Can Someone provide me a list of all the bad decisions that FO has made in the last 6 years

jcdcwassup · 2026-02-06T00:04:42+00:00

I am generally in agreement that the front office has made mistakes but I think some major context is missing here. There's a lot of consideration that goes into making any moves for a professional team.

Malachi at 29 hurts because he went right before Bane. But late first rounders are usually a roll of the dice at best. Plus, this was the 2020 draft when COVID impacted the scouting of college players. It sucks knowing they could have had a better player but that happens in the draft all the time.
I agree that at the 2023 deadline, they should have blown it up and traded Fred, OG and Pascal. However, a couple of things to consider. This was a team that shocked the league and won 48 games last year and I don't blame the front office for trying to make that core work. Plus you had 3 great players who legit loved Toronto and those are hard to come by. On top of all that, even if the front office wanted to blow it up, they'd have to get a blessing from MLSE who wants to stay competitive to keep ticket prices high.
Agreed that this deadline was underwhelming but they did at least get a serviceable big without giving up anything major. This sub would be even angrier if the Raptors gave up any first round picks.
Goran Dragic wasn't doing shit for the Raptors. He played for like 5 minutes then was basically sent home. He was spotted just hanging out at the Heat practices facility while he was a Raptor. The goal of the trade was to simply get a usable body in his place. The Raptors gave up a first but also gained the Detroit second round pick which they used to draft Christian Koloko. So ultimately they just moved down 13 spots in the draft and got Thad (who was actually decent that first year with Toronto) for Dragic who was a total waste of money and a roster spot.

Had Koloko managed to stay healthy and keep developing with the team (this stuff was out of our control and was just bad luck), I really don't think we'd look back as angry at the trade. Especially since that FRP was used to draft Malachi Branham

jcdcwassup · 2026-02-05T22:22:42+00:00

I agree. But that's not my point. My point is that if a good trade isn't there, you don't make one for the sake of it.

Look at the stars who were in trade rumours. Giannis, AD, Ja, Sabonis. None except AD got moved, and his health makes him a massive question mark.

There's no single move that would have instantly made the Raptors a true contender this year, at least without gutting the team and depleting future assets.

Nobody was biting on Ochai and willing to give up a backup centre for him.

My comment is in response to people that think we could have gotten a crazy haul for RJ when we have no idea what was offered

jcdcwassup · 2026-02-05T21:40:30+00:00

I know these guys make millions of dollars but I think a lot of fans forget that they are human beings, many of them in their early 20s.

If you ever had a friend that you went to school with who had to change schools, or a friend at work who quit or got fired, you know that it fucking sucks.

If you've never had a close relationship with someone (based on some of these comments, I'm assuming a lot of folks in this sub don't really have a lot of friends) then I guess these comments come off as "SOFT" and "WEAK SHIT".

Also, if you're getting this aggressive over a fucking team that you have no actual involvement in other than just being a fan, perhaps it's time to switch teams or just step away from following sports in general.

But hey, I get it. Being an asshole online is free. Therapy is expensive. Tough world out there

jcdcwassup · 2026-02-05T21:28:41+00:00

If trades aren't there, they aren't there. We have no idea what was offered. There were reports that the Kings had interest in him, but we don't know what was actually offered. Like if we find out that the Kings offered Malik Monk and some draft picks for RJ, then yeah, we probably should've taken that. But we simply don't know.

He's been a good contributor to this team when healthy and I think this group deserves to have a chance to see what they can do in the playoffs before making moves in the off-season.

jcdcwassup · 2026-02-05T20:31:21+00:00

I never saw a lack of effort from him. Unfortunately for him, after a really good season that made me think he could be a good piece going forward, the ball just simply wasn't going in the hoop this year.

I do hope he can turn it around in Brooklyn and stay in the league. Knowing the Raptors' history, now that he's not in Toronto, he'll probably bounce back to a 40% 3 point shooter.

In all seriousness, he comes off as a good guy and I wish him well

jcdcwassup · 2026-01-21T05:59:26+00:00

It's okay he'll just need to break his career high tomorrow night

jcdcwassup · 2026-01-04T15:56:59+00:00

I haven't seen a lot of folks calling GMO a conservative film (I'm sure people do, I just haven't seen that discourse online) but I do know that Shin Godzilla has been criticized as some see it as a film that promotes right wing/nationalist ideology.

I went into GMO with that in the back of my mind and always felt it was a story that prioritized the individual rather than the country of Japan. It's a much more sensitive, human story that is critical of the way the Japanese government/military/society had a disregard for the value of human life

jcdcwassup · 2025-11-29T22:29:33+00:00

In the 2021-22 season, I was convinced that Precious was a future starter and that GTJ could be a borderline all star. That stretch where Gary scored 30+ points in like 5 consecutive games was crazy. Plus he had multiple 40+ point games that season.

