Post by New York on May 24, 2015 20:28:21 GMT -6
Toronto Raptors
Opening Thoughts
The Toronto Raptors had one of the most active off-seasons in the league. Changing up three starter positions, trading away the guy that was pegged with being their future cornerstone, and most of their bench there was only one team that clearly had a more active off-season. But that team isn't who we are focusing on right now so back to the Raptors. Like I mentioned before this team traded away some pretty notable pieces heading into the off-season for more ready now pieces. Vince Carter was a player that early on couldn't find a way off of Charles Vanover's bench. But after finally getting some playing time he continuously improved even getting the final rookie of the month of last season. The other big name rookie that was moved was of course Tracy McGrady who despite not getting any minutes last year had the potential to be the best player to come out of the group. But the issue with McGrady was that we likely won't see him at his best for a few more seasons as he was so raw. I'm sure the mindset heading into last year was that they were okay waiting for this wing duo to develop along with guys like Chauncey Billups, Jean-Jacques Conceicao, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. But after missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year they dropped to the 5th "losingest" team in league history in terms of total losses, they went into the off-season with some decisions to make. Like I said they won they missed the ABCA Playoffs the past four year with combined record of 129-199 (39.3 WP%) so heading into the off-season would they decide to continue on the path of developing youth or would they use them as assets to get more playoff ready pieces?
Off-Season Transactions (Re-signings, Additions, Subtractions)
Opening Thoughts
The Toronto Raptors had one of the most active off-seasons in the league. Changing up three starter positions, trading away the guy that was pegged with being their future cornerstone, and most of their bench there was only one team that clearly had a more active off-season. But that team isn't who we are focusing on right now so back to the Raptors. Like I mentioned before this team traded away some pretty notable pieces heading into the off-season for more ready now pieces. Vince Carter was a player that early on couldn't find a way off of Charles Vanover's bench. But after finally getting some playing time he continuously improved even getting the final rookie of the month of last season. The other big name rookie that was moved was of course Tracy McGrady who despite not getting any minutes last year had the potential to be the best player to come out of the group. But the issue with McGrady was that we likely won't see him at his best for a few more seasons as he was so raw. I'm sure the mindset heading into last year was that they were okay waiting for this wing duo to develop along with guys like Chauncey Billups, Jean-Jacques Conceicao, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. But after missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year they dropped to the 5th "losingest" team in league history in terms of total losses, they went into the off-season with some decisions to make. Like I said they won they missed the ABCA Playoffs the past four year with combined record of 129-199 (39.3 WP%) so heading into the off-season would they decide to continue on the path of developing youth or would they use them as assets to get more playoff ready pieces?
Off-Season Transactions (Re-signings, Additions, Subtractions)
Eric Beugnot: Re-signed for $17,637,500 over 2 years ($8,500,000 over 1+ TO)
- Eric Beugnot was one of six players that was headed to Free Agency on the Toronto Raptors roster, of the six he is the only one to return to the team. At basically 8.8 per year for 2 seasons this is a good contract for a guy that is going to be a tough defensive rotation player and can slide next to either Sprewell or Drexler for extended periods of time. He'll likely be this team's sixth or seventh man and having him back is key because the Raptors bench will need someone reliable.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim: Traded to Harlem in Joe Johnson package
- Shareef was sent to Harlem along with Chauncey Billups for a pick that turned into Joe Johnson. I've been open about not being a huge fan of this deal but it wasn't because of Shareef. He's a solid player that could develop into something good down the line but right now I see a PF that has okay offensive attributes along with ball handling and passing ability but can't really rebounding well for his position, or defend and is only a okay athlete with average stamina. I wasn't the biggest Joe Johnson fan pre-tc but one thing about him is he can be a starter at some point in this league without a question and that's not something I can confidently say about Shareef. Long story short, I have no problem with Shareef
Chauncey Billups: Traded to Harlem in Joe Johnson package
- Now Chauncey Billups on the other hand was my favorite piece in this deal pre-tc and I think the argument can still be made that he is still the best prospect in the deal. It will depend on how his offense develops but he's a good athlete for his position similar to a young Otis Birdsong but stronger. Joe Johnson will likely be the better offensive weapon but if i'm considering all around game and fit (since before the trades the team had Spree, Carter, and McGrady and after the trades they have Spree and Drexler ahead of him) I think I'd lean towards developing Chauncey Billups. Again Post-TC I don't have a big issue with the deal but I would've liked to see them hang onto Chauncey just incase Terrell Brandon didn't pan out.
