Great live in general (watching it after the fact as I often do), Rob. Really good point about Duncan. As much as his greatness is acknowledged in a general sense he is probably the most underappreciated all-time great in the history of the league. Personally I have him eighth, but the gap between five and eight is very small for me. They're the same tier and you could put them in any order. For me it's pretty much... TIER 1 1) Michael Jordan 2) Lebron James 3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 4) Bill Russell TIER 2 5) Magic Johnson 6) Kobe Bryant 7) Shaquille O'Neal 8) Tim Duncan 9) Steph Curry 10) Larry Bird Players just missing the cut for me are Hakeem, Wilt, KD, Sir Charles, The Big O, KG, Dirk, The Logo, Dr. J and The Admiral. I think that Hakeem and Wilt are probably in a tier on their own as TIER 3 and the rest are sort of TIER 4 with maybe some of them being a lower TIER 5. Again, within each tier I think these guys are interchangeable. I think a reasonable set of arguments can be made to put the players in TIER 1 in a variety of different orders. It all depends on which factors matter the most to you. If team success is the ultimate factor then it has to be Russell or MJ number one. Russell has the most titles and MJ has the most titles in the modern, post-merger era. I would have a hard time arguing for Kareem being ahead of Lebron personally just because I kind of view Lebron's resume as a pro being a better version of Kareem's. Amazing, lengthy peak and incredible longevity in general with a lot of winning and playoff success overall. I waffle on Kobe a lot. I do think that he is a top ten all-time player, but every now and then I talk myself into the idea that maybe Shaq or Duncan or even Steph should be higher. I can see why someone (like you) might put Duncan at number five or maybe even ahead of Kareem depending on which parameters they considered to be the most important in this comparison. I also just kind of like Duncan and his game in general a lot so if you asked me "Who would you rather have?" between him and Kobe then I would probably say "Give me Timmy, rooting for him and watching him dominate on both ends as an unselfish leader sounds like an awesome way to spend twentyish years." Man, I am talking myself out of my own list here... maybe Timmy should be even higher or maybe it's more that Kobe should be lower. I still think I have Bryant ahead of the Hakeems, Wilts, etc. of the world and probably ahead of Steph and Larry Legend, but maybe not Shaq and Timmy? At any rate, I have them in the same tier so I'm acknowledging that it's at least a matter of debate and debating these kinds of things is fun.
Thanks for the super sticker. I don't put LeBron over Bill, and I don't put Kareem over Duncan. These lists obviously are subjective and I've been pushing Duncan top 5 for a long time. I do put Kareem over Shaq, Dirk, Garnett, Durant etc. But yeah I put Duncan above where most do largely on winning and intangibles like leadership, role versatility, sacrifice etc. Also worth noting, I don't put Kobe top 10.
@@pensarebasketball Yeah, you mentioned that you don’t have him in your top ten. I disagree. I wouldn’t put him behind any of the guys outside of the top ten. I can see putting him towards the bottom of the top ten though. He strikes me as a very divisive player because he has many very vocal fans (including a lot of players) who would have him as high as second in some cases (which he is just definitely not) so there’s a reactionary group that underrates him (not saying you are necessarily in that group) perhaps to try and have the general impression wind up more in the right place. I prefer to just put him in the right place. I just can’t, based on the total body of work, put him behind Hakeem and Wilt who are for me the guys just outside of the top ten.
Time stamps added 00:00 Intro 05:00 - What happened to Star J Barrett? 35:45 - 3 possible starting lineups for Toronto 44:30 - Ranking the top 12 Raptors on Upside 1:03:16 - Gilbert Arenas South Sudan beef 1:06:02 - How people see us... 1:22:40 - Rule of Thirds for life
I remember being 19 or so, and going to Florida, I was wearing camo and a cut up jean vest at Pearson airport going through a hallway after security and I got randomly selected and pulled towards a door. All my luggage was checked and swiped. The other people in there were brown. Me being of latin descent I definitely felt targeted but also knew what I was wearing did not help me. Haven't had that happen since as I've always dressed nice or in light sweats. It is what is sometimes.
