Raptors Discussion: v75| Season of Kawhi Part 1: Greatest expectations

[RayzorIsDull]

Over or Under 10 National TV games this season?

I guarantee it'll be way over 10 (barring Kawhi injury) so even if we're not playing on Christmas, we're getting tons of exposure in the US this year

I also know most NBA players would rather spend Christmas with family than playing so at least Raptors players will get to see their family.

Unless you live in the US why would anyone care? You still end up hearing guys like Devlin/Armstrong/Rautins so what's the big deal?

 

[Stylizer1]

People in the States don't care about the Raptors. They have never been dominant enough for people to take notice there. The Vince Carter era was the closest we were to being relevant because he was one of the most exciting players to draw viewership. Bosh and DeRozan where never must see players and the fact Khawi is only guaranteed to play in Toronto for 1 season doesn't convince networks to invest.

 

[Kurtz]

They drew the 16th best ratings but while I don't have the exact listing of games they had on ESPN/TNT last year, I'm pretty sure that they were mostly against GS/Bos/Cle which were the 3 highest rated teams on that list. They only got higher ratings because they had high-demand opponents. I imagine if they had been placed up against low-to-midcard ratings draw teams the numbers would've been much bleaker.

Well, they try to put compelling matchups on national TV. I don't see why this would be different for the Raptors compared to the other teams they feature.

The Raptors are scheduled for 15 National games this upcoming season (7 on TNT, 8 on ESPN). That is the 7th most of any team in the NBA.

Clearly, Raptors games get solid ratings and are expected to get above-average ratings in the US this upcoming season.

So again, leaving the Raps off of the Xmas schedule was just a clear oversight by all measures. There's 0 chance that an average NBA fan would rather watch NYK vs Milwakee on Xmas over Raps vs Spurs.

 

[Stylizer1]

Well, they try to put compelling matchups on national TV. I don't see why this would be different for the Raptors compared to the other teams they feature.

The Raptors are scheduled for 15 National games this upcoming season (7 on TNT, 8 on ESPN). That is the 7th most of any team in the NBA.

Clearly, Raptors games get solid ratings and are expected to get above-average ratings in the US this upcoming season.

So again, leaving the Raps off of the Xmas schedule was just a clear oversight by all measures. There's 0 chance that an average NBA fan would rather watch NYK vs Milwakee on Xmas over Raps vs Spurs.

The ratings in NY alone would probably trump a Spurs-Raps game on Christmas..

 

[Kurtz]

The ratings in NY alone would probably trump a Spurs-Raps game on Christmas..

I gave the actual stats on the previous page - NY national games drew 1.82 mil, Spurs 1.75 mil, Raptors 1.44 mil, Bucks 1.39 mil.

National games are more about capturing a national audience with compelling matchups rather than local markets.

To further reinforce the point, the Knicks only have 5 national games this season, whereas the Raptors have 15 (TNT and ESPN).

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

OG's 3 point shot looks much more refined
Also, Westbrook didn't seem to think FVV had that range 4 seconds in

 

[Jozay]

zion is a freak

 

[Stylizer1]

Any news on Khawi?

 

[Fantomas]

Observation: US media coverage of Duke games mostly centered on Zion Williamson. Canadian coverage conversely entirely focused on RJ Barrett.

But this might change with the way Barrett is dominating.

 

[MLSE]

Ibaka has minimal to no value. He has a contract through next season so it's not even like the TWolves would get any kind of cap savings since they'd be trading an expiring player to begin with. If anything, Sending out Ibaka would probably require sweetener, at which point you're looking at Ibaka + OG + Wright as a baseline. And that's even worse than Lowry + OG/Wright because now you've turned the Raptors strength (depth) into a weakness.

Depth is not a strength in the playoffs, get as talented as a core 6-8 as you can.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Observation: US media coverage of Duke games mostly centered on Zion Williamson. Canadian coverage conversely entirely focused on RJ Barrett.

But this might change with the way Barrett is dominating.

RJ Barrett is very good but I'd take Zion over him

 

[tmlfan98]

Zion is very good but I'd take RJ over him.

 

[The Nemesis]

Sportsnet app alert:

"Report: Raptors add Kawhi Leonard's close frind to coaching staff."

The sucking up and coddling to star players is hilarious. First the clippers fire Bruce Bowen from his tv gig to appease Kawhi (because Bowen was critical of him for his injury stuff last year) and now this.

