Who stays? Who goes? Checking in on the Raptors – Samson’s Mailbag w/ Es

Samson Folk is joined by famed Pull Up Tre Producer, Esfandiar Baraheni to talk all about the Raptors and respond to listener/viewer questions and takes.

With the trade deadline looming, the Raptors having a very turbulent season, and some fans turning their attention to the draft, there was lots for Samson & Es to discuss in this one.

They start off by discussing the Raptors teambuilding process, and how some teams are forced to value players over picks. Picks represent a different type of value, whereas hitting on a young player who was underutilized on another team can create an expedited pathway to contention and allow you to spend less time rebuilding. The Raptors are at a bit of a crossroads in this regard.

Next up, the fellas dive in on Immanuel Quickley, and the up and down season he’s had to go through due to his injuries. Also, they discuss his strengths and weaknesses and why they suit what the Raptors are trying to do in the future.

Scottie Barnes’ 3-point shooting has been bad for a long stretch of games (almost 60 games at 27%), and fans are wondering whether or not they should worry. Both Samson & Es caution against too much worry, but don’t expect an elite jump from Barnes as a 3-point shooter. They also discuss his mid-range shooting/creation, and what Barnes’ fit looks like with front court partners of different skills.

Es discusses the Raptors possibilities of getting into the middle of a 3-team deal, and what that might look like given all the cap constraints. They also start discussing Gradey Dick’s 3-point shooting, what other 3-point shooters have underwhelmed early on, and where Dick fits into all of that. They also discuss the defensive pairing of Dick/RJ Barrett, and how that makes the Raptors starting lineup a bit more difficult going forward.

They talk about a whole bunch of other stuff as well, make sure you tune in!

Have a blessed day.

The post Who stays? Who goes? Checking in on the Raptors – Samson’s Mailbag w/ Es first appeared on Raptors Republic.