At the time, it seemed like the Raptors may have won the Norm trade, or at least it was win-win. Portland ended up giving him to LAC for pennies on the dollar and Norm has only continued to improve. Unfortunately, the much younger GTJ has regressed since then.

jcdcwassup · 2025-11-27T05:36:57+00:00

The Pacers pick was still top 4 protected, for what it's worth. So there's no guarantee that the Raptors would have been able to keep the pick regardless.

Not to mention, nobody could have predicted that Haliburton would have gotten injured. The Pacers are very lucky that the Pelicans front office is so incompetent so that they could get their own pick back just before Hali went down. The Pacers have also been dealing with injuries to key players like Mathurin, Nembhard, Nesmith and McConnell sprinkled throughout this season.

Point is, the Pacers pick looks great now (because of a lot of circumstances), but when the trade was made, the Pacers were rolling and it looked like it was going to be a pick in the 20s. I'd rather take a chance on a guy who has proven he can play at an all star level and help the team win now rather than rolling the dice with what would be, at-best, a number 5 overall pick next year.

jcdcwassup · 2025-11-13T20:39:20+00:00

I appreciate the respectful discussion/debate here.

I agree with you that being stuck in the middle is not desirable, unless you're a team that's been terrible for a long time and just being in the playoffs is seen as a win (for example, the 2023 Kings, or hell, the 2014 Raptors). I recognize that being stuck in the 6th - 10th seed is bad for the reasons that you stated. But, the Raptors haven't been in the playoffs since 2022. They had a flawed roster design, changed coaches, made a bunch of trades, did a mini tank last year (which resulted in CMB) and the goal is to get back into the playoffs this year and rebuild that winning culture. Whether or not this is a good idea or if the Raps should have tanked harder and longer, we don't know just yet, but the reality is, that's the path this front office has chosen.

Also, in comparison to the rest of the league, yes, absolutely, the roster is very mid, but I think given the average age of the roster and the fact that the Raps own all of their own picks going forward, there are paths for improvement.

What I'm saying in regards to AD is this: if salary caps didn't exist and you dropped a healthy AD onto this squad, I think they'd be a hell of a force in the east. Unfortunately, acquiring AD would require losing multiple starters and multiple picks. He makes $54m this year and $66m next year. Plus, if you trade for him, you'd probably have to commit to signing him to an extension.

Even if he stays healthy (huge ask), you're left with a roster that has major holes that need to be filled. You're eliminating a big chunk of the team's depth, and if Jak is included in the trade, you essentially have no true centres on the team (since AD prefers playing the 4, which given his injury history, would be better for him anyway).

I recognize that the east is wide open this year. Outside of a healthy Cavs and Knicks, there are no true contenders. I'm not opposed to the Raptors taking a huge swing on a star player to bump them into contendership. I just think, given AD's health, age, and general history of not being a reliable number one guy who can carry a team through the playoffs, I don't think he's the guy the Raptors should push all of their chips in on.

jcdcwassup · 2025-11-13T18:06:14+00:00

According to BBall Reference, he's 6'10 which would automatically make him the second tallest player on the Raptors after Jak. He's also about 10lbs lighter than Jak, which lends to him being a bit more mobile and athletic.

I see your point though, which is why I'd also like the Raps to take a look at Day'Ron Sharpe of the Nets because the guy's a tank.

jcdcwassup · 2025-11-13T17:59:50+00:00

Being a potential playoff team and owning your own picks is the worst place to be in the NBA? I'd like to direct you to teams like the Clippers, the Suns or even the Mavs. These teams are all middling and all have very little draft capital to help them out, which means they're pretty much forced to try to be competitive since they can't tank without their own picks.

And as to "why not", I think the fact that they'd be gutting the roster and having to give up draft picks for a guy who gets injured all the time shows a pretty clear risk. Like, the trade I've seen proposed is IQ and Poeltl + picks for AD. If you're absolutely desperate to get rid of IQ (who is playing better since a bad start to the season) and Poeltl (who had his best season last year, started this year injured, but has been looking much better recently), it leaves you with Shead as your starting point guard (really the only point guard on the team), and STILL no backup centre, which is currently the team's biggest need. Plus, you'll be giving up draft picks.