Joe Barry Carroll: Traded to Harlem in Tree Rollins deal
- Of all the trades that Toronto made during the off-season this is the only one I didn't like at all. Joe Barry Carroll + pieces was sent to Harlem in exchange for the defensive minded Tree Rollins. Now i'm not here to say JBC is some type of all-star because he's not and if we're being honest, he didn't fit in the front court with Oscar Schmidt. BUT I do believe the JBC has went from an overrated player during his early years to an underrated player. I say that because a lot of people tend to focus on the fact that JBC isn't a great defender but ignore that he is a really good scorer, a solid rebounder (nearly identical career RPG as Schmidt), and while not being a great defender he isn't bad there as he's a solid B- Post Defender and can block shots. Now compare this to Tree Rollins who is a really good defender but is a non-factor on offense while not providing any additional rebounding when compared to JBC. Having Rollins and Brandon as 40% of the starting lineup with Eric Beugnot as the 6th man would've made me less confident in this team's ability to make the post season. But they cleaned it up by adding Parish who gives you the best of both world on offense and defense so that 50% of the Raptors top 6 isn't solely defense only guys.
Vince Carter: Traded to ALBA in Oscar Schmidt package
- I really did like Vince Carter going back to when Toronto picked him up for Steph Marbury who I felt and still feel is a lesser prospect. But I have to be honest whne I say that I had no problem with him moving for Oscar Schmidt. I know some will look back on the deal in hindsight now that Vince Carter had an excellent training camp and try and say it was too much for Schmidt but that's not something you could guarantee would happen in Toronto. Plus Carter still has some developing to do and if Toronto is serious about trying to at least make the playoffs this year then Schmidt was the right choice.
Jean-Jacques Conceicao : Traded to ALBA in Oscar Schmidt package
- Never liked this guy if i'm being honest. He's solid in a few different areas but don't expect him to be much more than what he was in Toronto as a rookie. Maybe 15 - 8 - 2 at his peak in an ideal situation for him but Toronto shouldn't lose any sleep over trading him.
Michael Cooper: Signed with Chicago for 7,200,000 over 2 years ($3,600,000 over 1 + TO)
- Cooper is a solid bench guy but i'd be lying if I said I saw hime as much more than that. He got paid 3.6 million for this year with a team option after coming off of a year where he shot below 40% and is a career 39.9% shooter. Not a bad contract because he can expire after this year but I think a guy like Dudley Bradley can give about the same type of production while making a minimum salary.
Gail Goodrich: Currently a Free Agent
- Gail played in 11 games last year, shot 27% from the field and averaged only 3.3 PPG. At this point he just isn't a factor in this league, he's a guy who passed his prime 10 seasons ago when he was the starting Point Guard on the championship Berlin team. The Raptors didn't need him and neither does any other team really.
Clemon Johnson: Signed with Kings for $1,100,000 over 1 year
- Clemon is a solid 4th big who I wouldn't have minded seeing back to strengthen the depth of this team for a minimum salary. Losing him won't kill this team but if I had an option i'd take him for depth purposes even if he isn't going to play every game.
Stacey King: Signed with Panathinaikos for $7,157,500 over 2 years ($3,500,000 over 1 + TO)
- Much like Cooper this deal isn't bad because it's really an expiring deal but yikes at Stacey King getting $3.5 million this year. Wasn't efficient in the time he got in Toronto and can't be expected to play much more than that with his porous stamina. This team was smart not to bring King back if this was what it cost because it would've been wasted money this year.
