SEASON 63 - LIVE FROM TORONTO PENNY'S PRESS CONFERENCE

[pennpanther1]

Penny is back again for this third revolution around the Sim League Sun.

As you all know, last season was a successful one for the Raptors. We built off of our previous season's success and made it to the playoffs, where we even managed to pull off two wins against our rival, the Chicago Bulls. Evan Mobley was a standout player for us all season, winning first-team honors, while Jerald Honeycutt finished as a top-25 scorer, and Kevon Looney emerged as a defensive force in the second half of the season gobbling up rebounds and swatting shots left and right.

However, this offseason was the most consequential in franchise history, as we had to part ways with the face of the Raptors, Evan Mobley, and our steady point guard, Dario Beaton. But we are excited to welcome some exciting young talent to our team, such as E.J. Liddell, Jeffrey Troutman, and former Raptor Saul King. We also acquired former Chicago Bull Quincy Johnson, who is in the prime of his career and a promising player for our team.

Although King and Troutman struggled during training camp, our new draft pick Chauncey Banks had a stellar camp, which boosted his odds to see serious playing time as early as next season.

Overall, we are confident in our ability to make the playoffs again this season and continue developing the soon-to-be best frontcourt of Looney/Liddell. We learned a lot last season, and we are committed to improving our team and being among the league's elite in short order. Thank you again for being here today, and I look forward to another successful season with the Raptors.

Any questions?

Projected Starting Lineup
PG - Hassan Hodges
SG - Quincy Johnson
SF - Jerald Honeycutt
PF - E.J. Liddell
C - Kevon Looney

[Eazy P]

What's your goal for the Raptors this upcoming season

[pennpanther1]

What's your goal for the Raptors this upcoming season

The Raptors are looking to finish over .500 and make the playoffs this season. I think the Raptors are close to competing for the division title and this season will tell me how close they are to contending.

[PaulyP]

You have one of the youngest teams in the league now, what is the identity of this current squad? What will be the style of play you'll be going for?

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: You've done a good job this offseason acquiring win-now, young talent. Where do Honeycutt and Hodges fit in with the near-future plans of the Toronto Raptors?

[pennpanther1]

You have one of the youngest teams in the league now, what is the identity of this current squad? What will be the style of play you'll be going for?

The Raptors want to be a team that forces teams to play on the outside. We want the paint to be a No-Go Zone. I think with Looney and Liddell we have a real opportunity to have the best defensive bigs in the league in a few seasons. On the offensive side, we want to be a balanced lineup with lots of scoring coming from both the bigs and our guards, especially Quincy Johnson down the road.

[pennpanther1]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: You've done a good job this offseason acquiring win-now, young talent. Where do Honeycutt and Hodges fit in with the near-future plans of the Toronto Raptors?

Thank you. The Raptors will be starting both Hodges and Honeycutt to begin the season. Hodges will slide in as the new PG and Honeycutt will slide over to the SF spot to make room for Quincy Johnson. I expect them to be the leaders for the team to help guide the young guys. But if a deal is apparent, I will not hesitate to move either of them to stock up for the future.