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

[Clark4Ever]

The best-case scenario for Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors

Great read. Puts everything in perspective and quantifies it.

 

[trellaine201]

im curious does Leonard speak to the media very much? over the years?

 

[EscapeGoat]

im curious does Leonard speak to the media very much? over the years?

Nope.

 

[Dr.Funk]

im curious does Leonard speak to the media very much? over the years?

No he's a pretty quiet guy.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

No he's a pretty quiet guy.

He'll get along well with OG

 

[Skolman]

That Toronto isn't a great city?

That it's one of the top 5 cities in the world

 

[Eb]

Which team would be better next year?

Raptors without Derozan with Green and Leonard
Or
Spurs withoUt Derozan with Green and Leonard

 

[Skolman]

Which team would be better next year?

Raptors without Derozan with Green and Leonard
Or
Spurs withoUt Derozan with Green and Leonard

Raptors for sure imo

 

[phillipmike]

Which team would be better next year?

Raptors without Derozan with Green and Leonard
Or
Spurs withoUt Derozan with Green and Leonard

Theoretically you should see a bigger improvement from the Spurs. They got 9 games out of Kawhi. So pretty much you are adding Derozan and Poeltl to the Spurs. Parker is no loss but the Spurs also lost Green and Anderson. Might be a wash for the Spurs likely better off if DD and Poeltl take steps forward as expected.

But the Raps may not finish with more wins than 59 but they will have a better team with a healthy Kawhi and Green. Both expiring keeps them motivated in my eyes. Masai still has some work to do to add to the team and trim the fat.

 

[The Nemesis]

Theoretically you should see a bigger improvement from the Spurs. They got 9 games out of Kawhi. So pretty much you are adding Derozan and Poeltl to the Spurs. Parker is no loss but the Spurs also lost Green and Anderson. Might be a wash for the Spurs likely better off if DD and Poeltl take steps forward as expected.

But the Raps may not finish with more wins than 59 but they will have a better team with a healthy Kawhi and Green. Both expiring keeps them motivated in my eyes. Masai still has some work to do to add to the team and trim the fat.

The Spurs will make a more marked improvement going from a season of barely having Kawhi on the floor to having DeRozan and Poeltl for a full year (presumably) vs the Raptors trading up from DeRozan and Poeltl to Kawhi and Green.

But the Raptors were a far better team to start with and will maintain that edge significantly. The Spurs of last year were 12 wins behind the Raptors. Even not accounting for the betterment of Toronto via Kawhi, DeRozan and Poeltl aren't worth 12 additional wins necessary to catch and surpass the Raps.

 

[Puckstuff]

Great read. Puts everything in perspective and quantifies it.

Kawhi has his opportunity to dominate the east and win the East title. This situation is so much better then what it would be to line up vs Harden, Lebron, and GSW in the west with the Spurs. I hope he is motivated. Massai is also an amazing salesmen. If Kawhi signs they need to build the guy a statue
-
Butler will be a free agent and Golden State are not going to be able to hold on to Cousins and Klay Thompson. They will lose at least one...
-
Toronto could actually sign and trade for Butler; and that puts the Raptors in a very interesting spot because VAL, OG, Sikiam will have improved there game quite a bit.

2019/20
-
PG - Lowry
SF - Leonard
SG - Butler
C - Valanciunas
PF - Sikiam/ Anunoby

This could compete with GS without Thompson/Cousins imo. It is potentially a better situation then going back to the West and playing under Lebron.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Kawhi has his opportunity to dominate the east and win the East title. This situation is so much better then what it would be to line up vs Harden, Lebron, and GSW in the west with the Spurs. I hope he is motivated. Massai is also an amazing salesmen. If Kawhi signs they need to build the guy a statue
-
Butler will be a free agent and Golden State are not going to be able to hold on to Cousins and Klay Thompson. They will lose at least one...
-
Toronto could actually sign and trade for Butler; and that puts the Raptors in a very interesting spot because VAL, OG, Sikiam will have improved there game quite a bit.

2019/20
-
PG - Lowry
SF - Leonard
SG - Butler
C - Valanciunas
PF - Sikiam/ Anunoby

This could compete with GS without Thompson/Cousins imo. It is potentially a better situation then going back to the West and playing under Lebron.

Wouldn't surprise me if Masai was looking into acquiring Butler as we speak for 18/19. You have a package, in principal, that could work.

