Game 42 (TOR @ MIA), Jan 23: Raps look to cool down Heat

[Tmath]

Over the course of the season yes he's been inconsistent and has made many questionable decisions. That is a fair assessment. However, this game he did it right. It's not his fault that nobody on the Raps can create their own shot. Thats a talent issue, not a coaching issue. Ed Davis did sit for too long but that is maybe the only coaching blunder of the game. Again, Raps lost because of a terrible 3rd quarter, not because of Casey. You can't blame the guy in this particular instance for a loss.

I recall in the 3rd quarter when the Heat were making a run, Casey refused to take a timeout because he was waiting for the TV timeout. He has done that a few times which lead to the other team stealing the momentum and eventually take the lead.

Like someone else said, he was probably resting Davis because we had a game the next day. If thats the case, that is just terrible decision making. Try to win one game at a time, worry about tomorrow when you get there.

[Tmath]

ehh...I'm not gonna get googly-eyes just because we took Miami to OT...it's just one regular season game. I need to see way more before I say we're headed in the right direction

Yeah, until we start winning these type of games, I'm not going to believe they have taken the next step. I'm sick of moral victories, the only victories I care about starts with W.

[gwrighter]

Thus something has to be done going forward and fix this mediocrity/stuck in the mud Riddle.

Status quo is not where we want this team to be.

I hope you don't think BC & MGMT are just sitting in their offices twiddling their thumbs all day.

[Raps Insider 12]

I hope you don't think BC & MGMT are just sitting in their offices twiddling their thumbs all day.

For 7 years of agony, I thought there is truth to that .

[gwrighter]

I recall in the 3rd quarter when the Heat were making a run, Casey refused to take a timeout because he was waiting for the TV timeout. He has done that a few times which lead to the other team stealing the momentum and eventually take the lead.

Like someone else said, he was probably resting Davis because we had a game the next day. If thats the case, that is just terrible decision making. Try to win one game at a time, worry about tomorrow when you get there.

Let's face it, we're all armchair coaches/GM's etc. We don't see the work and preparation that a coach has to do to get his guys ready to play. The Raptors took the defending champs with 3/4 Hofer's with 2/3 of them in their prime to O/T in their own gym. Against a potential top 5 player of all time in his prime. This is no easy feat and deserves praise all around. I can't change your mind but you have to give credit where it's due. There is no other coach in the NBA that knows the Heat as well as Casey, Carlisle and Spo(for the smart aleck's out there). We are witnessing progress.

[Sanyo]

Definitely a great effort by the Raps but the lack of a "go to" guy kills them at the end...

Alan Anderson vs. Lebron James to carry you in OT -- who's going to win 9 times out of 10 usually?

[ink]

Let's face it, we're all armchair coaches/GM's etc. We don't see the work and preparation that a coach has to do to get his guys ready to play. The Raptors took the defending champs with 3/4 Hofer's with 2/3 of them in their prime to O/T in their own gym. Against a potential top 5 player of all time in his prime. This is no easy feat and deserves praise all around. I can't change your mind but you have to give credit where it's due. There is no other coach in the NBA that knows the Heat as well as Casey, Carlisle and Spo(for the smart aleck's out there). We are witnessing progress.

Completely agree. As soon as I see comments saying "Casey is an idiot" I know that poster is not paying attention to details. There are thousands of reasons why coaches try throwing different things at the opposition. There are thousands of responses back from said opposition. When you match the Raptors against the Heat you don't jump to the conclusion that someone is an idiot or someone is pathetic because they don't succeed. You look at how they competed, you look realistically at the matchup, at the respective talent levels, you look at the effort, you look at the challenge and how it was met. Like you say, we saw a very green, under-manned team take a team of elite talent to the limit. No idiot orchestrated that. Credit where credit is due.

[Jamiecballer]

If we remain status quo and if people are suggesting that these three should come off the bench

Calderon - 10M (Lowry has to start, BC gave up a pick for him)
Bargs - 10M(its already obvious)
Derozan - 10M (we already know how ineffective he is against top tier talents)

...then Rogers are basically paying 30million, close to 50% of the team's salary for players that are better off playing against opposing team's non starters.

That's say a lot of this GM's ineptness.

ya, i like the young talent on this team but i wonder if we will have the financial flexibility to keep them here thanks to those 2 deals - Derozan & Bargnani.

[B2B]

I think Casey is a good coach, but I still question his decisions down the stretch of games. We had 3 overtime losses I think in the last week or so. Each time he has made the same mistakes.

