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NBA General Managers’ Poll – Toronto Raptors not on radar

By Brian Boake

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At nba.com, the results are in for the annual poll of the 30 teams’ General Managers. While there’s little surprise about the individual choices (Anthony Davis was selected as the player 26 of 30 GMs would start a franchise with – blinding flash of the obvious), I was more than a little disappointed in some of the other responses. Let’s take a closer look.

In the most splintered vote of all, the player whose acquisition was considered most underrated wasn’t the Toronto Raptors’ DeMarre Carroll. He barely got a mention, buried under such names as Ty Lawson, David West and Amir Johnson(!). So much for our team’s newly crowned most expensive player and highest-profile summer signing.

We can’t be surprised, given how little the GMs thought of Carroll’s signing, that the high-priced suits don’t have much regard for the Raptors’ chances of finishing the season with home-court advantage, i.e., in the Eastern Conference’s top four teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the nearly unanimous selection as the Conference’s #1 team, with a few iconoclasts choosing the Chicago Bulls. A smattering like our chances to finish third or fourth, but overall, the Raptors barely qualify for the playoffs at all. The team will finish in sixth place, a game or so ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Raptors are nowhere to be found in the list of “best by position” lists, and only Norman Powell is named as a Rookie of interest. He’s an also-ran among those considered to be “steal” draft selections at their number (in his case, the #46 pick).

Oct 8, 2015; Ontario, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey in the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Raptors won 105-97. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Jonas Valanciunas didn’t get a single mention for Best International.

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Our head coach, Dwane Casey, got left by the side of the road on every question regarding top coaches. San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich is the class of this group. I note with interest the well-connected Steve Kyler lists Casey as a coach on the hot seat, a conclusion I concur with.

As corny and old-school as it sounds, Dwane Casey can use this virtual wipe-out of the Raptors to his advantage. Bring the report into the dressing room, show it to every player, and tell them “No one respects us – what are you going to do about it?”

The pre-season is wrapping up, and the games are going to be for real very shortly. We fans need to believe the Raptors are feeling cranky, and…yes, I’ll say it…disrespected. Toronto has been accused, accurately I believe, of not playing with enough edge. Perhaps this report, which all but ignores the entire organization, can bring out the nastiness.

Please accept apologies for my absence, Rapture Nation. I had a health issue to deal with, but I’m on the mend.

Next: How many wins does ESPN forecast for the Raptors?

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