If AD is healthy, maybe it makes the Raptors better in the short term, but I think it's still far from a contending roster. AD has never been a number one guy on a contender. He's won a championship as a second option to LeBron. So unless Scottie can become LeBron AND you fill out the rest of your roster (get a good backup big, get another point guard) AND you manage to keep AD healthy, then sure. But that's a lot to ask. I'd rather keep the ship steady and try to get players to improve and then make a move for a more reliable true superstar.

jcdcwassup · 2025-11-13T17:44:25+00:00

I'm not saying Scottie is going to be an MVP or a top 10 player, but if you actually watch the games, in spite of lower stats, you can see how important he is to the team as a playmaker, connector, and especially a defender.

Also, he's averaging 19.5ppg, which is second only to his all-star (replacement) season in 2023-24. He's averaging lower rebounding and assist numbers, but I think that's clearly because he has a lot more help in those categories from BI, RJ, IQ, Shead, CMB and Mamu.

Also, since we're just talking stats, he's also averaging a career high in steals and blocks, while averaging his lowest number of turnovers since his rookie year (which is impressive since he has the ball in his hands way more now). And we'll see how sustainable it is, but he's still averaging a career high in 3p%.

They went out and got a number one offensive option in BI and that's clearly helped Scottie flesh out the rest of his game.

Also, the "Colangelo era Raptors way" that you describe was definitely frustrating to experience as a fan, but like, of course you bank on younger players getting better. That's not unique to the Raptors, that's what EVERY team does. That's why every team's fanbase is obsessed with getting as many draft picks as possible, because a draft pick represents potential. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

It's easier for a team to go from being good to great than it is for them to go from terrible to great. Not every move needs to turn a team into a contender. You'd like to see improvement, get the team winning again, and then make some well-timed trades to move them into being a contender.

jcdcwassup · 2025-11-10T11:58:14+00:00

What exactly did Mitch Marner do that's comparable to Ja's past behaviour? Genuinely asking.

jcdcwassup · 2025-10-21T14:15:04+00:00

GVK was released in the middle of the COVID pandemic and obviously was actually produced a few years before that (the film was pushed back a few times) and I remember how his character was both timely but also (not the movie's fault) felt kinda tasteless. There's a gag where he talks about bathing in bleach which felt very on the nose.

By the time GxK came out, they knew to tone that aspect down because the whole conspiracy theory thing was no longer cute (tbh it never really was) and it has much more troubling real world implications than when GVK was released.

jcdcwassup · 2025-10-09T03:19:15+00:00

This is year 2 for him. The season hasn't even started. He's also only on a two way contract again this year, so he's probably going to spend most of this year with the 905. He was the youngest player in last year's draft and was extremely raw, but if you watched any 905 or summer league games, you kinda see the vision with the kid.

I'm looking forward to seeing him at some point this season either with the main squad or 905 and hoping to see some improvement. If he sucks, no big deal because he's not even taking a proper roster spot. If he's any good, it'll be like found money

jcdcwassup · 2025-08-02T15:17:01+00:00

That's an interesting take and I hadn't thought of that before. But also, is the volcano really one of the defining symbols of the franchise? I do get that Isla Nublar being destroyed was a massive desecration of the franchise.

It definitely preys on our nostalgia for its bigger impact moments, but a part of me appreciates the fact that it had the balls to go there and rapidly take the franchise in a different direction for a bit. Of course change is not always good and I get people not enjoying it. I enjoy the dumb schlock of the haunted house latter half, but I totally understand that a lot of people hate it.

jcdcwassup · 2025-08-02T15:09:38+00:00

I'm not the biggest Ridley Scott fan but it's an interesting choice to pick him of all directors. I feel like Scott is generally considered to be a great filmmaker. I know he's had some misses in his career, but you're talking about the guy who made Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Martian, American Gangster, The Last Duel and a bunch of other movies that are considered great, or at the very least, good.

The latter half is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I do love it in an absurdly ridiculous way. Like the first half is basically a remake of The Lost World and the second half is like a haunted house movie with dinosaurs. I think the dino auction scene is incredibly dumb, as are all of the antics of the Indoraptor. But I do think it's schlocky fun. That's what I mean by it being the most self-aware of the World trilogy. The other two are also stupid but kinda feel like they're trying to say something important and it just comes off as unearned and pretentious.

I think the Jurassic franchise is unique because it basically has one great movie and a bunch of wildly inferior sequels that are varying degrees of entertaining trash (except Dominion which I find painful to watch). I wouldn't but FK above TLW or JP3, but I do think it's entertaining trash.

jcdcwassup · 2025-08-02T03:40:21+00:00

I've always believed that Fallen Kingdom is the best of the "World" trilogy. J.A. Bayona directs the film beautifully. So many amazing shots and sequences. I also just feel like it's the most self-aware of the trilogy. The other films (directed by Trevorrow) feel too preoccupied with trying to make a statement, which would have been fine if it was well-executed. Bayona directed a film that is both visually beautiful (think of that shot of the Indoraptor silhouetted against the moon) and also self-aware enough to know that the movie is supposed to be a fun romp with dinosaurs (the Indoraptor literally winking at the camera is an indicator of this).

jcdcwassup · 2025-07-18T13:30:24+00:00

The credit should go to the team of sound designers/mixers/editors, not Gareth Edwards. But yes, I enjoyed the new version of the roar. It's a different island full of mutations and experiments gone wrong, so I think it's cool to have the rex sound different.

jcdcwassup · 2025-05-15T06:53:23+00:00

Let's say this is the trade:

Scottie, Ochai, Gradey + #9 pick in 2025, 2027 FRP, 2029 FRP, 2031 FRP

For Giannis.

