Folks, we’re running at about half full on the usual Ye Olde Mailbag these past few weeks.
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we → run → Mailbag
It’s fun for me and more varied questions might interest some of you, too.
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questions → ’ → you
But enjoy this, and thanks to everyone who keeps playing along.
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who → enjoy → everyone
It feels great to have you and the now relevant Raptors back and kicking off a new season.
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It → feel → season
I know it’s pre-season, but as eye tests go that Knicks game was pure sugar.
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game → know → ?
One of the earliest takes I heard on the Kawhi Leonard trade was from Kendrick Perkins: “That defence will grind the other teams to dust.”
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defence → hear → dust
During the broadcast, I heard Matt Devlin and Alvin Williams discussing team defence and … I think I heard cackling!
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I → hear → cackling
By the time you get this we’ll be five games into the pre-season.
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we → get → season
Coach Darko Rajakovic got a good look at how the trio of Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard and Collin Murray-Boyles worked together on the court
Coach Darko Rajakovic got a good look at how the trio of Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard and Collin Murray-Boyles worked together on the court
Yes, the game against the team purporting to be the Knicks was impressive, as it should have been against what could have been perceived as G Leaguers, and even the second game certainly showed a lot of promise in spurts.
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game → get → spurts
But the way the Raptors brass measure it is against their own standards regardless of the calibre of the opponent and Darko Rajakovic, and his staff were pleased with what they saw.
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they → measure → what
There’s not enough shooting or shot creation, so I don’t imagine we’ll see it.
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we → ’ → it
What we might see is Shead, Immanuel Quickley, Leonard, Barnes and Murray-Boyles.
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see → see → What
But let’s get some questions in beforehand:
1) Who would coach Doug put on the floor if the Raptors want to “unleash hell” to borrow a line from the movie “Gladiator”?
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Raptors → let → movie
Although I suspect there’s not much difference between them!
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I → suspect → them
2) You also noted in a recent article that general managers around the league have taken notice of the Raptors, likely due to their playoff performance.
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managers → note → performance
Which Raptors are still flying below the radar in your opinion?
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Raptors → fly → opinion
3) Very small sample size, but RJ Barrett looks good playing with any combination of players on the roster.
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Barrett → look → roster
Is it time to stop all the trade talk, or are there any frontcourt players who would be a better fit on our roster?
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who → stop → roster
(I’m not convinced.
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I → convince → ?
4) I was shocked by the Detroit game.
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I → shock → game
A lineup without any starters playing essentially the starting lineup of the Pistons and we almost pulled off the victory!
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we → play → victory
What’s your best explanation?
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explanation → ’ → ?
I watched the game and still don’t know how they pulled it off.
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they → watch → it
Bonus question: Who gets your final roster spots?
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Who → get → spots
Yeah, I kind of alluded to the best defensive group above and I do think, in raw terms, Leonard, Barnes and Murray-Boyles with Shead and Walter is the best defensive group, and those three with Quickley and Barrett are better offensively.
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three → allude → Quickley
I’ve said it for a while, I don’t think Barrett gets his due leaguewide, although I’m not sure where he’d fit in that annual GM survey.
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he → say → survey
It won’t, and it’ll get loud again around February’s trade deadline, I’m sure.
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I → get → deadline
The 2:37 game time and the 63 fouls weren’t fun, but … the young kids played fast and to the team’s standard; the 19 turnovers they forced and 25 points they scored off them kept them in the game; the 19 turnovers they committed and 28 points they gave up cost them.
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they → play → them
I’m sure you saw the Raptors churn: Nate Bittle gets a two-deal deal while Nimari Burnett, Jalen Celestine, Tyreke Key, Tyson Degenhart and Jamarion Sharp get waived.
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Burnett → ’m → deal
The waived guys could end up with Raptors 905.
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guys → waive → Raptors
I’ve been a big Victor Wembanyama fan since he first came into the NBA, and my respect for him went up exponentially when he came out recently against the promotion of sports betting.
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he → come → betting
Wemby has said that his partnerships will be based on “values,” so that is also something to be watched in the coming years.
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that → say → years
Other NBA superstars have taken a very different sports betting approach, however, and surely the only “rationale” for that is money.
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rationale → take → that
I know of friends who have given up watching NBA games solely because of sports betting and all the ads.
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who → know → betting
And what do you know about this subject, vis-à-vis the positions taken by Raptors players, staff and management?
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you → know → players
And a bonus question: Have any NBA players come out in support of Wemby?
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players → come → Wemby
Could he potentially start a trend in the other direction?
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he → start → direction
—David Rain, Etobicoke
I’m firmly on record that there’s too much gambling advertising and too many television networks treat it as “news” when it’s not.
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it → ’m → news
And I’m waiting for a larger, longer study that shows just how many lives and families have been ruined since the floodgates opened.
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floodgates → wait → study
I’d love to see a ban on any ads from the start to finish of any game broadcast, and I would be fine if every standard contract included a clause that prohibits players from endorsing or being affiliated with gambling, or prediction sites that are just poorly masked gambling sites.
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that → love → gambling
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