I would go with lineup 3. Also, for a 2nd unit I would really want to see, the following. I would test this out in training camp at the very least. Scottie / Gradey / Chomche / Kelly / Koloko(assuming he's here) Let Chomche be the point of attack defender, just see what he's like moving his feet with quick ball handlers. If his guy gives up the ball, then Chomche can become a roamer. I think that would be easier for him. and then with the 905, they can work on his Centre Defense, let him be aggressive.
To me, a bust is a player who fails miserably and becomes a borderline NBA player or worse. Anthony Bennett is the prototypical bust. Darko Milicic (I was a fan) was a bust. Barrett was a disappointment--he failed to meet the high expectations. Sam Bowie was very disappointing, but he had a productive career despite serious injuries. I agree with what you say about Barrett and appreciate your analysis. I expect him to get better; importantly, the expectations have been tempered. I am really happy that he is a Raptor and think he can make a great contribution even if he never makes an all-star team.
Fair point. RJ and Wiggs are def positive players overall on their careers, just never lived up to predraft hype. If Wemby turned into Poeltl, I think people would call him a bust too.
@@Justfranktbh High but attainable, IMO. the physical tools are there, his mind just needs to catch up (admittedly, there's a lot of catching up to do.)
Well said on South Sudan Rob. The world food program notes that 56% of their population is acutely food insecure and 1.6M children suffer from malnutrition.
US pushed for their independence from Sudan because that's where all of Sudan's oil was. They saw a little bit of religious divide then supported terrorist groups to create enough of a rift to push for independence so they can weaken Sudan and get even more lucrative oil contracts while further impoverishing the people living there. Now US ally UAE is backing further political violence in Sudan.
You do great work Rob I need to say it… I can see a huge change from last year Don’t get me wrong. Your work / hustle was awesome last year to But now, your a changed man. Super positive it would seem I just want to say keep up the great work Oh and I was saying raps would and should get ulrich months before the draft 😆
His game is similar to franz wagner thats slithering his way to the bucket at all costs, if his shot isnt falling then not very useful, both players need a mid range shot to their game
i would pick lineup 2. I love Jakobe's size for defense, however I feel that he does not provide enough completness in his game to start. he needs a season just like gradey
I've been saying to you Rob.. hes a top pick and the best highschool recruit in his class. He will lead us in scoring for a while.. gonna be interesting. Scottie the leader but RJ will average more points.. interesting dynamic normally your leader is the point leader
Interesting comments about asking people about where they are from. Historically, Canada has been a cultural mosaic that celebrates where people are from. It's good to be a Hungarian-Canadian or Jamican-Canadian. This isn't a perfect idea, but it comes from the 1960s and 1970s political and cultural climate of positive cultural backgrounds centering on Expo '67 and the 100th birthday of Canada. Many immigrants came from Europe after the war, and many Asians arrived here as well. It was ok to celebrate your birthplace as well as your new home. This is why some Canadians ask where people are from. When I do it, it comes from a place of curiosity. My parents are from abroad, and it's a big part of who I became, despite being born here. I'm always curious about peoples' backgrounds and how they influenced them. In Canada, the US is described as a melting pot of culture. It's not the first thing out of my mouth when I meet new people, but as I get to know someone, I'm curious about where they grew up, be it Newfoundland, Somalia or Georgia.
I get that. But can I push back with a counter argument? "Where are you from" is very often also heard as "you're not from here" Because I'm pretty sure 90% of the people who are asked that question are either people of color OR people who have a strong accent. Am I right?
@@pensarebasketball oh definitely some people use to put people in their place. "You're not from here. Go back to where you belong". It's often how and when it's asked.
@@michaelsmith1380 I don't think that's what I mean. If you went to a hospital and saw two people; A doctor and a snake charmer, which of the two would you most likely direct the question "where are you from" The implication here is, we tend to focus (even if not maliciously) on people who stand out from the norm. Not every person who has asked to touch a Black persons hair has done it from a place of malice. Most people are just curious. I'm just saying one person's curiosity is not always received as curiosity by the subject of their curiosity.