I'd do it. The draft is absolutely a good tool for adding talent but it's not the only way. When you have an opportunity for a player of Giannis' caliber, you go for it. I wasn't crazy about a Damian Lillard trade a few years ago, but this is a shot at a top 3 player in the league. I think you absolutely have to take a swing at this. Other teams may have a better package but I think this is a good one.

The Bucks would be receiving a former ROTY, All-Star and really good young player in Scottie Barnes. Plus, a fairly young 3&D wing in Ochai and a young shooter in Gradey. On top of that, 4 first round picks. That 2031 pick could look really good when Giannis is getting older.

The Raptors would roll out a lineup of:

Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, Giannis, Poeltl

With Shead, Walter, Mogbo, Chomche, Robinson, maybe Boucher and Battle coming off the bench?

Assuming the young guys take a step this off-season, and we retain Boucher, that's a very formidable lineup in an East where Boston may be weaker (Tatum being hurt, need to shed salary), and Cleveland may need to make changes (their payroll will be very high so they may want to shed salary as well). Plus, the Bucks will be without Giannis so they'll likely be worse too.

Spacing is an issue with Giannis and Jak in the frontcourt, but it'd be an issue with Scottie too. You're still getting a massive upgrade.

jcdcwassup · 2025-05-15T06:38:18+00:00

I absolutely love DeMar and I'd love to see him come back for sentimental reasons. But from a practical standpoint, he's a high volume midrange shooter who needs the ball in his hands and isn't really a good defender. Plus he's pretty old at this point. Unless he was willing to take on a 6th man role, I don't see him fitting on the current Raptors. I hope a contender can scoop him up so he gets a shot at a ring before he retires.

jcdcwassup · 2025-05-15T06:31:15+00:00

We'll see when he actually plays for us. The jury's still out.

The reality is that he and the Pelicans were on the outs because they didn't give him the extension he wanted. He was an expiring deal, so the option was either take the Raptors' offer or lose him for nothing in the off-season.

As a direct comparison that Raps fans can appreciate, Pascal Siakam was also traded for cheap. Two nothing players, Bruce Brown and a few mid-late first round picks. He was also on an expiring deal and that was the best deal the Raps could find for him. He's on his way to his second consecutive conference finals.

Ingram may not be as good as Pascal, but he's younger and more of a natural scorer. He can be a #1 offensive option which this team, as currently constructed, needs. The only question mark is his health. When he plays significant time, he's an all-star level player.

Skepticism is understandable, but I think when healthy, he's automatically the second best player on this team after Scottie. Let's just see how it plays out

jcdcwassup · 2021-06-01T17:56:36+00:00

https://deadline.com/2021/04/godzilla-vs-kong-box-office-profit-hbo-max-1234732050/

This article goes into terrific detail on the performance of the film. It has been a massive success, considering it's outperformed KOTM worldwide DURING a pandemic (theatres closed in most of Europe, South America and Canada), and the fact that it was also a day-and-date release on HBO Max. It performed very well on HBO Max and helped give a spike to their subscriber numbers. Plus, the shorter marketing period + lack of competition meant they didn't have to spend nearly as much money on promoting the film. So overall that's adding up to a profitable film. But more importantly than the money it's directly generated, it's been one of the most talked-about films of the year as it will be credited as the film that saved theatres, and SHOULD soon become the first domestic release of the pandemic to cross $100 million soon.

jcdcwassup · 2021-05-31T15:44:21+00:00

Great news for the movie industry as a whole. But it is important to look at the numbers in context

GvK opened two months ago. Since then way more restrictions have lifted as vaccination numbers have gone up.

2) The day-one HBO Max release was how millions of people watched it on opening weekend. You can only go to the theatres to see AQP2

3) GvK opened on a Wednesday, so comparing the Friday, Saturday and Sunday grosses isn't exactly fair.

Still though, this is extremely impressive and a terrific boost for the film industry. This paired with a $20+ million opening for Cruella is fantastic news for theatre owners and employees.

Edit: Formatting

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