ARE THE RAPTORS A PLAYOFF TEAM?

ARE THE RAPTORS A PLAYOFF TEAM?

What is up you know when the raps fan base is crying officiating conspiracy that the RS are back so let’s start with the most pressing question and I’m kind of shocked we’re asking this are is this Raptor’s team since the trade is this a playoff team as of this taping what they’re 15

And 23 yeah yeah um they’re not for now as of now as of now they are not they’ve been playing a lot better the offense is what is absolutely like it’s mesmerizing me man this is a team that’s actually playing Modern basketball now they’re playing they have guards they got quick

Guards harping back to the days of Jose caldero tj4 Kyle Lowry like just multiple guard multiple guards on the floor at the same time a lot of speed a lot of shooting um I don’t know if they’re a playoff team but I am now happy while I watch games because I’m

Excited because I think it’s interesting that’s the big thing that was missing is that I didn’t realize how unwatchable this team was until we saw them until we saw them play Modern basketball yeah and it I don’t know if we’re obviously going to get into obviously quickly and RJ and

All that but like playing with a a competent guard who can score it’s just really changed what this team is who knew yeah I think if you’re if you’re looking at their playoff outlook what you have to ask yourself is can they win two play games against teams like so

You’re going to be figured against Orlando Atlanta the Bulls the Nets maybe the Cavs can they win two of those games I don’t know it’s hard thing to say let get first well yeah our our friends at FanDuel are saying they’re likely not a playoff team they’re plus 310 to to to

Make the playoff so but they’ve adjusted that they’ve adjusted that win though yeah no it’s well 36 and a half right it we’re exactly where we started at the beginning of the year projected to 36 and a half win so the road to 37 still intact still Inta still intact yeah okay

So win totals one thing playoff bound is another I think the one thing that’s interesting if you really want to break that down look at some of these plays teams some of these guys are really faltering quickly Brooklyn falling off a cliff what’s going to happen with Chicago come deadline I think it’s

Pretty clear lavine’s going to go even Atlanta underachieving like crazy like there’s a lot of dejon Murray news in in there so are they playing are they playoff bound team the odds say no but I think the talent we’re seeing right now should have any WS fan encouraged that

They’re capable of really giving another team in the play in tournament a fight I think what you just said there encourag is it and we’ve seen this over this recent road trip they’re playing good teams and even the the Clippers game on Wednesday night they’re in all the games

They is that’s the thing they’re competitive and even when it’s like an eight or a ninepoint game with a minute and a half they’re crawling back and making these things interesting in the last minute or Sacramento can’t miss a shot from three and yet the Raptors find

A way to claw themselves back they’re just doing stuff that we noticed right so we cover the Raptors pretty much day in day out they’re diving for loose balls there’s you know energy body language I test wise they’re playing with a sense of joy that didn’t exist

Before a lot more scrambling a lot more uptempo like against the Clippers they were running off like makes running off misses they have they just have more engines so I I harked on the old uh two guard lineup from our girl KS uh the Raptors have an eight plus 18 net rating

With Dennis shuder and Emanuel quickly on the floor together and that to me says a lot because you know what’s hard to guard speed shooting and now the those two things that the rap never had and now they have an abundance of it with RJ Barrett who we’ll get into just

Crafty guy who can score they guys they got guys who can score pre zoua could not score OG needed to be fed to score Malai Flynn oh I’ll not say anything so like I mean look what’s different with this new roster construction they can run a lineup out there where all Five

Guys on the floor at one time can dribble and make their own play that a novel concept basketball but actually didn’t exist literally two weeks ago it did not exist yeah I think qualitatively just watching them makes the fans feel alive again which you know you don’t want an

Indifferent fan base which I think the last year and a half has been relatively indifferent from it’s been sad it’s been sad to watch and I think now you’re you’re at least looking forward to their games right I think you’re like I’m excited to watch these guys play because

They have one of the best offense offenses in the league since that trade you know they’re they’re playing hard they’re in every game so it’s just it’s fun to watch them again and I think to me too the the Darko rant right like first legendary rant from

Dark run the clip what happened tonight this is completely BS this is shame shame for the referees shame for the league to allow this 23 free throws for them and we get two free throws in in a fourth quarter like how to play the game I all I understand uh respect for all