Tracy McGrady: Traded to Kings in Clyde Drexler deal
- So we've already talked about Shareef Abdur-Raheem & Chauncey Billups being traded for Joe Johnson (wasn't a huge fan), we've talked about Vince Carter and Jean-Jacques Conceicao being traded for Oscar Schmidt (really liked this deal), but the final piece of youth that was sent out was Tracy McGrady who in my opinion had the highest upside of all the young guys on this team. He was sent out for Clyde Drexler and while I previously said that he had the highest potential of all of the players, I don't mind this deal. It's clear that this team wants to win now and honestly T-Mac isn't going to accomplish that for you this year. He could end up being a top 5 type player in the league IF he pans out but here's the thing we've seen so many young guys that are loaded with potential not reach their original potential. Jermaine O'Neal, Larry Nance, Benji Wilson, Antonio McDyess, Moses Malone just to name a few. Plus none of those guys came into the league as young as T-Mac so he was even more risky. Do I think we could look back on this deal and say "how could he have traded a stud like T-Mac?", of course. But I also think that we could look back on it and say "Toronto is lucky he traded T-Mac for an all-star at the height of his value because he turned into an athletic bust". Drexler will pair with Robert Parish and Oscar Schmidt to give this team a dangerous big 3 and if their game plan is solid they'll land in the playoffs with that group. In my previous article I gave the good and the bad for this trade from the Kings perspective and the same can be applied to the Raptors. There's reasons to like this trade and reasons to dislike it but only time will tell us which GM made the right decision.
Mike O'Koren: Signed with Panathinaikos for $1,026,000 over 1 years
- He was like the 4th string SF for this team last year. Interesting defender but nothing to worry about losing in Free Agency.
Dave Bing: Signed for $1,428,000 over 1 years
- Dave Bing is coming off of the worst year in his career but he did so on the 2nd worst team in the league so I don't think he can be judged too harshly. As a veteran back up I like this signing and think he should look closer to his normal self on this roster. I will say I hope they pick up another Point Guard for their bench because it could be possible that Bing just doesn't have it anymore and Terrell Brandon may stay not be all the way there so having another guy waiting in the wings could only help them. * I typed this up without seeing the Larry Wright signing*
Dudley Bradley: Signed for $810,000 over 1 year
- Not an amazing signing but not a bad one either. Seeing Michael Cooper get paid makes this a better signing for the Raptors because Bradley will provide similar production if he gets minutes.
Pat Cummings: Signed for $846,000 over 1 year
- A bench big making a minimum, nothing to complain about here for the signing it's self but if he is counted on to be the 1st center off the bench then that could be trouble for the team.
Clyde Drexler: Acquired from Sydney via trade
- The star of the Sydney Kings finals team last year, Clyde Drexler. Like I mentioned above he was acquired in exchange for Tracy McGrady. This guy can do a little (or a lot) of everything as he's athletic, can pass, can steal the ball, can block shots, and can rebound. He'll move to the Small Forward spot for this team which is a bit of a change for him but even though it may not be ideal, at 6'7 he should do fine there. Pairing him with Oscar Schmidt gives this team a nice 1-2 punch of guys that are a threat to score 20+ each night. Tracy McGrady may end up being the better player in the future but if you are thinking about the now then Clyde Drexler.
Kenny Gattison: Signed for $774,000 over 1 year
- Another bench big who is better suited to be a 4th or 5th big man so while he's not a bad signing I would like to see them add another big that is guaranteed to contribute. PJ BRown didn't have the best TC but still should be a contributor but you want to have at least two big men that can give you minutes off the bench and i'm not sure Gattison or Cummings can.
