After tonight's game against the Timberwolves, without being too dramatic about the performance specifically. What are some realistic upgrades at point guard ( backup or starting). Someone who may be available and what does it take to get them? Everyone wants to shout and scream names in here but I don't really understand the whole salary cap/ trade system just yet having grown up on European sports. I'd love to hear some actual good ideas

Larry Bird 0 points

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/when-larry-bird-overcame-worst-shooting-slump-lead-celtics-1981-championship

Joel Embiid 0 points

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401160888

Wilt Chamberlain 0 points

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/night-when-wilt-chamberlain-scored-0-points

Nikola Jokic 0 points

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/400974786

Our own Kyle Lowry 0 points

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors-orlando-magic-kyle-lowry-pointless-game-1-1.5097869

Paul George had a 2 point game in 2025

Draymond Green had 0 points in 2024 vs the clippers

Tyrese Haliburton had 0 points in 2024 vs new orleans in 31mins

Reggie Miller in a finals game 0 points against the lakers

Steph Curry 5 points in a Christmas game

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201112250GSW.html

And the list goes on. Yall need to chill.

I had to post this one. It ties too much into the thread of the team the past few seasons, and, most importantly, I present a solution.

In my opinion, the main issue plauging the team is the lack of penetration and high level passing from people who use usage, who are expected to the set up the offense (Immanuel Quickley). If Immanuel Quickley did not command high usage and only shot off ball, maybe it would be different. But that is not the world we live in.

I understand Immanuel Quickley was a runner up for 6th man in New York. Admittedly, I have no idea what his trade value is currently.

Although I know, the fact that we have Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard, and RJ Barrett demands a need for a low usage player to do passing and penetration related activities extrenely well in a limited role, along with POA defense. Come Scottie Pippen Jr:

An effecincy stud, with the game tape to back it up.
Lets start with the statistics, something evrybody can agree on.

He was an elite midrange shooter in hia breakout season. 58% on pull up two’s, 98th percentile in the league.
He is a career 44% 3PT shooter on catch and shoot threes.
He shot 68.5% at the rim in his breakout season.
He had an elite steal percentage in his breakout season.

Now the opinion, the thing we can’t necessarily agree on:
He slides his feet with the best in the league. Elite POA defense.
He is an above average passer, who is not afraid of hard passes, and most importantly gets it off quick.
He is an extremely slick and controlled finisher at the rim, stop and start, deking people out of their shoes.
He has the pick and roll into a midrange pull up down (think Jose Calderon on repeat).

Even better news. The Memphis Grizzlies have Jerami Grant under contract for this year and next starting at $34.2 million.

This leaves the potential of a perfect trade folks. It will completly fix the Raptors starting 5 because it allows Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard, and RJ Barrett to do what they do best. Attack the rim and absorb all of the possessions while having an outlet who can shoot the 3 efficiently, drive, get off the ball quick, pass extremely well, and is an elite POA defender.

The bones of the trade: Raptors trade Immanuel Quickley, a 1st round pick, for Jerami Grant and Scotty Pippen Jr.
I guarantee there would be a 3rd team. Trade makes too much sense!

As jakobs biggest supporter, and all the stats ive provided for 2023 jakob, I feel bad for the guy whos tried very hard to get healthy but its not enough. The most jakob can do is screen assists but we need way more than that. Instead of trading quickly or RJ, I think we need more shooting than a big, we need kyrie. We can trade jakob + 1st + a 2nd for kyrie ?

Unacceptable from a $104M starting centre. At least Scottie had an off game. This is who Jakob is against elite centres like Gobert

Just to be clear I am pro Darko and always have been. I know he's always been a players coach. I just hope behind the scenes he's telling Scottie his shot selection has to be better.

I'm not denying all the shots he took were makeable, his mid range has become elite. But theres no reason he shouldn't be driving more. There's no reason he should only have 12 shot attempts, especially when kawhi is out. And imo most of all there is NO reason when his shot is off or he is struggling he should be ending the game with 0 free throws. Idc if he's off some games but he has to keep his forcefulness. If anything that will just make the jumpshots more open when he has to go to it. Playoffs vs cavs showed that best with the driving and fre throw rate

I'm sure Darko had much more to say to him than what we got in the press conference. I do wish he mentioned a little acknowledgement of what went wrong pubically though

did he forget how to make a basket?

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Ts was killing me when i saw it😭

Let me spend my time doing something else during my break..yeah there's no Raptors game tonight I was imagining it 😂

Let us never speak of this again

But he's got that Dog in him.

Only the Orlando Magic have been worse than the Raptors over the past 5 years. Why do you think the front office does not prioritize 3 point shooting?

Burn that damn game tape. Yeesh.

- The Raptors are succeeding at their possession maxing identity; through 3 games, the raptors are averaging roughly 13 more shooting possessions per game than their opponents (this is a very big number)

- The Raptors are 1st in opponent turnovers forced; having forced 24.7 turnovers per game so far, the raptors are proving their aggressive, ball hawk, hands everywhere defensive identity that they have spoken about so much.

- Allen Graves is an OREB monster; averaging 3 offensive rebounds per game in just 15 minutes per game, good for 7 oreb per 36 minutes as a 6'9 tweener 4/5. An immediate nba skill for the rook. Also adds a wrinkle to our lineups that we didn't have last season.

- Ja'Kobe Walter is taking a leap on both ends; he is noticeably guarding at an improved level, he is seriously sticky on the perimeter. small sample size of course, but he is averaging 2.3 steals, 0.7 blocks, and shooting 40% from 3 on 7 attempts per game.

- CMB is posting incredible impact numbers; +41 on/off per 100 poss, 3.3 stl%, 3.8 blk%, 16 trb%. There is a real chance CMB becomes our best defender this season. He has had some foul trouble so far, but in his limited minutes, he has been enormous on that end. If his defence allows Scottie to focus more on his offence, that could be huge.

Generally, despite having obvious and major flaws (guard and center play + 3pt shooting), the raptors so far are clearly succeeding in achieving their most key values, which is what will lead to sustained success through the season.

Just some positives because this sub is feeling down after the shitty wolves game. This team is and will be very good.