Stars and all that but we have star players on our team as well they had to win tonight if that’s if that’s the case just let us know so we don’t show up for the game just give them a win but that that was not fair tonight and this is

Not happening first time for us Scotty Barnes is going to be all star he’s going to be the face of this league and what what’s happening over here during whole season I’ve been holding him back it’s a complete crap that rant right there to me I think in my opinion helped galvaniz

What it does for that locker room in my again from the outside looking in we’re not in there it can only mean good things obviously putting Scotty on a pedestal like that I think is really really interesting but also just kind of shows where the team and where Darko

Sees him and also where’s teammates see Scotty so if if there’s this Buzz there’s this good Positive Vibes within the locker room I think that only does well for Raptor Futures this year so win totals like I’m thinking of jumping back on that thing am I crazy

Am I crazy to jump back on the analogy I was going to have like in that animation it’s like the car was breaking down and then they picked up these two hitchhikers and One D had like a ball of NOS with him all right let’s hook this

Thing up let’s give this thing some speed right if you look at from a betting standpoint one thing that’s jumped up you and I talked about this literally on the broadcast just the other day 5- one against the spread five and one to the game totals they’ve beat

The team total set by odds makers every single game since this trade happens so defensively sure fine there’s there’s a lot of room for improving but offensively but you only need timely stops nowaday in this NBA right like playoffs are different animal where you could scheme but you

Just need timely stops now you don’t you don’t need to be this like slow it down it doesn’t the days of building your team around we’re going to clamp everyone down over 82 games doesn’t exist anymore you have to score depend on your opponent depends on what you do in the

Playoffs my opin and and betting on them and creating parlays for them has now become a lot easier and they’re actually doing well you know why because you have functional players again we’re not we don’t have three small forwards and you’re like who’s going to score tonight

Who’s going to do something tonight so you know and RJ Barrett has been a bit of a cash cow too on his over right now here’s a question though the RJ numbers are clearly not sustainable I think we shooting what 54% from three he’s this the scoring is there when that RJ drop

Off happens the shooting isn’t going to be this hot what does that mean for this team I I don’t think it’s going to ffect them too much because yeah he’s just in a hot little stretch but I think he can still be a 20 point per game player and

If he can be a 40% three-point shooter then I think the Ws are clear winners of that trade yeah we know the Knicks are playing great with OG but can he be a 40% three-point shooter no okay so no disrespect to RJ but I want to just

Point out for the fans 40% is a really high threshold yeah that’s an excellent you’re you’re top of league so I don’t think RJ is going to get to that level but one thing that you’re going to see if you really ever paid attention film Nicks versus the Raptors RJ doesn’t have to

Initiate and create as much ISO offense as much with the Raptors a lot of these threes that he’s banging right now they’re from the corners and he’s wide open and he’s got to be able to hit those and so if he can play that role for the Raptors great I think the

Challenge is going to be when RJ has to really start doing an initiating a lot of it on his own you’re going to see some of that inefficiency pop back up but for the time being but with the cor build does he need to does he need to do

That no that’s what I’m saying so I’m encouraged that the role that he’s playing right now he can be sustainably good in can he keep that Ro going year when you have quickly and schroer who can create yeah that’s and when you’re running up and down the floor and

There’s just more touches more offense just in general everyone’s going to get theirs I I think it’s a very interesting Dynamic with RJ because you know this was seen as the Emanuel quickly trade right I think a lot of us even prognosticated well I I I think for the

General fan base Barrett was the the name because he’s Canadian people Bros who watch their 20 raptor games a year yeah it was the RJ trade for the ball people it was the quickly trade yeah everyone knew quickly was the liner of of the deal for you know that

He’s the guy who’s ultimately going to bring you up yeah he represented the perfect fit with Scotty to like come up with two guys growing together who can be create a dynamic duo right and R.J was kind of this guy who’s under contract for what three four more years

I think it’s a great buy low though and in three years we could look at you look at how the cap also guy was a what third overall pick and heading into his year he was talked about as the first overall pick in the draft so like

Listen he’s okay now obviously they gave up ogn and Obi who I think fits the Knicks better for what they’re trying to do they’re closer to winning a champ they’re not a championship Contender but they’re closer and I think he fits better as that three in type of player

