raptors were selling out every night, the games were fun to watch and there was a lot of fan interest. Do you really want to go back to the days of the Raptors being a bottom team in the Eastern Conference. Those were some awful years and it didn't amount to winning an NBA Championship. Obviously the end goal is to win a NBA Championship at some point, but I'd rather the Raptors still be competitive and make the playoffs every year as the 3rd, 4th or 5th place seeds, instead of being irrelevant for 4-5 years.

Looking at the standings of the Eastern Conference right now. It would be perfect if the standings finished this exact way at the end of the season. Boston and Philly as the 4th and 5th seeds would have to play each other in the first round. Bucks and Raptors if they finish 1st and 2nd would face either Charlotte or Miami in the first round, with Detroit or Orlando as the other possibilities knocking on the door. Pacers in third would then play the 6th place Nets in the first round. Looking past that, Boston or Philly would be taken care of in the first round with both of them battling it out. If the Pacers beat the Nets, and the Bucks/Raps moves past their first round opponents, then it even becomes better. Bucks would have to play the winner of the Celtics/76ers series, and the Raptors would play Pacers in the second round. Ideal matchup. So when the Eastern Finals roll around, Raptors likely only have to beat one of the Bucks, Celtics or 76ers instead of two of those teams. As things are right now and if the season finished today, I'd love the Raptors position entering the playoffs. Most important thing for the Raptors though is to finish in 1st or 2nd. Gives you an easy first round opponent that you could likely walk over in 4 or 5 games. Finishing in third likely means playing the Nets, and I think the Nets could be a thorn in the Raptors or any other teams side as a first round opponent. They are a threat to upset IMO, more than a team like Charlotte or Miami. If you can get Boston and Philly to finish in 4th and 5th and battle it out in the first round, that would be so sweet.

I find it f***ing hilarious how people are crapping on the Raptors all of a sudden after some struggles as of late and how they think this team is going to go through a complete rebuild next season after KL leaves. Why weren't those same people complaining about the last couple of years then when Lowry and DeRozan were leading the Raptors to first and second playoff exits? The Raptors even if they lose KL still will have a solid team next season. Gasol likely opts in with his player option, Lowry is still here for another year, and Siakam and OG likely will continue to get better. Will they be a Top 2 or 3 team in the East? Likely not, but nonetheless they will still be competitive. As long as Golden State is where they all, regardless if the Raps have KL still, it will be difficult to win a championship. I'd rather see the Raptors win 50 games and come in 4th or 5th, rather than the days of the early 2000's after VC left which were awful. I have full faith in Masai keeping this team competitive as he is one of the most creative NBA minds out there. If the Raptors lose KL, I'm sure Masai will shake things up (Lowry trade possibly, add an elite player who is on an expiring contract again etc.).

Profar or Berrios?