@@pensarebasketball I agree completely. We are often drawn to and even scared of the unknown. It's important to always see someone as a human first and then wonder who they are and where they are from. If you're asking to touch someone's hair without establishing a relationship, they are an object of curiosity rather than a human.
We are all changing fast and furious. The language Rob is espousing.. is ...very ,very important. If he front loads pods talking about these things... Algorithms will suppress these ideas. I for one , am thankful that he happens also to be, the best NBA analyst out there 😊
Brown as a 8-10th guy is just fine with me team depth wise, sometimes you get a break by not moving a guy. Question is was he even given a chance last year to be tailored into the system, or was he just a piece to get rid off, as it seemed in the Team Owned Media mouthpieces, so not given the work?. Whether he goes or not, at this point matters not to me. I know not enough about Cart'on to put in my 2 cents.
Shut up! RJ was put in a 3 n D role coming into the NBA. He’s a dynamic playmaking scorer. Use him like that! His floor is what we saw once he came over to the Raptors. He’s been to the playoffs 2/4 years in NY as a #2 n #3 option. Covering our team in Canada bashing our son. Only gold medal in basketball for the country. Shut up! Bust?!? Crazy
Great live in general (watching it after the fact as I often do), Rob. Really good point about Duncan. As much as his greatness is acknowledged in a general sense he is probably the most underappreciated all-time great in the history of the league. Personally I have him eighth, but the gap between five and eight is very small for me. They're the same tier and you could put them in any order. For me it's pretty much...
TIER 1
1) Michael Jordan
2) Lebron James
3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4) Bill Russell
TIER 2
5) Magic Johnson
6) Kobe Bryant
7) Shaquille O'Neal
8) Tim Duncan
9) Steph Curry
10) Larry Bird
Players just missing the cut for me are Hakeem, Wilt, KD, Sir Charles, The Big O, KG, Dirk, The Logo, Dr. J and The Admiral. I think that Hakeem and Wilt are probably in a tier on their own as TIER 3 and the rest are sort of TIER 4 with maybe some of them being a lower TIER 5.
Again, within each tier I think these guys are interchangeable. I think a reasonable set of arguments can be made to put the players in TIER 1 in a variety of different orders. It all depends on which factors matter the most to you. If team success is the ultimate factor then it has to be Russell or MJ number one. Russell has the most titles and MJ has the most titles in the modern, post-merger era.
I would have a hard time arguing for Kareem being ahead of Lebron personally just because I kind of view Lebron's resume as a pro being a better version of Kareem's. Amazing, lengthy peak and incredible longevity in general with a lot of winning and playoff success overall.
I waffle on Kobe a lot. I do think that he is a top ten all-time player, but every now and then I talk myself into the idea that maybe Shaq or Duncan or even Steph should be higher. I can see why someone (like you) might put Duncan at number five or maybe even ahead of Kareem depending on which parameters they considered to be the most important in this comparison. I also just kind of like Duncan and his game in general a lot so if you asked me "Who would you rather have?" between him and Kobe then I would probably say "Give me Timmy, rooting for him and watching him dominate on both ends as an unselfish leader sounds like an awesome way to spend twentyish years."
Man, I am talking myself out of my own list here... maybe Timmy should be even higher or maybe it's more that Kobe should be lower. I still think I have Bryant ahead of the Hakeems, Wilts, etc. of the world and probably ahead of Steph and Larry Legend, but maybe not Shaq and Timmy?
At any rate, I have them in the same tier so I'm acknowledging that it's at least a matter of debate and debating these kinds of things is fun.
Thanks for the super sticker. I don't put LeBron over Bill, and I don't put Kareem over Duncan. These lists obviously are subjective and I've been pushing Duncan top 5 for a long time. I do put Kareem over Shaq, Dirk, Garnett, Durant etc. But yeah I put Duncan above where most do largely on winning and intangibles like leadership, role versatility, sacrifice etc.
Also worth noting, I don't put Kobe top 10.
