Drafting for Today vs. Tomorrow
After a week of pretty intensive draft coverage, i figured I'd lighten the load a bit today and tomorrow.
Today, a simple poll question regarding an interesting topic that's come up this draft:
Do the Raptors draft a player who can contribute right away, or the player they think has the greatest upside, even if the team doesn't see that for a season or two?
These options are not mutually exclusive of course, but often in the draft, a team decides to go one way or another, especially once they get into the late lottery or mid-first round. This is because generally these teams don't simply take the top talent available, like so many early lottery clubs, and can't necessarily afford to be strategic with their picks like so many late first-round squads, who grab prospects for position or to stash overseas.
The middle-of-the-packers need to get some sort of impact from their selection as soon as possible to help them take the proverbial next step. When it doesn't happen, a team may find itself no better off than the year before.
So what does Toronto do this year?
They're a team that minus Bosh and perhaps guys like Antoine Wright and Amir Johnson, is facing a very tough go next season.
And yet should Bosh return, there are still many question marks regarding things like the point guard situation, and Hedo Turkoglu's future with the team...not to mention that even with CB4, this was hardly a dominant ball club.
Since the end of the season Bryan Colangelo has stated that he feels the team is not in the doom and gloom situation so many of us believe. And so you have to think that if that's truly the case, we'll see the team add a Cole Aldrich or Ekpe Udoh type who could prove to be an immediate boost in areas the team so badly needs.
On the flip side though, does it make more sense to just blow things up, especially if Bosh is gone? In this scenario, adding a Daniel Orton or a Avery Bradley might be a genius move when one looks back on this draft in a few seasons.
It sounds like Bryan Colangelo and co are still trying to answer this question themselves but what do you as a fan think the team should do?
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Contributor with upside
Don’t waste a pick on unproven talent… we don’t need another Alek Radojevic (#12 in 1999). Also, don’t waste a pick on someone who had success in NCAA purely because of the team/system, or because they were big enough/strong enough to dominate weak competition (Michael Bradley 2001, Rafael Araujo 2004, etc.).
Look at the Bulls: their key players were all successful in the NCAA (Noah, Rose, even Deng and Hinrich), but all had some room to improve. No, they aren’t competing for the title this year, but they are good enough that Lebron/Bosh/Wade are considering them.
There are always exceptions, but I’d rather have a team with 8-10 contributors than 1-2 surprises and a bunch of draft busts.
Like the Bulls compare
They’ve had some luck in terms of where they were drafting – but indeed have done a very solid job with what they’ve had to work with. (Gibson last year even.)
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Jun 5, 2010 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
At least the possibility of 2 Bargnanis is over
Motiejunas withdraws from NBA drafthttp://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2010/news/story?id=5252765
I like the embattled Renato!
With the vast majority of Raptors fans finally seeing the light regarding Bargani, your comments are becoming better and better. A little punchy, 1 part defensive, 2 parts stubborn, less and less based on fact and analysis, more and more based on raw emotion and bitterness… Great entertainment value. I’ve especially loved your “CB4 is the devil” posts recently. Fantastic. It’s like watching FOX news, only if Bargani was a republican and CB4 was Obama. Cheers to you my friend! You at least make it interesting!
me? "CB4 is the devil"
you are confusing me with someone else….
just to keep ut he joke… you sound like the Iraqui minister of information….
yo reneto do you think spain is going to win the world cup ? and i agree with reneto stop with the hate on bargs
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 5, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
well....
being Italian, I hope no….. I always had a soft spot for Cameroon…. (seriously)
lol my bad i thought you were spanish.
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 5, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I live In Barcelona
But I am itlaian….
actually…. I should go to have a close look at Rubio and let you guy know….I’ll do it next winter
i hope france win the world cup but i think Brazil are going to win. lol that must be tough for you renato imagine an Italy Spain final
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 5, 2010 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Eto'o being on Barcelona in the past.
Explains your soft spot for Cameroon
I am not a football follower
I’ve had a soft spot for cameroon for a long time, since they came out of nowhere and plaid well, the ultimate underdog coming on top…
so renato i must ask why the raptors since you live outside of Canada what attracted you to the raptors and not the lakers or the cavs
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 6, 2010 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
You thought Renato was Spanish?!?!
Come on! Only Italian eyes could see Bargani the way Renato does! : )
lol no im Pakistani and i like bargnani too
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 5, 2010 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions
It's not a slight against Bargnani...
It’s just that we have no need for 2 exactly the same players.
Draft approach
If your team doesn’t have a recent, sustained history of winning or being highly competitive in playoff situations, draft players who
(i) contributed significantly to winning/deep tournament run playoff teams
(ii) have skills and measurements that translate well to the NBA, and
(iii) are at an age that suggests some room for improvement.
If this type of player turns out to be as successful in the NBA as he was in college, the team drafting him will be in a good position to succeed.
