>It will be interesting to see how much a mini-surge affects Raptors management as the trade deadline approaches. If the Raptors – who improved to 19-24 – begin putting together a run, will they still entertain trading some of their core players, if only to make sure they get some value for the likes of Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr…
>Or will they sit back, hoping they can catch lightning in a bottle like they did with their strong second half a year ago?
>But against a Portland club that is in the midst of a 2-8 slog with their wins coming over – yes – Charlotte and the Detroit Pistons, the other team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Toronto looked pretty good.
>
CazOnReddit
Yeah, really hope the front office doesn’t think we should be buying at the deadline because we beat the Hornets. They’re one of the worst teams in the league and neither win was, like, a blowout, they kept it competitive throughout until we pulled away near the end.
mMounirM
if FO knows Gary is walking then trade Gary for a first round pick.
at least we’ll finish the season with 2 non-lottery first round picks if we don’t tank.
NoseBlind2
Im honestly cool with trading a couple guys not named Siakam or Scottie and getting a bottom 6 seed in the league. That means we have excellent lottery odds and will be primed to bounce back at some point.
Siakam only goes for a monumental return
chrisPjelly
It won’t. Playing again bad teams or teams we match up exceptionally well against doesn’t mean shit in the grand scheme of how this team is being evaluated. There’s already enough info for the FO to know that this team needs to take a step back, and this western road trip will probably be the deciding factor in what pieces to keep. And you can’t just hand wave our team being pushed up against the luxury tax with our incoming FA’s, they HAVE to make a move now.
RedRocket13
I don’t think Grange deserve the flak he gets from this sub but the guy needs better editing on his work routinely…
The Raptors are 19-23 not 19-24; not a huge error obviously but you’d want these things to be correct in an article like this (or anything)
5kunkhunter
I really think we are a Myles Turner away from being a very good team. But I feel like he’ll be too pricey.
Canadian__Bacon94
Masai won’t change plans just because we beat the hornets twice lol. Now if the streak gets to 8 games, that’s a different story
Followthehype10
This is actually the perfect scenario all the guys are back we have momentum if they can’t capitalize on the road trip I think it will clearly show that this team is at its peak. It’s easy to kick a team when they are down but they have momentum now regardless of who they just beat they won 3 in a row they gotta be feeling good so let’s see the energy and hunger they come out with in the next week.
BurzyGuerrero
Me, spending 1000 dollars when tix went on sale to fly out for a Raptors/Celtics game feels incredibly stupid given where we are.
LemmingPractice
Here’s the situation coming up before the deadline:
Relatively easy game against Atlanta
Road B2B vs the Knicks and Bucks
at Minny
Home B2B vs the Celtics and Knicks
Then, a 7 game west coast road trip
The road trip ends four days before the deadline (with one game against the Spurs at home in there).
I don’t think anyone is overreacting to two wins over the awful Hornets. If we beat Atlanta tomorrow, no one will overreact to that either.
For the front office and the team, the question will be what happens in the brutal stretch that follows it. I don’t think any major moves are coming until the deadline, or at least the couple days before it.
If the Raps catch fire during that tough stretch, the front office probably reconsiders pulling the plug. Our schedule after that stretch is ridiculously light (we finish the road trip into home games against the Spurs, Jazz, Pistons and Magic which takes us to the All Star Break, and our remaining games after All-Star include three games against the Wizards, two more against the Pistons, two more against Charlotte, etc). If we are in the mix (sitting in 8th or close to it) by the trade deadline, the front office will have good reason to believe we can make a push down the stretch.
On the other hand, if the next stretch buries us, and we are out of a play-in spot by the end of the road trip, the front office will have perfect PR cover to sell some serious assets, which is probably the only way we could realistically tank through the creampuff schedule that follows.
Basically, it is put up or shut up time. The season gets decided in the next 13 games.
flashmethod
I know this is meant as a talking point, but I’m surprised people are posting anything from Grange, dude is a hack.
peroper7
Definitely should not be adding pieces that aren’t game changing on this roster, but I’d much rather play out the season than just sell off someone for no good reason. There is quality talent on this team
If the deals too good to be true, then fleece em.
thatsong
Agreed. Love the team winning, but this team isn’t close to contending, or even in a playoff spot
Use the wins/games to raise the stock of players you’ve deemed expendable and sell to the highest bidder
ImmaFunGuy
Winning two games against hornets at home should mean nothing
Rare-Profile6867
We have been talking about Turner for years. He’s not coming. Indiana has a better record than us with more young assets. Indiana is setting themselves up for a playoff run in the next 1-2 years with how many young pieces they have.
Our realistic options are playoffs teams currently struggling ie. Phoenix
Spicy__B
I don’t think these wins will change the FO approach at all, they know it is the hornets. Our 7 game road trip coming up will likely put the nail in the coffin either way.
Ecstatic-Buy-2907
I mean, if we win most of our games in the next month, I’d be happy with a Myles Turner-type move that pushes us one step closer to contention. If we lose most, we trade OG for young players and picks, trade FVV and commence the stealth tank. I’m kinda in the boat where I’m fine with either contending or tanking depending on how the team progresses, and see a valid reason for both
motherseffinjones
I think our FO is better than that, I highly doubt beating the hornets twice and the trailblazers once has changed a Damn thing. Though I personally have turn on my tank engine but the keys are still in my pocket
Hopfit46
….because masai is in his office like a 9 year old after a win trying to trade for kawai again. Then goes rob Schneider when they lose…”on nooo, we suck again!”
mrcanoehead2
I’m all for moving fvv and gtj. Also Flynn. Please move Flynn
21 Comments
>It will be interesting to see how much a mini-surge affects Raptors management as the trade deadline approaches. If the Raptors – who improved to 19-24 – begin putting together a run, will they still entertain trading some of their core players, if only to make sure they get some value for the likes of Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr…
>Or will they sit back, hoping they can catch lightning in a bottle like they did with their strong second half a year ago?