Whereas the Raptors needed guys who can score and RJ hey man he gets to that left he gets to the rim he’s great at attacking space and if the shots falling he’s a dynamic offensive player they didn’t have that with anobi so you’ve now added two pretty good offensive

Players at the exchange of one so your rotation has just gotten better by adding one more quality player by also filling massive needs and that’s the big thing you added two players where you were at a huge deficiency and you needed that offensive creativity sorry hold on

We’ we’ve gone this long without our host moving the conversation to Pas because this this is just such I I’ve been waiting for my moment I was going to we’re getting flash Ed from rids here like Pascal cakam is the elephant in the room I want to apologize for you all

Making such great points that it was not time to transition to cakam yet Wes brought it up before with the futes and our friends at fandu will have a lovely little future Mark with pasak I believe last last check he was plus 165 to remain with the Raptors plus

14 plus 145 if this team keeps winning we know Messiah he loves his guys if this team is is continuing to win I don’t see them trading sakam so Josh lenberg TSN Zone wrote a very interesting article uh the other day about the Raptors having to make a

Decision very very soon on Pascal seak in my opin opinion you cannot not make a decision on Pascal past the trade deadline you either have to extend him before February 8th or you trade 100% agree it’s a hard for me it’s a hard deadline and even if you’re getting you

Know 50 cents on the dollar if you can’t come to an extension you cannot let him hit free agency we saw what happened with cents well or or or let him Test free agency this is is that your option we just saw Fred Van vet walk but also

Doesn’t this kind of remind you of 20 going into 2010 with Bosch when that team started win and it’s like oh you can’t trade Bosch now it’s it’s very similar and I think you need what about a verbal Commitment if Pascal doesn’t sign but he says look I’m going to sign

Is that is that too flimsy like you’re so they are able to sign him now to a four-year over $200 million yeah but I don’t think you want to Max him I don’t think is though it’s what he wants of course he’s going to want I don’t think

You can Max him I don’t think I mean Ka Leonard just signed three years took less than the max ka’s older obviously but uh ain’t kawh Leonard man so sorry man we’re not going to pay you the same amount a great player but he is not kawh

Leonard it’s just game one of the 2019 finals says otherwise both together 20 scor dude he scored the last field goal of game six of uh on that finals like he he has Merit he’s a he’s a real good story in Toronto but listen man we’re what late

Mid late January right now we’re we’re entering a very very important time he gets all the leverage if you go past the deadline still on the Raptors yes and and ultimately you have to still like listen this team is still a work in progress so you’re going to sign him to

This four-year deal you have a younger kind of group with if you keep cakam you’re not competing for a championship you’re still a fringe playoff team so are you going to do yourself a disservice in the bigger picture I would extend Pascal cakam over getting 50

Cents on a dollar form him oh no I’m not saying not to sign him I would extend him as well I’m not I’m not against the idea of extending I’m saying if he refuses an extension by the deadline I’m trading him would you give him the max

I would not give him the max I’d be more comfortable as something 40ish 46 no disrespect to Pascal great player but 50 for him at this point in his career I think it’s a little too much with Scotty barnes’s extension coming up and you got Danel Quickly’s

New contract exactly so my thing is just it’s a hard deadline it’s either a trade or an extension by by the there are still some redundancies too with Scotty and cakam which we kind of ignored because over the last six games it hasn’t really looked like it I know

Seaka missed a game but so we were talking about whether the Raptors make the playoffs or not you know are they can they make the plan can they you know overcome their win total 36 and a half do they have a better chance of doing that with Pascal on the roster than a

Similar trade as to the OG and and Obi trade where you’re getting two guys for him potentially younger players well that’s a big hypothetical like what are you getting back right are you getting young project players who are not going to see any time or are you

Going to get an immediate yeah are you getting an immediate warm body that fills a gap for what the needs are for the team so like hard to answer that right but within the market like I lean right now for up to me I would lean towards him staying well so does FanDuel

Yeah right now they think it’s it’s and that’s why before we post this episode we are all probably all going to bet that before the market changes value but I think I it’s really hard to trade him if you keep seeing progress on offense and especially when the seaka market I