Ridiculous upside is rarely developed well by the Raptors (or many other organizations). This year’s longterm project turns into next year’s cap weight without an opportunity to really develop because he’s replaced by next year’s project. Talent going to waste is common place.
By the tone of most discussions here lately, it’s strange how someone like DD, who was looked at as a long term project with promise is no longer being given the same leeway in hopes that the Raps find someone with “more upside” at his position.
This team can't afford to be selective...
Raptors have had for years and continue to have a deficit in overal talent. They need to select the best player available irrespective of position or level of preparedness for the NBA. If the best talent available at 13 is a 19 year old with undeniable talent, yet little tangeble production, so be it. This team needs assets. Bad.
This is why I agree with Interloper’s comments regarding DD above. I think this is the exact direction this team needs to continue to go in until they have amassed enough assets. Draft the best talent available. If Bosh is resigned, contributers can be sought on through free agency and/or trades. If Bosh doesn’t resign, you need to head towards a rebuild. In either case Raptors are best positioned by selecting basing the decision more on young raw talent than NCAA production.
i agree i think DD has a bright future if we get back something valuable for bosh in ans s&T I’m hoping Shane battier this could only help us having a veteran leader to teach you can work wonder look at goran dragic for example i think hes the future for the suns at the point but yet skill wise i don’t think there is much difference between him and roko ukic there basically the same type of players the only difference is a veteran leader like steve nash teaching you the position
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 5, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
DD
i totally agree with what you and interloper are saying, this is why i dont understand why some of the comments on here about derozan are so negative specially from franchise, talking bout he was never sold on DD even being that good of a nba player thats the problem with some of us fans, were at times too impatinet and expect players we draft to be amazing right away.for years this team needed to draft a swingman with upside and for the future (since the iggy and hoffa fiasco) and draft that swingman who had a good 1 year in college, who outside of blake griffen has the highest ceiling in the draft, has a great work ethic oh and is only 20 YEARS OLD.if he slighty improves in even 2 years than explodes into a top swingman he’ll only be like 22 years old, this talk bout drafting henry cause hes a good shooter and better defender and more nba ready as some people say ,well joey graham proves that even if your nba ready in college doesnt translate into the nba itself thats why i dont understand why would he be on the top of this sites draftboard when we already have young swingman in DD and weems who can only get better while this team needs to draft a guard or/and another big and hopefully look for a another swingman with experience in a trade to round out things for this team.
i think the idea behind drafting henry is to draft the best player not by position
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 6, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I can understand that but from what I read and some of the comments of some of the guys on here that have actually seen him play he’s really nothin more but a jump shooter (a streaky one at that) and he doesn’t really attack the rim very much at all. And I’m just more ranting on the negative things being said bout derozan when to me he didn’t have a bad rookie year at all.
by sherwin316 on Jun 6, 2010 1:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Criticism of DD
I think most were mainly criticizing how the caoching staff were utinlyzing DeRozan in his Rookie year, which was at times plain odd. For example, eventhough fans had been screeming for it since October, Triano finally relented and brought him off the bench when it was almost too late. However, you are right and there have been commenters who threw DD under the bus, but IMO this was wrong headed. As you have pointed out he is still very young and very raw, any criticism of DD should be directed at Triano.
totally agree i don’t think DD had a totally bad year we must remember that Danny granger had the same type of year in his rookie season but didn’t turn out to be a bad player what so ever
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 6, 2010 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions
plus DD has more upside then danny granger
by raptors_run_the_show on Jun 6, 2010 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh I agree with you on that jay should get some blame but if your in his shoes who else would you plug into that spot? Wright was hurt most of training camp, weems who if you read reports from reporters like doug smith etc didn’t really do anything good enough to warrant starting he only came on later in the season and that leaves Marco . So really there wasn’t much options for jay to go to.
by sherwin316 on Jun 6, 2010 1:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I think the thing you are missing here is that BC built this bed himself. What I mean by that is that he made a big deal about trying to convince Bosh to stay here by surrounding him with a better supporting cast. He then made the odd decision of drafting a player who is a huge risk (all players with a ton of upside are a huge risk because most of the time they do not realise their potential) instead of a player who could contribute right away. It is not DD’s fault that he is a project, it is BC’s fault for drafting a player who is not NBA ready.
has Paul George alredy worked out for the Raps
or will he?
Your trade machine outcomes are not legitimate trade rumours;)
Besides, I am not sure why Cleveland would do this deal. Do they have a starting quality PG on their roster I am not aware of?
Saw this rumour in a Cleveland paper
http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/06/06/sports/nh2600140.txt
Not exactly a confirmed rumour – more like speculation from a reporter based on simply lining up Mo Williams’ contract with another PG.
For the Cavs, it obviously all comes down to Lebron — if he stays, they needs a better balance (which could involve getting a more traditional PG). If he goes, they need to blow up the team (which would NOT involve trading Mo Williams for a contract of the same value).




























