In Episode 1305, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Raptors.com) to break down the Toronto Raptors’ 104-101 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in a game that saw Pascal Siakam go off for 38 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a losing effort. Off the top, Sean and Vivek dig into the frustrating inability for the Raptors to get things rolling on both ends of the floor at the same time, and how a couple of defensive miscues late undid a wonderful effort on that end for most of the night because the offense couldn’t offer anything in support. Fred VanVleet’s 2/11 night from deep was a killer. Next, they get big picture and discuss potential trades the Raptors can make to salvage the season, what makes Toronto different from a typical team on the edge of a deadline sell-off, and the viability of the Scottie Barnes-Pascal Siakam duo in the event Barnes’ development timeline is slower than previous anticipated. To round out the show, they examine the Good (Pascal Siakam, Juancho’s off-ball movement), the Bad (Scottie Barnes’ oscillations in play, the second quarter) and the Hmm (Christian Koloko getting benched, O.G. Anunoby’s shooting stroke looking better post injury) to round out the show.
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11 Comments
TRADE FRED! much rather keep Gary who has a much a higher ceiling, I'm tired of all these raptors media heads and their bias love and defense of Fred, it's so frustrating seeing how inconsistent Fred is and watch him shoot bricks on wide open 3s. But please don't trade this years first round pick if anything make it next year's pick.
A shoot first PG will always stymie the offense
Plus on the end of the day a team centered around FVV and Siakam is first round exit
@sean woodley if heat offered kyle lowry back to raptors with 2 protected first and jovic, for fred vanvleet and chris boucher i would do that trade in a heartbeat the picks because of kyles age and bigger contract, and i believe boucher is worth a protected 1st at this point in the season
We need a actual point guard that is 64+
No matter what the Philly game was much better than past games. The defense was best because OG was back. The OT lost was because there was no passing. I dont know why there was no passing at the end.
Fred has been taking so many shots and wasted shots. Why take a contested shot. Why not drive kick and pass. I dont understand why there is no one moving around. No ball movement.
I don't think the vision 6'9 is over. Because Fred and Gary are the ones who are playing bad. OG and Pascal are playing good so this 6'9 being bad is wrong. We are still developing. Scottie can play as a guard. We can have a big man coming off the bench. Nothing is wrong of that.
Raptors did draft a big man but it will take time Koloko to learn.
I truly believe Scottie is our PG, OG is the SG and Pascal is the SF. So our PF and Center is open. It takes time to develop and everyone needs to be patient.
It takes time. Warriors were patient they waited 2 years to get their next championship. So we got to be patient.
Our 5"11 "pg" who has the worst fg % in the nba wants to shoot 15 shots . Clearly we're a better team without him the evidence is there why he plays 40 min a night is mind blowing
Karl Athony Towns cant defend at all. Why get him who does not know how to win games.
Look, I get how much losing sucks, but declaring "vision 6'9"' over when those players aren't the problem is such a sad-sack take. Vivek even look like Eeyore saying that baloney! How soon we forget that we are in a development process – no matter what any individual fan might wish. And I'm not talking about where the players are at, I'm talking about where the TEAM is at in their development together. It's well-worn territory that this team needs to add an experienced center – Jakob Poeltl would be perfect and could almost be a Gasol-lite, Another offensive initiator – although OG and Flynn might become that, and 3 and D floor-spacing.
I think you need to look at what this team could be in 2024 – a year when it will be almost impossible to stay out of the tax if we keep this group mostly together. That's Achiuwa and Flynn's fifth year, Barnes and Banton's fourth. You'd have to think that you'd want Barnes and Achiuwa to be consistent starters on their second contracts, with Flynn and Banton being rotation players on their second contracts. OG would be entering his prime on a fresh contract, with Pascal and Fred entering their 30s on fresh contracts, Pascal's likely being another max. Boucher would be in a contract year. That alone would be a solid top-8, likely in the mix for the top 4-5 in the East.
The move I'm hoping for is Trent and Birch to San Antonio for Poeltl and Josh Richardson (I don't know if picks would be involved). Poeltl fixes a lot of problems on both sides of the ball without sacrificing the way the Raptors want to play. Just looking at his advanced stats gives you a hint at the way he helps win. Vertical spacing, rebounding at both ends, rim protection, IQ, savvy, size, and most of all his bromance with Siakam. I think their pick-and roll could be a strong option. Meanwhile Richardson can at least stay in front of perimeter players, plus has experience with being an offensive initiator and shooter, while being clearly a bench piece on an expiring contract. Getting off of Trent's upcoming new contract plus Birch's extra year makes us $49ish million under the luxury tax threshold. We might not be able to squeeze Poeltl's re-up under the non-tax-payer exemption of around $10 million, but that might go to a Terrence Ross, or Jae Crowder, or even Richardson if he pans out. If Fred signs for $30, we would have enough to sign Poeltl at up to $15 million and still have enough to resign some auxiliary players and stay clear of the tax for another year.
A line up of VanVleet, Anunoby, Porter, Siakam, and Poeltl would be way more experienced and balanced as a starting unit. giving Nurse a bench tool box of Flynn, Richardson, Barnes, Young, Hernangomez, Boucher, Achiuwa, and Koloko (who could be sent to the 905 to ripen). Banton and Champagnie still make up and impressive young end-of-the-bench. That's a deep team.
Like any other team, we will need health to be successful. And there's no point judging them based on a season of never being whole. Achiuwa and Porter are pretty key to vision 6'9" being a real thing.
I mean, y'all are entitled to your feelings, but this losing streak isn't about roster construction as much as it is about health. Let them get whole, then judge.
Don’t say Raptors team waster that, it’s FVV only!