Quote:
|
Originally Posted by seifer0406
Besides these 3 obvious mistakes, I wouldn't consider drafting Bosh and Bargnani to be front office gems as both picks weren't difficult to make. Bosh was basicaly a consensus 4th pick and even if we didn't pick him, we could've went with Wade who in my opinion is a better player at this point. Bargnani was from an extremely weak draft class and the verdict is still on for him. Mopete, Michael Bradley, Chris Jefferies were all picks in the late first round when there weren't that much talent left at those spots in those years.
Basically, the point I'm trying to make is the Raptors really only had 3 outstanding drafts. Picking T-Mac and Vince, and the drafting of Villaneuva. Most of their other selections are either not that difficult to make, or were basically mistakes.
|
i don't think anyone really suggested that
all of our drafts were outstanding. that would be ridiculous, unreal (imo). it's certainly not the standard in this league for every other team to have 'outstanding' drafts every single year, so that's the first point: why are the raptors criticized, i think, as much as or more often than anyone else when it comes to draft record? the fact that the team hasn't drafted a hof'er every single year cannot be grounds for major criticism. there's not a team in the league that has proven it can do that. not a team in the league. not a single team in league history.
the fact that we're not that team (the one that doesn't exist) cannot justify much criticism in my world.
and, while i rarely do this, if you don't mind, let me use your points to further express my thoughts on this:
1) the 96 draft. mocking our team for picking marcus camby cannot be done- at all, with any comfort... imo- without pretending the raptors had a crystal ball hanging over their war room table that night. if the raptors had drafted, for example, kobe bryant at 2 overall, there would have been riots. that's a fact (well, not that there would've been riots but that there would've been some degree of civil unrest in toronto). i remember the night very well, and the only conceivable options for toronto at the time (from 2 overall) were: marcus camby, shareef abdur-rahim, ray allen and stephon marbury. to be honest, of those four, i think we got #2. i mean, hindsight is 20/20 and i absolutely dread doing this, but that's probably the truth: marcus camby has had the second best career (10 years in) of that foursome. i guess we can complain about that, but to
mock that?
and this is coming from a man who wanted ray allen that year. of anyone, i think i'd personally be justified in feeling dissatisfied with that draft, and i'm not. you don't win 'em all. you don't get the best player in every trade, the best-case scenario cannot be the expectation every single time... you get my drift.
if we're going to justify fans and critics mocking any team, 10 years after the fact, that didn't pick the player who'd go on to have the best career of those available at that particular draft position, we'd never hear the end of it. every team in the league would be fodder for ridicule.
2) the 99 draft. revisionist history yet again. i'll put it out there in plain terms: back then, toronto had not the tradition or respect that it enjoys today. tracy mcgrady went on to prove that point the following summer. it would've been hella nice to pick richard hamilton or ron artest that year, but when your two best players are both likely future hall of famers-in-waiting on the wing, are you going to spend your top pick on another one? and again, this is all being debated with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight- we're assuming that we knew exactly what we would have received with richard hamilton or ron artest (or anyone else in that draft). for those who don't want to forget our reality at the time, we were in a win-now position... and antonio davis, imo, brought more value to the team than any of the players on whom we passed for at least the next 2 seasons.
yes, we could've sold the farm for kirilenko or whatever but: a) there would've been the same riots; b) we didn't have a crystal ball; c) none of that even matters when considering the point i'm making here- it's fine to be unhappy with how it all ended up, but to
mock the team like it was picking rafael araujo at 8 every single year? that doesn't- and it will probably never- fly with me.
3) hoffa was a mistake. an obvious mistake.
is the perception of our franchise's draft history marked in cement due to that one night?
i don't want to argue with anyone personally. i've just had a tough time with this myth for many years, and i'll take it to the end. i demand more from our fans and the fans of this league when it comes to putting targets on the backs of players, execs or (in this case) franchises. you could conceivably make the case that our draft record isn't the best, but to suggest that it's the worst? with all due respect, i won't have it. i just won't. i think the truth is all-important here and i can't let it slide again.
peace
Raptor's Managment
BrOwN_BaLlA 
Linear Mode
