In No particular order: Russell Westbrook Tony Parker Chris Paul Deron Williams John Wall Steve Nash Rajon Rondo Derrick Rose Ricky Rubio (Arguable, but would rather have than K Low) Kyrie Irving (Arguable, but would rather have than K Low) Steph Curry (Arguable) Brandon Jennings (Arguable) Kyle Lowry is a good point guard but he is definitely in the 9-10 area and not any higher. You can't say "TELL ME 10 pg's better than Lowry" like he's Magic Johnson or something. He's not sorry, but he's not a franchise player either
The real temptation is going to be whether or not to exercise it next year if its late lotto. Toronto doesn't really attract FAs and basically has to build through the draft. If Ross or Valenciaunas busts or gets injured they may be back in hi unprotected lotto land by 15 or 16 and it's a top 5 pick, for Kyle Lowry, whose contract has expired and is probably no longer with the team....stinger.
So the Rockets get to choose when to pull the trigger in a "qualifying" year or is it just the first qualifying year?
Call Holiday what you want but he starts at PG for Philly and they have never been rumored to want or need a starting PG in his place. Paul D. Williams Nash Rose Wall Parker Rondo Westbrook Rubio Irving
I agree, but I know how people on Clutchfans are when it comes to how good we believe Rocket players are.
Wouldn't be the first time a Canadian team did that. The ghost of Otis Thorpe lives on? The volatility is part of the value here. The expectation is that this pick is worth maybe an 11-12. There's a chance Toronto makes the playoffs and we don't see it for a while. There's also a chance it ends up as a 5-6.
I think Lowry is right on the outside of 10 but close. Russell Westbrook Derrick Rose Rajon Rondo Deron Williams Chris Paul Tony Parker Steve Nash Kyrie Irving Stephen Curry Ty Lawson Also, would you take Lowry over Goran Dragic, Ricky Rubio, John Wall and the upside of Damian Lillard? BTW, great read, Nike... thanks.
Great read. I think your spot on here. We are looking for dramatically upgraded seasons from Washington, Detroit, and the Bucks most likely that could keep Toronto out of the playoff mix. Much of their success is going to revolve around both injuries, and the development of Valanciunas/Ross. That being said, I still see this as the best "available" lottery pick to be had in trades for at least the first half of the season. Since no bottom feeder teams will be offering their pick this next season I still see this pick as gold in trades especially before the season starts, if a mega trade presents itself. Nobody else seeking a superstar trade has this kind of nugget to offer from a "high upside" draft pick.
I think Wall is already better than Lowry, and Rubio will be there soon. I think Lowry is better than Dragic. I'm not as high on Lillard, but we'll see. There's also Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday that I would argue belong in the same bracket as Lowry and are a few years younger. Probably slightly behind Lowry right now, but they could take the jump. The other one who I think will be there soon is Brandon Knight. So can you get a top 10-15 point guard in the mid-late lottery? Looking at the names that have been listed, the only ones you could have gotten there are Rondo, Parker, Nash, Lawson, Knight, Holiday, Jennings, and Dragic. The rest were all top 5-ish
I don't think that the Raptors are as good as some on here think NEXT year. Valanciunas is a very gifted center, but he is going to need time and I do not believe he will make a consistent contribution. Ross is a rookie, and is not in the elite class that typically makes immediate contributions. I also think there may be issues getting his shot off. DeRozan offensively is not the model of efficiency, and his defense is poor. Bargnani is just not good. He does not defend, rebound or go to the line. The names look good on paper, but unless they really gel I see them back where they were... picking 5-12.
chillax guys. remember that Lowry was a bench player before. it's worth the possible top 13 if you look at it that way. plus we all know how good morey is in drafting guys. it's a pain and Toronto pulled off a badass trade but lowrys worth when he started is how you should look at it to lessen the blow.
Considering it has a floor of #14, the expected value is somewhere higher. I say it's about equivalent to a #12 pick as things stand now. A fair trade at best.
Great read, NIKEstrad. I know he's had a couple of down years recently, but don't sleep on Devin Harris and his impact on Atlanta's playoff chances. Not a top-10 PG, but he's already the best PG they've had in a long time.
Excellent breakdown, NIKEstrad. I'm wondering if we're better off if Toronto sneaks into the playoffs next season and we defer taking the pick. Long term, are we better off waiting, if we're able to wait, to see if we get lucky and end up with a top 5 or near top 5 pick? Sam's comment about Kyle's deal expiring made me think of it. Maybe I think too much of Lowry's impact, but if he leaves after a season, that wouldn't help Toronto going forward.
Good list, but this is what makes the Dragic signing even more puzzling. You have a fan favorite who is already probably the 10th best PG in the league and hasn't even scratched the surface and you aren't willing to give him a player option on his 4th year? Absolutely makes no sense.
Look at Toronto's history, there's never been a 5 year stretch where they haven't been in the high lottery with a 20-something win stinker...Best thing long term might be for them to make the playoffs for a year or two, have players leave, then bottom out again. http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/TOR/
Very true. Similar to my Scola trade idea, here's another thought -- the Nets are giving the Hawks the rights to our pick from the Terrence Williams trade. With the trade of Joe Johnson, they've opened up a bit of a scoring gap to fill. Why not Kevin Martin? He's on an expiring deal, so he still helps them clear space. The problem is they don't really have many players they can trade since they won't be able to trade the guys they got in exchange for Joe Johnson for a couple of months. But if we're going youth movement, I wouldn't mind helping a team that could help make our Toronto pick a bit better, and getting back our own pick obligation.
