> In all seriousness, this is a fascinating team on several levels and a good one overall. Nonetheless, right now, I have more questions than answers. Is Barnes an emerging All-Star, or will his shooting hold him back too much offensively? Is the offense due to take a step back if they can’t win the possession game by such extraordinary margins? Can they fake their way through another season without a real center? Will they crater if VanVleet misses any time and exposes the glaring lack of guards? And honestly, is the ceiling for this current group high enough for the Raptors to justify standing pat? > > For 2022-23, my prognosis is that this is surely a playoff team and perhaps even one that can steal a round if it is still intact in April. But I see too many scenarios where it makes more sense to take a small step back this season to set up a bigger step forward in 2024 or 2025; the offense, in particular, feels like it has a hard ceiling around the middle of the pack. Meanwhile, Nurse’s pedal-to-the-metal approach to the starting five’s minutes is sure to have diminishing returns. There’s 50-plus-win upside, but it requires some more help; in the absence of a blockbuster trade, it feels more like another mid-tier playoff reality. > > Prediction: 48-34, fifth in East
Lets_Go_Blue__Jays
I may be biased, but man I think he’s way off.
FolloMiSensi
48 wins and 5th in the east? ill take that.
sokollad
Hollinger has always been dying to see the raptors tank for years now. I don’t take anything this guy says seriously.
4 Comments
Some interesting thoughts here from Hollinger:
> In all seriousness, this is a fascinating team on several levels and a good one overall. Nonetheless, right now, I have more questions than answers. Is Barnes an emerging All-Star, or will his shooting hold him back too much offensively? Is the offense due to take a step back if they can’t win the possession game by such extraordinary margins? Can they fake their way through another season without a real center? Will they crater if VanVleet misses any time and exposes the glaring lack of guards? And honestly, is the ceiling for this current group high enough for the Raptors to justify standing pat?
>
> For 2022-23, my prognosis is that this is surely a playoff team and perhaps even one that can steal a round if it is still intact in April. But I see too many scenarios where it makes more sense to take a small step back this season to set up a bigger step forward in 2024 or 2025; the offense, in particular, feels like it has a hard ceiling around the middle of the pack. Meanwhile, Nurse’s pedal-to-the-metal approach to the starting five’s minutes is sure to have diminishing returns. There’s 50-plus-win upside, but it requires some more help; in the absence of a blockbuster trade, it feels more like another mid-tier playoff reality.
>
> Prediction: 48-34, fifth in East
I may be biased, but man I think he’s way off.
48 wins and 5th in the east? ill take that.
Hollinger has always been dying to see the raptors tank for years now. I don’t take anything this guy says seriously.