>But against a Portland club that is in the midst of a 2-8 slog with their wins coming over – yes – Charlotte and the Detroit Pistons, the other team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Toronto looked pretty good.
>
Yeah, really hope the front office doesn’t think we should be buying at the deadline because we beat the Hornets. They’re one of the worst teams in the league and neither win was, like, a blowout, they kept it competitive throughout until we pulled away near the end.
if FO knows Gary is walking then trade Gary for a first round pick.
at least we’ll finish the season with 2 non-lottery first round picks if we don’t tank.
Im honestly cool with trading a couple guys not named Siakam or Scottie and getting a bottom 6 seed in the league. That means we have excellent lottery odds and will be primed to bounce back at some point.
Siakam only goes for a monumental return
It won’t. Playing again bad teams or teams we match up exceptionally well against doesn’t mean shit in the grand scheme of how this team is being evaluated. There’s already enough info for the FO to know that this team needs to take a step back, and this western road trip will probably be the deciding factor in what pieces to keep. And you can’t just hand wave our team being pushed up against the luxury tax with our incoming FA’s, they HAVE to make a move now.
I don’t think Grange deserve the flak he gets from this sub but the guy needs better editing on his work routinely…
The Raptors are 19-23 not 19-24; not a huge error obviously but you’d want these things to be correct in an article like this (or anything)
I really think we are a Myles Turner away from being a very good team. But I feel like he’ll be too pricey.
Masai won’t change plans just because we beat the hornets twice lol. Now if the streak gets to 8 games, that’s a different story
This is actually the perfect scenario all the guys are back we have momentum if they can’t capitalize on the road trip I think it will clearly show that this team is at its peak. It’s easy to kick a team when they are down but they have momentum now regardless of who they just beat they won 3 in a row they gotta be feeling good so let’s see the energy and hunger they come out with in the next week.
Me, spending 1000 dollars when tix went on sale to fly out for a Raptors/Celtics game feels incredibly stupid given where we are.
Here’s the situation coming up before the deadline:
Relatively easy game against Atlanta
Road B2B vs the Knicks and Bucks
at Minny
Home B2B vs the Celtics and Knicks
Then, a 7 game west coast road trip
The road trip ends four days before the deadline (with one game against the Spurs at home in there).
I don’t think anyone is overreacting to two wins over the awful Hornets. If we beat Atlanta tomorrow, no one will overreact to that either.
For the front office and the team, the question will be what happens in the brutal stretch that follows it. I don’t think any major moves are coming until the deadline, or at least the couple days before it.
If the Raps catch fire during that tough stretch, the front office probably reconsiders pulling the plug. Our schedule after that stretch is ridiculously light (we finish the road trip into home games against the Spurs, Jazz, Pistons and Magic which takes us to the All Star Break, and our remaining games after All-Star include three games against the Wizards, two more against the Pistons, two more against Charlotte, etc). If we are in the mix (sitting in 8th or close to it) by the trade deadline, the front office will have good reason to believe we can make a push down the stretch.
On the other hand, if the next stretch buries us, and we are out of a play-in spot by the end of the road trip, the front office will have perfect PR cover to sell some serious assets, which is probably the only way we could realistically tank through the creampuff schedule that follows.
Basically, it is put up or shut up time. The season gets decided in the next 13 games.
I know this is meant as a talking point, but I’m surprised people are posting anything from Grange, dude is a hack.
Definitely should not be adding pieces that aren’t game changing on this roster, but I’d much rather play out the season than just sell off someone for no good reason. There is quality talent on this team
If the deals too good to be true, then fleece em.
Agreed. Love the team winning, but this team isn’t close to contending, or even in a playoff spot
Use the wins/games to raise the stock of players you’ve deemed expendable and sell to the highest bidder
Winning two games against hornets at home should mean nothing
We have been talking about Turner for years. He’s not coming. Indiana has a better record than us with more young assets. Indiana is setting themselves up for a playoff run in the next 1-2 years with how many young pieces they have.
Our realistic options are playoffs teams currently struggling ie. Phoenix
I don’t think these wins will change the FO approach at all, they know it is the hornets. Our 7 game road trip coming up will likely put the nail in the coffin either way.
I mean, if we win most of our games in the next month, I’d be happy with a Myles Turner-type move that pushes us one step closer to contention. If we lose most, we trade OG for young players and picks, trade FVV and commence the stealth tank. I’m kinda in the boat where I’m fine with either contending or tanking depending on how the team progresses, and see a valid reason for both
I think our FO is better than that, I highly doubt beating the hornets twice and the trailblazers once has changed a Damn thing. Though I personally have turn on my tank engine but the keys are still in my pocket
….because masai is in his office like a 9 year old after a win trying to trade for kawai again. Then goes rob Schneider when they lose…”on nooo, we suck again!”
I’m all for moving fvv and gtj. Also Flynn. Please move Flynn