He rides guys out until they are completely gassed, and he doesn't put guys in that can create their own shots.

He had Jose, DeMar, Anderson, Fields & Gray on for the most part. Jose was being denied the ball, so he wasn't an option. DeMar is proving to be a career choker, he never seems to make the right play in key situations and just can't create his own shot. Fields can't create his own shot, or shoot for that matter. Don't need any explanation for Gray. That leaves Anderson who was gassed & the only one not scared to take a shot.

I would prefer John ****ing Lucas over DeMar in key situations like this because at least he can create his own shot. Ross not playing in OT just because he's a rookie is just dumb, he has to learn sometime. I can understand maybe the 1st couple OT's, but when that group continues to fail, it comes to a point where you have to except it doesn't work and try new things.

Obviously talent & youth is an issue but Casey keeps going on about learning from mistakes, well... its time HE starts learning and makes the proper adjustments. How many times can this team make the same excuses? its getting old.

Lucas did get his number call, the whole reason this team looks to the 2 pg lineup is because none of our wings outside of AA (who at best is average) can create their own offense as you mentioned.

If DeRozan,Fields or Ross could create, do you think Casey would goto a 2 PG lineup & sacrifice size?.

Heat snuffed out Jose in the 2nd half, Lowry wasn't playing well so Casey went small with 2 PG's. Problem with that is you end up with Wade, guarding an undersized player.

People would not want to admit it but the team could have used Bargnani in OT. He would have taken some of the offensive focus off Jose. All the Heat had to do 2nd half was shut down Jose. Didn't hurt in their 40pt 3rd Q, they were in the penalty at the 9min mark, lol.

[B2B]

ya, i like the young talent on this team but i wonder if we will have the financial flexibility to keep them here thanks to those 2 deals - Derozan & Bargnani.

You don't need flexibility to resign your own players, once the owners are willing to pay tax.

In terms of flexibility management, you need to add Lowry & Davis' possible extensions to your list.

[Raps Insider 12]

Completely agree. As soon as I see comments saying "Casey is an idiot" I know that poster is not paying attention to details. There are thousands of reasons why coaches try throwing different things at the opposition. There are thousands of responses back from said opposition. When you match the Raptors against the Heat you don't jump to the conclusion that someone is an idiot or someone is pathetic because they don't succeed. You look at how they competed. Like you say, we saw a very green, under-manned team take a team of elite talent to the limit. No idiot orchestrated that. Credit where credit is due.

I agree. It's ridiculous to blame Casey for coaching a team that lacks a consistent closer losing to the reigning best. AA was the only option with the marbles to carry out the Coach's plan. We could say Lowry and Calderon, for the most part of the game they did. AA chuck but if he made those threes, then damn he won us the game.

The big picture is this, we ain't going anywhere with this line up.

Credit where credit is due however the blame should be re-channeled to the man in charge.

[Jamiecballer]

You don't need flexibility to resign your own players, once the owners are willing to pay tax.

In terms of flexibility management, you need to add Lowry & Davis' possible extensions to your list.

i know that they can resign their own players regardless but it's unlikely that ownership will want to pay the tax for a mediocre product so it certainly helps to use your cap wisely.

[Raps Insider 12]

ya, i like the young talent on this team but i wonder if we will have the financial flexibility to keep them here thanks to those 2 deals - Derozan & Bargnani.

I maybe misunderstood by some for having an agenda but I still can't calm myself for thinking how this GM gave a project shooting guard, 40 million contract for 4 years. He picked Ross as an insurance, so why can he not wait to re-evaluate the guy(DD)before years end. Yes he may have played well this season and may ask for a more lucrative deal but still, how high was the ceiling that BC was expecting?

[Bob_at_york]

I maybe misunderstood by some for having an agenda but I still can't calm myself for thinking how this GM gave a project shooting guard, 40 million contract for 4 years. He picked Ross as an insurance, so why can he not wait to re-evaluate the guy(DD)before years end. Yes he may have played well this season and may ask for a more lucrative deal but still, how high was the ceiling that BC was expecting?

I think he was expecting him to be able to play SF.

[gwrighter]

i know that they can resign their own players regardless but it's unlikely that ownership will want to pay the tax for a mediocre product so it certainly helps to use your cap wisely.

Rogers and Bell have racks on racks on racks. They own the TV rights and the team now which means that MLSE and thus the Raps can get access to favourable tv deals and a share in the profit generated from advertising revenue stemming from broadcasting games. It's in the controlling interests best interest to spend more money on the team because unlike the OTPP, Rogers/Bell have more streams of revenue than the previous controlling group.