Joe Johnson: Drafted #12 in the 2026 Draft
- So I really thought this pick was a reach in the draft and I didn't like the team giving up Chauncey Billups to get Johnson but after training camp I am more onboard with this addition. Now that's not to say I really love this deal because I still would probably keep Chauncey but thanks to a nice TC, Joe Johnson projects to be a legit offensive starter with nice athleticism and solid defense. Like I said his defense is only going to be solid but I see talent in Joe Johnson now which is nice. The question is if he is a need though? I wonder if this team should look to move him for another big man or PG instead since they have Drexler, Beugnot, and Spree to cover the SF minutes. An interesting prospect nonetheless so we'll see what he turns into.
Oliver Miller: Signed for $774,000 over 1 year
- Another solid but not great backup big but probably the best of the three minimum signings. I like this pick up and anticipate him getting minutes if Toronto has to choose between him, Gattison and Cummings.
Robert Parish: Acquired from ALBA via trade
- The final big name acquisition for Toronto and I liked this deal for him. In a similar situation as the T-Mac deal it may be looked back on as a heavy price but for right now this makes them a lot better. They originally traded for Tree Rollins who I am not a fan of at all by sending Joe Barry Carroll to Harlem. JBC is a player I like and think is underrated at times but he probably didn't fit with Oscar Schmidt (who was acquired before Parish). I think swapping Parish for Rollins gives them a bonus 5-10 wins in all honesty. Some may worry that the picks given up were too good but the fact is they got next year's Berlin pick back and the one star that Berlin has on their team right now is 31 and expiring so no telling how that pick turns out. The KK Partizan pick they traded should be good but nothing spectacular as that team has Barkley in place. The Toronto pick is the one to watch out for but if the GM uses this season as a launching pad they shouldn't be in the lottery for the next few seasons even if it's just them making the playoffs as a 8th seed. Parish gives this team another player that can give them upwards of 18 PPG which is important because i'm still not seeing Terrell Brandon contributing much on offense. He also gives them an anchor on defense that allows Oscar Schmidt to focus completely on their offense. Again this was an acquisition that I liked and another smart move by the Raptors GM.
Will Perdue: Signed for $456,000 over 1 year
- Another bench big that's strong but shouldn't be expected to contribute much of anything. Give him a look in pre-season and see if he can provide anything to your bench, if not it's fine because he's a free minimum cut if you want to waive him and look at some other options.
Oscar Schmidt: Acquired from ALBA via trade
- The first ALBA and Toronto trade was one that saw JJC, Sabonis (who I had pinned for the starting big man spot), and Vince Carter for last year's 6th leading scorer, Oscar Schmidt. I already praised the team for this acquisition earlier but lets do it again. While Vince Carter is going to be a heck of a player at some point in the future, Schmidt is a legit all-star right now. He gives this team a go to scorer which is important because Parish, Drexler and Spree aren't those type of players. They'll get you points but they aren't a #1 option type of guy. Schmidt allows this team that finished 17th in PPG and 23rd in offensive efficiency to actually put together a legit offense. This was probably the biggest acquisition for them in an off-season of big acquisitions.
- Eric Beugnot was one of six players that was headed to Free Agency on the Toronto Raptors roster, of the six he is the only one to return to the team. At basically 8.8 per year for 2 seasons this is a good contract for a guy that is going to be a tough defensive rotation player and can slide next to either Sprewell or Drexler for extended periods of time. He'll likely be this team's sixth or seventh man and having him back is key because the Raptors bench will need someone reliable.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim: Traded to Harlem in Joe Johnson package
- Shareef was sent to Harlem along with Chauncey Billups for a pick that turned into Joe Johnson. I've been open about not being a huge fan of this deal but it wasn't because of Shareef. He's a solid player that could develop into something good down the line but right now I see a PF that has okay offensive attributes along with ball handling and passing ability but can't really rebounding well for his position, or defend and is only a okay athlete with average stamina. I wasn't the biggest Joe Johnson fan pre-tc but one thing about him is he can be a starter at some point in this league without a question and that's not something I can confidently say about Shareef. Long story short, I have no problem with Shareef
Chauncey Billups: Traded to Harlem in Joe Johnson package
- Now Chauncey Billups on the other hand was my favorite piece in this deal pre-tc and I think the argument can still be made that he is still the best prospect in the deal. It will depend on how his offense develops but he's a good athlete for his position similar to a young Otis Birdsong but stronger. Joe Johnson will likely be the better offensive weapon but if i'm considering all around game and fit (since before the trades the team had Spree, Carter, and McGrady and after the trades they have Spree and Drexler ahead of him) I think I'd lean towards developing Chauncey Billups. Again Post-TC I don't have a big issue with the deal but I would've liked to see them hang onto Chauncey just incase Terrell Brandon didn't pan out.
