[Grange] Raptors have 7th worst record so far. With Barnes & Poeltl both likely out for the season, you’d say fine, tank. But they are 2 games up on Memphis & 5 games up on Portland. Hard to ‘slide’ back to 6th or 5th. Raps owe 1st to Wemby & Spurs if outside top 6. What a mess.
Raptors have 7th worst record so far. With Barnes & Poeltl both likely out for the season, you’d say fine, tank. But they are 2 games up on Memphis & 5 games up on Portland. Hard to ‘slide’ back to 6th or 5th. Raps owe 1st to Wemby & Spurs if outside top 6. What a mess. https://t.co/8Fcnue5yJ8
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) March 6, 2024
by EarthWarping
24 Comments
I disagree with Grange in that they can’t pass Memphis.
This team without Poeltl and Barnes is a bottom 5 team, not to mention that RJ probably gets managed a bit down the stretch too.
6th still isn’t out of reach.
Even if the pick conveys, next year they have:
* three guys under 25 who are solid starters, and one who is already an all-star.
* They have a solidified veteran centre rotation.
* They have a second year lottery pick next season
* likely mid-first round pick rookie.
They just need to get a few more rotation players and they have a perfectly fine recipe for a rebuilding team. Would it be NICE to have one more kick at the talent can with a lotto pick this year? Sure, but what’s done is done, and objectively the situation is not that bleak IMO even if the pick conveys. Calling it “a mess” seems overly dramatic to me, and despite the trade obviously being a mistake in hindsight you could equally argue Jak is still extremely valuable to helping this young core develop because the offensive system works best with a big who can set screen, roll to the rim and move the ball.
I’d still rather give up this pick given how the top of the draft is filled with “he may be a long term starter” as their upside.
Grange just realizing the pick this year was traded away?
Grange calling it a mess is my main takeaway.
The main journos haven’t been as critical as one might expect given the state of the team.
If not for the championship and all the good will, hard to imagine another leadership team not being fired.
We shall see if there is more pointed criticism to come.
Losing a top pick to Spurs will not be a good look at all. And definitely points to a massive miscalculation.
This is what Toronto sports was like in mid 00s to early 10s
It almost like people don’t understand how the lottery works.
Tired of talking about this pick, let’s hand the Spurs the 7th pick and go on with our lives. I’m more excited about seeing Dick, Achai, Freeman-Liberty, Porter cook the last 20 games of the year than anyone we select at the top half of the draft. 1 guy in this draft won’t change our teams trajectory, especially with everyone analysis of this years draft.
We do need to finish 6th and below to keep the pick or get the 6th pick or below in the lottery?
We need to finish strong. Whatever that means at this point. I don’t think it’s about how many wins but how competitive we play.
Meh, if you look at how poeltl affects and stabilize this young team offensively and defensively i’d say that is worth this years pick. #firegrange
Without Poeltl this team is ass. We might get to 6
How did they come up with a top 6 protection. Why couldn’t they just do top 10
I’m confused… it doesn’t seem that unlikely that the raptors can’t lose 2 more games than Memphis by EoY…
Lol.grange only realizes this now when fans were calling it last season at the trade deadline
Maybe I’m out of the loop. But given this draft depth wouldn’t we rather lose the pick this year rather than next?
One one hand this sub rants about how weak a draft this is and on the other laments not being able to take a flyer on an NBA untested prospect instead of having Poletl. Because our record without him clearly shows he brings no value.
I’m over how dramatic everyone’s being over this pick in this draft. Everyone seems to agree it’s a crapshoot draft and we already have a bunch of other picks in the top 32.
With Kelly O we’re in better shape, but the reality is that any decent team needs a solid centre. Without Jakob we are shit. I am not upset about that trade. People need to move on.
Eh honestly this draft isn’t that great, I’d rather convey the pick now in a down year compared to elite 2025 class in the event we underperform next season
Don’t care about losing the pick in a weak draft. Would rather have next year’s pick as a tradeable asset.
The one consolation is that it might be easier than expected to trade up in the draft, but I still think it’s better that we have the pick no matter what for next season.
They traded the pick for Poeltl, hopefully we aren’t saddled with it anymore after this summer
How is this more of a mess than the same 20 games remaining with Barnes and Poeltl healthy? Doesn’t their absence increase the likelihood that we lose and ultimately retain the pick? Weird timing for Grange.
We should have just tanked for Wemby instead of trading for Thad and Poeltl. We didn’t need to try to keep paying back the Spurs for the Kawhi rental.