Though, the American media thinks Jimmy is already locked into joining Kyrie on a team in the East (likely NYK, apparently) for 19/20.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Wouldn't surprise me if Masai was looking into acquiring Butler as we speak for 18/19. You have a package, in principal, that could work.

Though, the American media thinks Jimmy is already locked into joining Kyrie on a team in the East (likely NYK, apparently) for 19/20.

Well if that's what the American media "thinks" then that's that I guess.

 

[Bluelines]

Say Kawhi injuries persist this year and he plays very limited games say he plays less than 20 games , where would you expect the Raps to finish?

It would be basically last years team minus DD + bench player that that takes the place of Kawhi.

 

[Dominator13]

He'll get along well with OG

How crazy is it that OG will get to learn directly from the guy he's trying to copy his game from.

I have a hard time understanding why the Spurs didn't force him in the trade instead of Poetl. He's a good jumper away from being a propsect of potential in that realm of success.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Say Kawhi injuries persist this year and he plays very limited games say he plays less than 20 games , where would you expect the Raps to finish?

It would be basically last years team minus DD + bench player that that takes the place of Kawhi.

Though the likelihood of that happening is low, and assuming no other major injury befalls the remaining roster, its a ~48 win team in the East. Yes, its that good.

How crazy is it that OG will get to learn directly from the guy he's trying to copy his game from.

I have a hard time understanding why the Spurs didn't force him in the trade instead of Poetl. He's a good jumper away from being a propsect of potential in that realm of success.

Poeltl is a very, very good young player. Moreover, Masai is a very, very good negotiator. Its a combination of the two things.

 

[Gary Nylund]

How crazy is it that OG will get to learn directly from the guy he's trying to copy his game from.

I have a hard time understanding why the Spurs didn't force him in the trade instead of Poetl. He's a good jumper away from being a propsect of potential in that realm of success.

We don't know that the Spurs didn't ask for OG, my guess is they probably did. And yes, what you said re. OG/KL is very cool!

 

[zeke]

Say Kawhi injuries persist this year and he plays very limited games say he plays less than 20 games , where would you expect the Raps to finish?

It would be basically last years team minus DD + bench player that that takes the place of Kawhi.

I think you'd be surprised to see that we'd still be very good.

DD wasn't a huge positive player. We'd be much better defensively, and bigger roles for younger guys like Jonas/FVV/Wright could do a pretty good job making up for lost offense, especially if Nurse is as good as I think.

 

[Puckstuff]

Wouldn't surprise me if Masai was looking into acquiring Butler as we speak for 18/19. You have a package, in principal, that could work.

Though, the American media thinks Jimmy is already locked into joining Kyrie on a team in the East (likely NYK, apparently) for 19/20.

I wonder what it would take to get Butler this year.

I would easily give up Ibaka for salary, Delon Wright or FVV and a pick.

I think they would probably demand OG or Sikiam.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

I wonder what it would take to get Butler this year.

I would easily give up Ibaka for salary, Delon Wright or FVV and a pick.

I think they would probably demand OG or Sikiam.

They can demand all they want. Its another dysfunctional situation, with a star who will be elsewhere come the end of the season (aka "pre-agency"). I'd call and offer Danny Green's expiring, Norm and Delon in a middle finger, start you off in good faith offer.

 

[Bluelines]

I think you'd be surprised to see that we'd still be very good.

DD wasn't a huge positive player. We'd be much better defensively, and bigger roles for younger guys like Jonas/FVV/Wright could do a pretty good job making up for lost offense, especially if Nurse is as good as I think.

So really its a win/win for the Raps, they get out of a 2 year big ticket contract for an elite defender with offence + they have a great bench, so little downside to Kawhi being out of the lineup.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[BAM]

Durant is the better player.

Against Leonard, Durant dropped 25, 28, 31, 41, 26, and 37. He brushed Leonard aside like he was nothing and he's done that to every defensive player to step in front of him.

The man is incredible.

Ahh the bonus of not being the main offensive focus... A lot easier to put up points when you have guys like Curry and Thompson on your team to prevent double-teams.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Ahh the bonus of not being the main offensive focus... A lot easier to put up points when you have guys like Curry and Thompson on your team to prevent double-teams.

That was 2016 in OKC and Leonard was his main defender.

Durant has only had 1 playoff game vs. Leonard as a Warrior (due to Kawhi's injury).

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

This talk of is Kawhi going to stay or is he going to go is already getting annoying
I hope after we hear Kawhi talk, everyone can draw their own conclusions and we can get on with what happens in the present

Which is the upcoming season and the fact that we have a chance at the NBA finals