Think even going back to last year when he was like oh I’m not going to resign with whoever trades for me the market doesn’t seem to be there so what are you getting i’ I’ve brought this up on a previous pod Haron Barnes that that was such a joke exactly right

So like just because we feel the pressure to or the raps feel the pressure to trade him now if you sign him now his value could improve later he can still be traded after you sign him to the extension it doesn’t mean once he’s on this extension he’s stuck with

The Raptors for the next four years the only but but my thing is if you overpay him I think he becomes harder to deal so there you if if you’re stuck with Pascal at 50 mil I don’t think that’s a very easily movable contract because it’s not

People are knocking down the door for him right now anyway but I think that’s because of the uncertainty of the unrestricted free agency where like I think we’ve seen anybody can be traded yeah like anybody can be moved and by resigning him you maybe we know Messiah loves his flexibility you do probably

Maintain a lot of that flexibility by resigning signing someone on a long-term deal and then trading them or them demanding the new the new AG so I think to me if you have this asset you can’t let another guy walk out the door well again and okay price permitted all right

If they do sign him to the extension let’s not forget what’s been one of the holdups in these trade discussions you’re hearing out there unwillingness to sign an extension so now he’s going to have one and then you can do something with that all right let’s let’s transition that’s that that was a

Long Raptor’s conversation but we a lot to talk about juice so uh let’s move to to MVP because it’s hot it seems it seems um it seems like it’s a four person race right now the numbers are all really short I’m going to let you guys just just just leave me some space

At the end here of the of fig yeah yeah I need I’m a big guy I need my space of those four guys the four person race let’s start with Fab which way you leaning so okay now is the question who do I think’s going to win it no where

Are where are your dollars going well my dollars have been on yic the whole time of course well and listen he’s the favorite and my thing before I bet him be before the season was his price isn’t going to lengthen you said that on this very Po and it hasn’t

It was plus 430 before the season and the max it got to was maybe what plus 300 plus 250 we called you Warren Buffett we laughed in your face I never said don’t sprinkle elsewhere but hey you like a good investment right now isn’t it hey steady earnings steady earnings you

It’s a tight race but at the end of the day joic I still believe him to be the best player in the league he’s a center who’s averaging close to to a triple double on outrageous efficiency Denver’s third in the west they got they got they

Got smoked by the Jazz last game but there they’re still very good record he’s very efficient he’s he’s the clubhouse leader a lot of you know analytical stuff the as zakos has the VOR schnor of the world dude he’s the sun man everyone orbits around and you

Know what you want moments that buzzer beater against the Warriors is that not one of the best shots you’ve ever seen in your life are you kidding me no a half a center hitting buzzer hold on hold on a center dribbling into a half coure buzzer beater against the Warriors in your life

The pure the pure joy on his face after two for me was what was so good about that I love he was happier when he hit that shot than after he with that said listen embiid embiid’s having a monster season you can’t you got to tip your hat to what he’s doing

He he’s been a force of Nature and and Shay’s sh is there man okay so the Shay stuff’s interesting am I going to step on you for the embiid cuz you have t well so the game played right so we this is something that we discussed before

The season started 65 game minimum for anyone to win Awards except for rookie of the year embiid is awfully close now closer than I would like as someone who has money on embiid to be confident in that bat he’s now what fourth fourth on MVP yeah he’s dropped he was

Leaving he was leaving a week ago now he’s dropping it is a risk to bet on MV uh MV MVP in my op right now we’re in what mid January he has to miss what eight N More Games which is that’s that’s one rolled ankle away one rolled

Ankle away two weeks out with it’s like and he has a history of being injured injury history and I think the Sixers who think they might have a shot here they’ve been playing really well with Nick nurse they might opt to rest him down the stretch the and you no longer

Can’t play a guy two minutes in a game then pull him out especially when he burned out last year in the playoffs after gunning for that mvp okay but we’re still asking him to play not that many games going forward like he can still take off seven eight games and hit the

Criteria let’s assume my embiid hits the criteria for games say he’s 65 I think he’s gone down in value due to him being so missing so many games that is actually the only reason okay so this is the point I was going to make is that if