Joe Barry Carroll: Traded to Harlem in Tree Rollins deal
- Of all the trades that Toronto made during the off-season this is the only one I didn't like at all. Joe Barry Carroll + pieces was sent to Harlem in exchange for the defensive minded Tree Rollins. Now i'm not here to say JBC is some type of all-star because he's not and if we're being honest, he didn't fit in the front court with Oscar Schmidt. BUT I do believe the JBC has went from an overrated player during his early years to an underrated player. I say that because a lot of people tend to focus on the fact that JBC isn't a great defender but ignore that he is a really good scorer, a solid rebounder (nearly identical career RPG as Schmidt), and while not being a great defender he isn't bad there as he's a solid B- Post Defender and can block shots. Now compare this to Tree Rollins who is a really good defender but is a non-factor on offense while not providing any additional rebounding when compared to JBC. Having Rollins and Brandon as 40% of the starting lineup with Eric Beugnot as the 6th man would've made me less confident in this team's ability to make the post season. But they cleaned it up by adding Parish who gives you the best of both world on offense and defense so that 50% of the Raptors top 6 isn't solely defense only guys.
Vince Carter: Traded to ALBA in Oscar Schmidt package
- I really did like Vince Carter going back to when Toronto picked him up for Steph Marbury who I felt and still feel is a lesser prospect. But I have to be honest whne I say that I had no problem with him moving for Oscar Schmidt. I know some will look back on the deal in hindsight now that Vince Carter had an excellent training camp and try and say it was too much for Schmidt but that's not something you could guarantee would happen in Toronto. Plus Carter still has some developing to do and if Toronto is serious about trying to at least make the playoffs this year then Schmidt was the right choice.
Jean-Jacques Conceicao : Traded to ALBA in Oscar Schmidt package
- Never liked this guy if i'm being honest. He's solid in a few different areas but don't expect him to be much more than what he was in Toronto as a rookie. Maybe 15 - 8 - 2 at his peak in an ideal situation for him but Toronto shouldn't lose any sleep over trading him.
Michael Cooper: Signed with Chicago for 7,200,000 over 2 years ($3,600,000 over 1 + TO)
- Cooper is a solid bench guy but i'd be lying if I said I saw hime as much more than that. He got paid 3.6 million for this year with a team option after coming off of a year where he shot below 40% and is a career 39.9% shooter. Not a bad contract because he can expire after this year but I think a guy like Dudley Bradley can give about the same type of production while making a minimum salary.
Gail Goodrich: Currently a Free Agent
- Gail played in 11 games last year, shot 27% from the field and averaged only 3.3 PPG. At this point he just isn't a factor in this league, he's a guy who passed his prime 10 seasons ago when he was the starting Point Guard on the championship Berlin team. The Raptors didn't need him and neither does any other team really.
Clemon Johnson: Signed with Kings for $1,100,000 over 1 year
- Clemon is a solid 4th big who I wouldn't have minded seeing back to strengthen the depth of this team for a minimum salary. Losing him won't kill this team but if I had an option i'd take him for depth purposes even if he isn't going to play every game.
