Look, I’m human. While I like to think I’m pretty good at pulling stuff to talk about from thin air, sometimes, usually during a spell of off days, you’re man needs shut off his brain and let you lot do the work.
This past week’s mass BlueSky migration has made question collection easier and more pleasant than ever. The podcast Discord server is still the place to get your questions answered on the show proper, but from time to time going forward I’ll open up the mentions on the shiny new poster’s haven to put together the newsletter. Here’s what The People wanted to know in the first edition. Follow me on BlueSky to so you can see future prompts for questions.
Raptors Wire asks: When (if) the Raptors are fully healthy, do you envision any of Shead, Mogbo, Walter or Battle remaining part of the Raptors rotation? Or all with the 905?
Right now I think Mogbo is the only one of these four with a shot at sticking in a healthier version of the rotation. Shead is gonna have developmental value as a shepherd for the G-League team and Ulrich Chomche, and needs to hone own his craft/shot as well. Walter probably needs to follow the Gradey Dick arc to get some serious in-game reps and maybe a couple turns through the weight room, while Battle, on top of his 50 days of NBA time already ticking down, just hasn’t been effective enough once more guys get back.
I hear you if you think Mogbo needs some time with the 905 to refine the offensive package, but I’m a big believer in getting NBA reps at the position you figure to occupy long-term. Right now, he’s a switchy, connective, undersized backup five, which I imagine he’ll be in 3-4 years time, just more honed. I’m badly yearning to see a Barnes-Olynyk-Mogbo front court trio at some point this year. That trio has the goods, complimentary skills-wise.
Emma asks: Do you think Jakob Poeltl is still a Raptor after the trade deadline?
I do. Part of the “appeal” of moving Jak in season would have been to help bolster the team’s lottery odds. Well, it seems like that’s gonna take care of itself. Poeltl is far from perfect, but I maintain that you can’t trade him away unless you have a surefire succession plan to have another seasoned adult occupying his role on the team. You’re just not getting someone like that in a deadline deal with a contender.
Next year, this team gets expensive. It’s go time. And I don’t think the damage done to the team’s functionality by shipping Jak out for futures is worth whatever those futures may or may not turn into someday. Jak is this team’s Jonas Valanciunas. Maybe you need to hunt an upgrade when it’s time to earnestly contend. They’re many, many miles from that bridge, though, and Poeltl will make the trip far smoother.
Sneachtúil asks: What archetype would you prioritize adding to this core via draft/trade/free agency in the next calendar year?
The trade/free agency part of this equation all stems from the draft. In all likelihood, the Raptors are gonna pick quite high in June 2025, and who they get there will inform what comes next, whether it’s a consolidation trade, a roster-balancing, good player-for-good player swap, or an unlikely/financially impossible free agent swing. The nice thing about needing a lot of things is that they’re unlikely to get tied in knots by the fit vs. true talent conundrum when the do come up on the clock. You take a guy, then scour the league for guys who fix your other issues.
That’s the long answer. The short answer is: Trey Murphy III.
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Today on the podcast I field more of your questions! Darko Rajakovic’s grade thus far, a Cooper Flagg what-if, Jonathan Mogbo’s outlook and more get covered! Enjoy the show.