@@pensarebasketball Yeah, you mentioned that you don’t have him in your top ten. I disagree. I wouldn’t put him behind any of the guys outside of the top ten. I can see putting him towards the bottom of the top ten though. He strikes me as a very divisive player because he has many very vocal fans (including a lot of players) who would have him as high as second in some cases (which he is just definitely not) so there’s a reactionary group that underrates him (not saying you are necessarily in that group) perhaps to try and have the general impression wind up more in the right place. I prefer to just put him in the right place. I just can’t, based on the total body of work, put him behind Hakeem and Wilt who are for me the guys just outside of the top ten.
In New York, RJ was part of a big 3, that were all left handed.
I think that throws things off a bit.
Your last two segments were entirely moving. Wow. ❤
Time stamps added
00:00 Intro
05:00 - What happened to Star J Barrett?
35:45 - 3 possible starting lineups for Toronto
44:30 - Ranking the top 12 Raptors on Upside
1:03:16 - Gilbert Arenas South Sudan beef
1:06:02 - How people see us...
1:22:40 - Rule of Thirds for life
Thanks ❤
I remember being 19 or so, and going to Florida, I was wearing camo and a cut up jean vest at Pearson airport going through a hallway after security and I got randomly selected and pulled towards a door. All my luggage was checked and swiped. The other people in there were brown. Me being of latin descent I definitely felt targeted but also knew what I was wearing did not help me. Haven't had that happen since as I've always dressed nice or in light sweats. It is what is sometimes.
Facts
I would go with lineup 3.
Also, for a 2nd unit I would really want to see, the following. I would test this out in training camp at the very least.
Scottie / Gradey / Chomche / Kelly / Koloko(assuming he's here)
Let Chomche be the point of attack defender, just see what he's like moving his feet with quick ball handlers.
If his guy gives up the ball, then Chomche can become a roamer.
I think that would be easier for him.
and then with the 905, they can work on his Centre Defense, let him be aggressive.
To me, a bust is a player who fails miserably and becomes a borderline NBA player or worse. Anthony Bennett is the prototypical bust. Darko Milicic (I was a fan) was a bust. Barrett was a disappointment--he failed to meet the high expectations. Sam Bowie was very disappointing, but he had a productive career despite serious injuries. I agree with what you say about Barrett and appreciate your analysis. I expect him to get better; importantly, the expectations have been tempered. I am really happy that he is a Raptor and think he can make a great contribution even if he never makes an all-star team.
Fair point. RJ and Wiggs are def positive players overall on their careers, just never lived up to predraft hype. If Wemby turned into Poeltl, I think people would call him a bust too.
Love the RJ content… I hope he ends up as the heart and soul of the team while Scotty is the face and quickly the vocal calm leader
If Chomche clears Evan Mobley a few years into his career I will be insufferable.
I don't want to jinx it but I think he will. These African mofos are hungry. No pun.
Thats a high bar but I have hope
@@Justfranktbh High but attainable, IMO. the physical tools are there, his mind just needs to catch up (admittedly, there's a lot of catching up to do.)
Darko also hid I.q on defense alot
Well said on South Sudan Rob. The world food program notes that 56% of their population is acutely food insecure and 1.6M children suffer from malnutrition.
US pushed for their independence from Sudan because that's where all of Sudan's oil was. They saw a little bit of religious divide then supported terrorist groups to create enough of a rift to push for independence so they can weaken Sudan and get even more lucrative oil contracts while further impoverishing the people living there.
Now US ally UAE is backing further political violence in Sudan.
You do great work Rob I need to say it… I can see a huge change from last year Don’t get me wrong. Your work / hustle was awesome last year to But now, your a changed man. Super positive it would seem I just want to say keep up the great work Oh and I was saying raps would and should get ulrich months before the draft 😆
Good for you for seeing that in Ulrich! And thanks for sharing the feedback.
If the NBA has given up on RJ he would not be in his league.
His game is similar to franz wagner thats slithering his way to the bucket at all costs, if his shot isnt falling then not very useful, both players need a mid range shot to their game
I really don't think the Franz comp is fair. Esp because Franz is the way better defender.