Stacey King: Signed with Panathinaikos for $7,157,500 over 2 years ($3,500,000 over 1 + TO)
- Much like Cooper this deal isn't bad because it's really an expiring deal but yikes at Stacey King getting $3.5 million this year. Wasn't efficient in the time he got in Toronto and can't be expected to play much more than that with his porous stamina. This team was smart not to bring King back if this was what it cost because it would've been wasted money this year.
Tracy McGrady: Traded to Kings in Clyde Drexler deal
- So we've already talked about Shareef Abdur-Raheem & Chauncey Billups being traded for Joe Johnson (wasn't a huge fan), we've talked about Vince Carter and Jean-Jacques Conceicao being traded for Oscar Schmidt (really liked this deal), but the final piece of youth that was sent out was Tracy McGrady who in my opinion had the highest upside of all the young guys on this team. He was sent out for Clyde Drexler and while I previously said that he had the highest potential of all of the players, I don't mind this deal. It's clear that this team wants to win now and honestly T-Mac isn't going to accomplish that for you this year. He could end up being a top 5 type player in the league IF he pans out but here's the thing we've seen so many young guys that are loaded with potential not reach their original potential. Jermaine O'Neal, Larry Nance, Benji Wilson, Antonio McDyess, Moses Malone just to name a few. Plus none of those guys came into the league as young as T-Mac so he was even more risky. Do I think we could look back on this deal and say "how could he have traded a stud like T-Mac?", of course. But I also think that we could look back on it and say "Toronto is lucky he traded T-Mac for an all-star at the height of his value because he turned into an athletic bust". Drexler will pair with Robert Parish and Oscar Schmidt to give this team a dangerous big 3 and if their game plan is solid they'll land in the playoffs with that group. In my previous article I gave the good and the bad for this trade from the Kings perspective and the same can be applied to the Raptors. There's reasons to like this trade and reasons to dislike it but only time will tell us which GM made the right decision.
Mike O'Koren: Signed with Panathinaikos for $1,026,000 over 1 years
- He was like the 4th string SF for this team last year. Interesting defender but nothing to worry about losing in Free Agency.
Dave Bing: Signed for $1,428,000 over 1 years
- Dave Bing is coming off of the worst year in his career but he did so on the 2nd worst team in the league so I don't think he can be judged too harshly. As a veteran back up I like this signing and think he should look closer to his normal self on this roster. I will say I hope they pick up another Point Guard for their bench because it could be possible that Bing just doesn't have it anymore and Terrell Brandon may stay not be all the way there so having another guy waiting in the wings could only help them. * I typed this up without seeing the Larry Wright signing*
Dudley Bradley: Signed for $810,000 over 1 year
- Not an amazing signing but not a bad one either. Seeing Michael Cooper get paid makes this a better signing for the Raptors because Bradley will provide similar production if he gets minutes.
Pat Cummings: Signed for $846,000 over 1 year
- A bench big making a minimum, nothing to complain about here for the signing it's self but if he is counted on to be the 1st center off the bench then that could be trouble for the team.
Clyde Drexler: Acquired from Sydney via trade
- The star of the Sydney Kings finals team last year, Clyde Drexler. Like I mentioned above he was acquired in exchange for Tracy McGrady. This guy can do a little (or a lot) of everything as he's athletic, can pass, can steal the ball, can block shots, and can rebound. He'll move to the Small Forward spot for this team which is a bit of a change for him but even though it may not be ideal, at 6'7 he should do fine there. Pairing him with Oscar Schmidt gives this team a nice 1-2 punch of guys that are a threat to score 20+ each night. Tracy McGrady may end up being the better player in the future but if you are thinking about the now then Clyde Drexler.
Kenny Gattison: Signed for $774,000 over 1 year
- Another bench big who is better suited to be a 4th or 5th big man so while he's not a bad signing I would like to see them add another big that is guaranteed to contribute. PJ BRown didn't have the best TC but still should be a contributor but you want to have at least two big men that can give you minutes off the bench and i'm not sure Gattison or Cummings can.
