Good analysis and an excellent metaphor - the icing is nice but where’s the cake? When I watch the Raptors they look like 5 good players who are not a team, playing against real teams. Their group timing is off, their collective positioning is off on both sides of the court. You have crystallized this into the defensive ability of IQ and RJ (which is a good place to start). If you look at the top 5-8 prospects in this year’s mock draft and assume our pick would be a starter, RJ goes to the bench as 6th man. If Shead keeps improving, IQ becomes an undersized 2 guard. Those two obvious deductions have to motivate those two to elevate their games.
Considering the money RJ makes and how much he'll be looking for on his next start, can't see him in a 6th man role. I'm not sure he has a long term place on this team.
Good analysis and an excellent metaphor - the icing is nice but where’s the cake? When I watch the Raptors they look like 5 good players who are not a team, playing against real teams. Their group timing is off, their collective positioning is off on both sides of the court. You have crystallized this into the defensive ability of IQ and RJ (which is a good place to start). If you look at the top 5-8 prospects in this year’s mock draft and assume our pick would be a starter, RJ goes to the bench as 6th man. If Shead keeps improving, IQ becomes an undersized 2 guard. Those two obvious deductions have to motivate those two to elevate their games.
Considering the money RJ makes and how much he'll be looking for on his next start, can't see him in a 6th man role. I'm not sure he has a long term place on this team.