DeRozen --> DeRozentops Bargnani --> Bargnasaurus Valanciunas --> Valanciunadon Fields --> Fields...? Clearly, Raptors players are evolving, except Fields.
Better check again. Marginal tax rate for Ontario Provience is above 46% - and that is just the first cut for income.
Well what if played in Cali or NY he would be paying a similar number. The federal income tax rate is cheaper in Canada than the US.
The Canadian Income Tax is substantially higher than U.S. Income Tax in every single province for people making NBA-level salaries. If you want to discuss a hypothetical of Lowry being hit by US Income Tax, NY State Income Tax, and NY City Income Tax being compared to being hit just by Provincial Canadian Income Tax, you might be in the neighborhood. But just a flat comparison of income tax brackets empirically shows you are way off.
Things seem to have gone south after Colangelo ripped the team: Last game was a disaster. I don't think this is a talent issue. I don't think this is substantially a coaching issue - other than he seems to be doing a poor job motivating Bargnani. I think this is an issue that has to do with expectations and with the character of the players they've acquired. That's all squarely on Colangelo's shoulders IMO. It will be interesting to see who/what gets the axe.
Are they really surprised? Hollinger predicted they would suck and his analysis made perfect sense. If they are shocked they need a complete management teardown.
Hollinger predicted that the Raptors would win 30 (or somewhere around that) games and Derozan got offended. At this point Raptors would be lucky to get 30 wins.
You don't give somebody this label when they just roll an ankle, but when they roll an ankle, THEN tear a...tricep is it?...two weeks later, then it's pretty clear at that point that a player is (drum roll)...injury prone. This injury is weird to me: - Saw no ice packs when Lowry returned to the sideline. We know enough about ice at this point in our medical knowledge to know that it treats godamned everything. Strains, sprains, bruises, soreness, it can even stop heart attacks. Phoenix Suns players credit their longevity to cryo baths. Yet....no ice pack. No ice pack for Kyle Lowry. - Casey was evidently barking at Lowry the whole first half. He was constantly looking back at the bench and getting involved in lengthy, energetic conversations with teammates. - The body language of everyone involved in these conversations was poor. - Highly speculative, but maybe this "injury" is Lowry finally just packing it up in frustration. Wouldn't surprise me.
If the Raptors have the 3rd worst record they are guerenteed a top 3 pick. They will tank to make sure of that.
I guess the final thing to add would be that this bodes poorly for the Raptors, and therefore very well for the Thunder, who own their first round pick via the Harden trade. If Lowry is out due to injury / pouting, then I don't see how the Raptors win 20 games, let alone 30. Replacement Raptors PG Jose Calderon is....not a good basketball player, in a way that often escapes fans or even managers who just consult a box score afterwards. You'll see a box score and think "Oh, this guy just had 13 points and 8 assists, that's good, right?" But the key is always in what he allows on the defensive end of the floor. I've never seen an NBA point guard have trouble taking Calderon off the dribble. My grandma could cross this fool up. Either one, take your pick, they're both dead. Lillard, who has played in just 21 NBA games in his lifetime, had zero issues driving around Calderon like he was a traffic cone. Calderon has zero lateral quickness and is arguably the NBA's worst starting-calibre PG defender, who is replacing arguably the NBA's best defender at the PG spot. Sooo....on the theory that there are two ends to a basketball court, not one....the Raptors lose big from here on out. Then they get frustrated and lose even more...and more...
That's just it though. This isn't the NFL. Tanking gives you no guarantees on pick priority. Somehow, some way, it will be a 4th and therefore unprotected pick. Not really looking forward to an OKC dynasty over the next 10 years, but eh, they're an entertaining basketball team. I guess it could be worse.
You do have a guarantee. If you have the worst record in the league you WILL be guaranteed a top 3 pick.
Guaranteed top 4, not top 3. Lottery is for the top 3. 2007, Memphis had the worst record and ended up with the 4th pick.
Wrong. If the NBA's worst team by record does not get a top 3 pick, then they get the 4th pick. The worst record picks no lower than 4th. (Source: http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/inside-2012-nba-draft-lottery) There are no guarantees of a top 3 pick to any team, ever. That is the whole point of the NBA's current lottery system. It leaves open the (hilarious) possibility that the Raptors could have the worst record in the league and yet still not keep their pick. Oh, and this is all assuming that the Raptors will somehow have the absolute worst record in the league at the end of the season to begin with. But they'll mess that up too. They can't compete with the impressive tanking ordnance teams like the Wizards have already rolled out.