 

[trellaine201]

Great

 

[Kurtz]

Sportsnet app alert:

"Report: Raptors add Kawhi Leonard's close frind to coaching staff."

The sucking up and coddling to star players is hilarious. First the clippers fire Bruce Bowen from his tv gig to appease Kawhi (because Bowen was critical of him for his injury stuff last year) and now this.

Leafs did the same thing for JT. It's smart, tbh.

 

[The Nemesis]

Leafs did the same thing for JT. It's smart, tbh.

It's smart, and it's nice that maybe it helps grease the wheels for making a good pitch to keep him, but at the same time it's absolutely insane that we're at the point where orgs bend over backwards to court players not just by making a pitch of "hey, we'd be a good place to pay and/or can pay you a truckload of cash." but actively trying to do other things to stroke the player's ego.

 

[Kurtz]

It's smart, and it's nice that maybe it helps grease the wheels for making a good pitch to keep him, but at the same time it's absolutely insane that we're at the point where orgs bend over backwards to court players not just by making a pitch of "hey, we'd be a good place to pay and/or can pay you a truckload of cash." but actively trying to do other things to stroke the player's ego.

I hear you, but Casey took our video coordinator with him to Detroit, so we had to replace him, and apparently Fielder is very good at his job. It's a win all-around.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

I hear you, but Casey took our video coordinator with him to Detroit, so we had to replace him, and apparently Fielder is very good at his job. It's a win all-around.

You mean Jeremy Castleberry?

Kay Felder is the point guard the Raptors just signed

 

[Kurtz]

You mean Jeremy Castleberry?

Kay Felder is the point guard the Raptors just signed

Yup - had Felder on my mind.

 

[hockeywiz542]

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Jeremy Castleberry and Kawhi Leonard have been close since playing together on an Inland Empire AAU club as 14-year-olds and then for two seasons at Martin Luther King High in Riverside, and Castleberry regularly travels to San Antonio during school breaks to see Leonard play with NBA’s Spurs. But their friendship is rooted in more than familiarity and circumstance; they are basketball junkies, both of them.

SDSU's Jeremy Castleberry: 'The consummate team player'

Crowd favorite Jeremy Castleberry came in off the bench to score two points. (Sean M. Haffey)

He didn’t need to be out there. He knows that. Wednesday against Air Force is Senior Night at Viejas Arena, and he may or may not get in one final game in his SDSU career, depending on how closely his teammates listen to the game plan and not get back cut by the pesky Falcons, depending on, well, how close the game is.

But there he was. After practice. Empty arena. Getting his shots up.

“I mean, I’m not going to get any more playing time if I shoot 500 shots, but I just really love basketball,” Castleberry says. “I really like going out there and shooting 500 jump shots. I like doing that.”

Which helps explain why he is best friends with Kawhi Leonard.

They have been close since playing together on an Inland Empire AAU club as 14-year-olds and then for two seasons at Martin Luther King High in Riverside, and Castleberry regularly travels to San Antonio during school breaks to see Leonard play with NBA’s Spurs. But their friendship is rooted in more than familiarity and circumstance; they are basketball junkies, both of them.

“Two people who really, really love basketball,” Castleberry says.

 

[TOGuy14]

Sportsnet app alert:

"Report: Raptors add Kawhi Leonard's close frind to coaching staff."

The sucking up and coddling to star players is hilarious. First the clippers fire Bruce Bowen from his tv gig to appease Kawhi (because Bowen was critical of him for his injury stuff last year) and now this.

Happens with all teams in all of the leagues. It is a cheap, non cap way to make your players happy, especially since you only need to give like 100k jobs to people to make your stars happy in some cases

My brothers friend is a prominent NHL player and his brother has been offered any number of positions within the organization, both direct and arms length type stuff

 

[zeke]

give Uncle Dennis a job now.

 

[TNCHL]

Kawhi was working out with lebron, kd, osman and some raptors coaches at ucla

 

[hockeywiz542]

Kawhi was working out with lebron, kd, osman and some raptors coaches at ucla

On the far right of this picture is Jeremy Castleberry, the Toronto Raptors’ newest hire as player developmental coach.

 

[MyBudJT]

Sportsnet app alert:

"Report: Raptors add Kawhi Leonard's close frind to coaching staff."

The sucking up and coddling to star players is hilarious. First the clippers fire Bruce Bowen from his tv gig to appease Kawhi (because Bowen was critical of him for his injury stuff last year) and now this.

Gives a whole new meaning to ‘friends with benefits’. Zing!

Okay, i’ll walk myself out now...