Joe Johnson: Drafted #12 in the 2026 Draft
- So I really thought this pick was a reach in the draft and I didn't like the team giving up Chauncey Billups to get Johnson but after training camp I am more onboard with this addition. Now that's not to say I really love this deal because I still would probably keep Chauncey but thanks to a nice TC, Joe Johnson projects to be a legit offensive starter with nice athleticism and solid defense. Like I said his defense is only going to be solid but I see talent in Joe Johnson now which is nice. The question is if he is a need though? I wonder if this team should look to move him for another big man or PG instead since they have Drexler, Beugnot, and Spree to cover the SF minutes. An interesting prospect nonetheless so we'll see what he turns into.
Oliver Miller: Signed for $774,000 over 1 year
- Another solid but not great backup big but probably the best of the three minimum signings. I like this pick up and anticipate him getting minutes if Toronto has to choose between him, Gattison and Cummings.
Robert Parish: Acquired from ALBA via trade
- The final big name acquisition for Toronto and I liked this deal for him. In a similar situation as the T-Mac deal it may be looked back on as a heavy price but for right now this makes them a lot better. They originally traded for Tree Rollins who I am not a fan of at all by sending Joe Barry Carroll to Harlem. JBC is a player I like and think is underrated at times but he probably didn't fit with Oscar Schmidt (who was acquired before Parish). I think swapping Parish for Rollins gives them a bonus 5-10 wins in all honesty. Some may worry that the picks given up were too good but the fact is they got next year's Berlin pick back and the one star that Berlin has on their team right now is 31 and expiring so no telling how that pick turns out. The KK Partizan pick they traded should be good but nothing spectacular as that team has Barkley in place. The Toronto pick is the one to watch out for but if the GM uses this season as a launching pad they shouldn't be in the lottery for the next few seasons even if it's just them making the playoffs as a 8th seed. Parish gives this team another player that can give them upwards of 18 PPG which is important because i'm still not seeing Terrell Brandon contributing much on offense. He also gives them an anchor on defense that allows Oscar Schmidt to focus completely on their offense. Again this was an acquisition that I liked and another smart move by the Raptors GM.
Will Perdue: Signed for $456,000 over 1 year
- Another bench big that's strong but shouldn't be expected to contribute much of anything. Give him a look in pre-season and see if he can provide anything to your bench, if not it's fine because he's a free minimum cut if you want to waive him and look at some other options.
Oscar Schmidt: Acquired from ALBA via trade
- The first ALBA and Toronto trade was one that saw JJC, Sabonis (who I had pinned for the starting big man spot), and Vince Carter for last year's 6th leading scorer, Oscar Schmidt. I already praised the team for this acquisition earlier but lets do it again. While Vince Carter is going to be a heck of a player at some point in the future, Schmidt is a legit all-star right now. He gives this team a go to scorer which is important because Parish, Drexler and Spree aren't those type of players. They'll get you points but they aren't a #1 option type of guy. Schmidt allows this team that finished 17th in PPG and 23rd in offensive efficiency to actually put together a legit offense. This was probably the biggest acquisition for them in an off-season of big acquisitions.