We’re about the way you asked the question was absolutely right but who’s the MVP up to this point it is M beat it is embi up to this point now if you’re going to project how it’s going to play out up until April different conversation I I a lot of validity to

What yic is doing this year or has done the track record the guy that I’m say you know I’m saving it up is talk about SGA projecting out this guy was a guy who was almost 20 to1 to win this award he’s now the second choice he’s plus 300

To win it every checkbox you would ask of him to hit to be part of the MVP conversation he has hit it with an A+ they’ve beaten Denver twice they beat Minnesota they one half a game out of first place they beat Boston he’s got the narrative for sure right now the

Narrative is moving in his Direction every single one of his stat categories have improved versus last year he’s got the same amount of scoring and that’s with Chad holgren sharing the court now you can’t take anything away from him my thing for SJ no matter what though and I

Think even come April he achieves all the check boxes will a casual say oh I know who that is there’s some people who still won’t know who SG I will say this but I’ll push back on that there is always a newness factor that people like people always wanted a different a

Different person so that works in his favor people are be like you know what I’m tired of joic I’m tired of himbi Shay’s having the season well deserved he’s definitely in the mix like he he’s top three right now as you said huge wins he’s he’s a crazy efficient scor

Right now they they have a great record so people might look at him and say you know what this guy he has the story for it Northern Star Award winner shout out car I will say this though let’s go Wes said one key thing who’s the MVP right

Now versus who the MVP is in April and I’m going to I’m going to bring out the notes Here January 9th 2023 your MVP Joel embiid you want to know what he was plus 1500 January 12th 2022 Nicola yic your MVP you know what he was plus 1400

January 12 2021 Nicola yic your MVP want to know what he was plus 1250 tell us it is a long season long season what the narrative is right now is not necessarily what the narrative is going to be in a few months from now so what

I’m doing I look at those top four I’m going Brewsters Millions none of the above and I’m looking at the guys below that and you know what I did this morning I bet on Jason Tatum one more time to win the MVP because I just think

You need to you need to jump on those big values as we saw from the past the narrative changes Tatum’s last two games what’s he put up like 43 and 35 if if Boston goes and wins like 20 straight or 15 straight which they’re capable of with Tatum increasing that scoring can’t

You see see that flipping you get him at 33 to1 right now I agree with your thought process Tatum’s not winning MVP there’s no one in the who is saying this guy’s the best player in the league not right now his numbers are B listen Boston he’s the he’s the head of the

Snake of a great team and that’s what it is how many world where Tatum’s even top five in the right now yes but I will debate this what if they end up being a 65 win team when not a sing he’s still not the MVP they will he’s not leaping Shay joic and

Be how many times how many times does the the one seed a 65 win team their best player win MVP it happens a lot my and my point generally is I kind of I said tat for the bit just because we’ve argued about this but I think I think

The value is in not betting any those people who have odds as short as four to one when so much can change especially the injury factor and maybe instead of taking $100 and putting it on Shay take $25 and put it on four guys around that

18 to 30 to1 range instead that’s all that’s all and listen we’re just talking about who’s going to win it putting your money down right now on any of these short odds doesn’t make a ton of sense you know Spotlight West he you know he

Spotlighted uh Shay at what 9 9 to1 10 to1 a few weeks ago in an article so that would have been the time to to kind of jump on a guy like that but as I just told you with those numbers what the narrative is right now is completely

Different when we get to April and that’s fair but also like a little intellectually dishonest because it’s been it’s been yachin embiid one and two for the last like three years no it hasn’t because I just told you like where do you get these numbers from sport sports betting dime credit

Sports betting D they have an MVP tracker I will say he came from the book of H he can be making these odds I don’t remember yit being plus 1400 last year the only intellectual dishonest thing is four years ago at this time Giannis was

Minus 170 and he went on to win the MVP but that’s what we’re just talking about the last three years so yes there’s hey when you’re dealing with me there’s always a little bit of intellectual dishonesty why you have to poke a lot of bit yeah uh on that note just

Just a great conversation about the raps and MVP and uh we’ll see you in a couple weeks remember to be honest

Are the Toronto Raptors playoff bound after adding RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley? Will Pascal Siakam be traded before the deadline? Who’s going to take home the MVP award? TSN’s NBA production team sits down to discuss the Raptors and more.