@@pensarebasketball I ve never really paid attention to Franz's defense
LFG ROWBERTO, LFG!!!! 💪
i would pick lineup 2. I love Jakobe's size for defense, however I feel that he does not provide enough completness in his game to start. he needs a season just like gradey
Makes sense. But do you feel he offers a slight upgrade on defense that makes that lineup a little less stressed out on the backline?
Facts re: Tim Duncan
I've been saying to you Rob.. hes a top pick and the best highschool recruit in his class. He will lead us in scoring for a while.. gonna be interesting. Scottie the leader but RJ will average more points.. interesting dynamic normally your leader is the point leader
Interesting comments about asking people about where they are from. Historically, Canada has been a cultural mosaic that celebrates where people are from. It's good to be a Hungarian-Canadian or Jamican-Canadian. This isn't a perfect idea, but it comes from the 1960s and 1970s political and cultural climate of positive cultural backgrounds centering on Expo '67 and the 100th birthday of Canada. Many immigrants came from Europe after the war, and many Asians arrived here as well. It was ok to celebrate your birthplace as well as your new home. This is why some Canadians ask where people are from. When I do it, it comes from a place of curiosity. My parents are from abroad, and it's a big part of who I became, despite being born here. I'm always curious about peoples' backgrounds and how they influenced them. In Canada, the US is described as a melting pot of culture. It's not the first thing out of my mouth when I meet new people, but as I get to know someone, I'm curious about where they grew up, be it Newfoundland, Somalia or Georgia.
I get that. But can I push back with a counter argument?
"Where are you from" is very often also heard as "you're not from here"
Because I'm pretty sure 90% of the people who are asked that question are either people of color OR people who have a strong accent. Am I right?
@@pensarebasketball oh definitely some people use to put people in their place. "You're not from here. Go back to where you belong". It's often how and when it's asked.
@@michaelsmith1380 I don't think that's what I mean. If you went to a hospital and saw two people;
A doctor and a snake charmer, which of the two would you most likely direct the question "where are you from"
The implication here is, we tend to focus (even if not maliciously) on people who stand out from the norm.
Not every person who has asked to touch a Black persons hair has done it from a place of malice. Most people are just curious. I'm just saying one person's curiosity is not always received as curiosity by the subject of their curiosity.
@@pensarebasketball I agree completely. We are often drawn to and even scared of the unknown. It's important to always see someone as a human first and then wonder who they are and where they are from. If you're asking to touch someone's hair without establishing a relationship, they are an object of curiosity rather than a human.
We are all changing fast and furious. The language Rob is espousing.. is ...very ,very important.
If he front loads pods talking about these things... Algorithms will suppress these ideas.
I for one , am thankful that he happens also to be, the best NBA analyst out there 😊
RJ the GOAT he remind me of Wolverine
What happens w Brown & Cartón?
Brown as a 8-10th guy is just fine with me team depth wise, sometimes you get a break by not moving a guy. Question is was he even given a chance last year to be tailored into the system, or was he just a piece to get rid off, as it seemed in the Team Owned Media mouthpieces, so not given the work?. Whether he goes or not, at this point matters not to me. I know not enough about Cart'on to put in my 2 cents.
Shut up! RJ was put in a 3 n D role coming into the NBA. He’s a dynamic playmaking scorer. Use him like that! His floor is what we saw once he came over to the Raptors. He’s been to the playoffs 2/4 years in NY as a #2 n #3 option. Covering our team in Canada bashing our son. Only gold medal in basketball for the country. Shut up! Bust?!? Crazy
You're unhinged.
RJ was drafted in the 2019 draft
Yessssss. Silly me getting 2019 and 2020 screwed up. Ant/Zion. That entire 2 years just flew into 1 for me.
RJ is a good player, but has huge swings in his play game to game.
SGAdid nt pop right away either
RJ HAS HIT hit Ceiling
I think he has some room to go. Could be wrong.
😂
He was never a bust what a stupid title
RJ the GOAT he remind me of Wolverine