Off-Season Review
- So we talked about each player transaction individually but what did I think of the team's off-season as a whole? Well for one thing it was super busy with 11 new players on the team's roster. Much like Sydney I want to look at this team's off-season in the long term and the short term. Short Term, I have to give this team an A- because going from Vince Carter to Clyde Drexler, PJ Brown to Oscar Schmidt, and Joe Barry Carroll to Robert Parish are all big upgrades. The only reason I am not going to go with a full fledged A for the short term is I think this team could run into some bench problems because while most of their bench is solid they don't have that clear cut two way player coming off their bench unless Beugnot becomes a lot more efficient. Long term it's a little more complicated because this team can't stay together long without some luck and someone in the group of Parish, Sprewell, or Terrell Brandon offering to re-sign in season. Looking at their cap situation even if they decline Beugnot and PJ Brown's team options they will be at $40,692,065 with 3 players meaning they've got 39,307,935 in hard cap space to fill 9 spots. Let's say no one offers to re-sign you have to basically let someone walk or be traded because Sprewell will get a $15 million max, Brandon will get around $10 million (at minimum) and Parish will get a deal near Hayes or KAJ starting at 17 million at least. That's $42,000,000 in salary and only 3 players (meaning they'd still b short 6 guys). Then when you add in the fact that Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Chauncey Billups, and two other solid youngsters were sent away this off-season it's hard to give them a super high long-term grade. But guys like Schmidt and Drexler still have a lot of years to play, and they kept one of my favorite young player in Sprewell along with Brandon so I can't give them a super low grade there. So i'll give them a C+ (or maybe a B-) which will average out to around a B overall. I know just in terms of what they were able to add that seems a little low but if you just want to focus on that part look at the A- because for right now what they added was excellent but they may have to get creative really soon with this roster.
Questions Heading Into Season
1. Can Terrell Brandon become a more efficient player at PG position and contribute more on the offensive end?
2. Will the Raptors break their 4 season playoff drought with the "big 4" of Sprewell, Drexler, Schmidt, and Parish?
3. Can Drexler adjust to moving to Small Forward after having played SG for the majority of his career?
4. Will Drexler be able to step into the #2 option role as his USG and touches increase from where they were in Sydney (4th on the team)?
5. Can Robert Parish anchor this defense as the only clear starting center on the roster?
5. Can Robert Parish anchor this defense as the only clear starting center on the roster?
6. As a team that was bottom 10 in both defense and offense last year, what will the identity of this team be?
7. Is a bench of PJ Brown, Eric Beugnot, Dave Bing, Joe Johnson and Dudley Bradley strong enough to compete with the elite teams in the league?
8. Will the Raptors be able to top their franchise best 54 wins and get home court for only the 2nd time in franchise history.
Final Season Thoughts
- This is a playoff team, that is one thing I think everyone can agree on. This team should win the Central division which has been looking for a leader since the 2021 Bullets team that won a title won 61 games to capture the division title (this team and the 2021 Raptors are the only teams to ever win 50+ games in this division). I know some are putting this team up there with the elite and I get why because they have one of the league most versatile players in Clyde Drexler, a top 10 scorer in the league in Oscar Schmidt, one of the league best defensive big men in Robert Parish and another emerging scorer in Latrell Sprewell (who should be more efficient surrounded by those guys). But I have to say that I think this team is still a notch below those teams vying for a title. I love their top 4 but I am concerned about their bench and their PG position. Terrell Brandon and Dave Bing may not be enough at that position and while the big four should cover for them it still can't be ignored as a weak spot. Their bench has some interesting pieces like PJ Brown (who I didn't love the TC of), Joe Johnson, and Eric Beugnot but none of those guys are players I see in the running for 6th man which is something I think you need to really make it deep in the post season.
I don't mean to knock this team because like I said this is a playoff team if everything goes right but I see them as closer to the Darrall Imhoff era Knicks. Dangerous team that you couldn't take lightly but certain holes in their roster stopped them from going as far as they liked. Worst case scenario for this team I'd say is mid 40s (44-46) while the best case scenario is upper 50s to low 60s (57-61). I know I am covering a wide range there but I think this team is one of the wildcards in the American Conference playoff race.
I don't mean to knock this team because like I said this is a playoff team if everything goes right but I see them as closer to the Darrall Imhoff era Knicks. Dangerous team that you couldn't take lightly but certain holes in their roster stopped them from going as far as they liked. Worst case scenario for this team I'd say is mid 40s (44-46) while the best case scenario is upper 50s to low 60s (57-61). I know I am covering a wide range there but I think this team is one of the wildcards in the American Conference playoff race.
