Looks great tonight so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by aman_13
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Looks great tonight so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by aman_13
It is the only thing I'm clinging to. If they continue to be a bottom 10 defensive team, then they simply wont win enough. I'll jump on the sell bandwagon but I honestly just hate losing so I'm searching for reasons to feel optimistic.Quote:
Originally Posted by pebloemer
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When Siakam is off, there tends to be no middle ground.
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The Raptors should be up double digits right now with the way the Mavs look. Siakam has to wake up.
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What are we, 2-18 from 3?
I agree about Pascal. Not a good half from him.
Boucher with 21 points on 8 for 12 shooting (2 for 5 from deep),10 boards and 3 blocks off the bench in 28 minutes. He could win 6th man of the year if they keep winning games and finish with a good record. The only time he didn't score 20+ in the last 6 games was the game he fouled out after just 23 minutes. ...oh, and he is shooting 60% from the field, is unconscious from deep at 47% and has been money at the FT line....even late in the 4th in 1 possession games. He just has ice water in his veins.
He still has some learning to do on D for sure, but he's quickly becoming one of their top scorers. He's currently 4th on the team at over 16 ppg, but if he continues to play 30+ minutes like the 3 guys ahead of him the Raps could quickly have 4 guys averaging 19+ppg....and then you got OG who is averaging over 15 ppg over the last 4 games going 13 for 23 from deep.
Putting things back into perspective, if they win those 2 games against the Warriors and Blazers they would be on a 6 game winning streak and back over .500 and back up to 7th place in the East.
This team is one trade away from finding another legit C to start games and rebound the basketball for them. I really think they need to try and get Bagley if there is really friction there between him and the Kings. He looks like the perfect fit for this team to me.
Raptors with Lowry are starting to heat up more like Mr Lowry is like Mike Lowery of the Bad Boys movies😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I MAKE MYSELF LAUGH THAT'S HOW FUNNY I CAN BE but on a serious note back to bein serious for a second Boucher boy oh boy that Boucher man that boy is gettin after it
But y'all managed to hold a lead and actually keep a lead...but y'all shouldn't be gettin all happy this quick....let y'all develop like a 5 to 10 game winning streak and then maybe y'all can get excited but it is still too early to get excited!!! #mambamentality
Candidate for MIP too.Quote:
Originally Posted by bartron_44
With the new system tanking doesn’t give you much more odds at a better pick. You could be dead last and still only have a 50% chance at a top 4 pick. You could be 4th last and have a 48% chance. It’s not much different.Quote:
Originally Posted by aman_13
Also this year there is a play in tournament, and teams 9&10 can get them selves in the post season. We’re def not going to tank. 0 chance.
But what we absolutely need to do is improve on our front court. We’re way to soft and rebounding will be a huge problem come post season time when the game slows down and becomes more physical. Our glaring hole up front will be that much more obvious.
We don’t even need a star or anything. Just a quality big who can rebound and provide solid help D.
Yeah I'm hoping Masai and Bobby can find a way to improve the front court. However, the good news is that they are getting better defensively.Quote:
Originally Posted by smith&wesson
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I think it is between him and Jerami Grant right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by pebloemer
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Christian Wood is Most Improved and it is not even close in HoustonQuote:
Originally Posted by aman_13
Don’t remind me. He would have been perfect on this roster.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tg11
Forgot about Wood.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tg11
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If Boucher continues to put up 20 plus for the rest of the season, then maybe you have a case. But Wood is the favorite to win that award especially right now. Then it would be Grant.
I mean they start for their teams and Boucher doesn't. If anything that is practically a deciding factor right there.
But the Raptors face Miami tonight and then on Friday at home in a back to back.
I mean your schedule doesn't get any easier after Miami cuz y'all have to face the Bucks, Kings, Magic twice, Nets with KD/Harden/Kyrie, Hawks and then the Grizzlies
Disappointing game. Miami just out executed the Raptors tonight.
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This simply not a good team. They aren’t trying to tank but they have regressed. Even if they squeak in to the playoffs they will be one and done. Even if they get a quality big man, they won’t be contenders. I hope MU makes some moves in either direction.Quote:
Originally Posted by smith&wesson
I don’t like the word “tanking” because it presumes the team is trying to lose only for a draft pick. I agree they won’t do that. But if this team has a 20-25 record with only 27 games remaining, do you trade Lowry at the deadline?Quote:
Originally Posted by smith&wesson
For sure. Both guys been on fire. Grant might have the edge being the go to guy in Detroit now and the fact that he’s a consistent starterQuote:
Originally Posted by aman_13
He played well in the playoffs. Nice to see him carry that momentum.Quote:
Originally Posted by smith&wesson
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Nice bounce back win.
Nurse didnt like their effort last game and they responded.
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Well y'all are 6-9 but bein honest the W wasn't even really all that great. Strictly my opinion. Yeah you guys did beat them. No one is disputing that but Miami has been ravaged all year with injuries so they were not even at full strength.
But the true test to see what you really are starts tomorrow when you face Indiana twice. Then after that you have to face Milwaukee, Sacramento, Orlando twice, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Grizzlies and Wizards.
But against Indiana though, who on this Toronto team can match up with Sabonis? He is their #1 option basically
Plus Brogdon has always played great games whenever he faces the Raptors
But the thing about Indiana is that everything the Raptors are or were, Indiana is right now in a sense because they have a defensive identity. The Raptors don't or they are still trying to figure it out.
Wood and Grant were the 2 FA I wanted most.....especially Wood. ( including serge and Gasol) Can you imagine they had him on this roster instead of Baynes?
The Raps identity is still their smothering defense. It started out rough as they worked in multiple new faces with a shortened pre-season and moving last minute to TB, but they are getting back to normal.
The key is the 3pt defense. Last year they were near the top in almost everything defensively, but the biggest thing they did well was run people off the line and challenge deep balls. Between OG, Siakam and Boucher they do an excellent job contesting corner 3's. (..aka the money spot for a lot of players..).
With Johnson and Davis settling in to the rotation over Thomas and Flynn, they have 4 guys off the bench that have been using their defensive schemes for over a year. Johnson and Davis also give them 2 bigger, stronger, longer defenders. So they don't just know the D better, but they have higher ceilings on that end of the floor due to their superior size and athleticism.
In terms of guarding Sabonis, that will likely go to Baynes , but I see thrm using their zone a lot.
Critiques on Pascal Siakam for me is that he needs to post up more or get more into the post especially with that frame. He has the size and the length to use his body but he doesn't do it enough. Yeah he incorporates that spin move but needs to add more moves into his arsenal. I mean if Siakam wants to get better, even more better to reach elite level superstar status or be Top 5 or even Top 10 in this league, he could benefit really benefit from spending time with a former NBA player or former NBA players. Certain players benefited from spending time with someone like a Kobe when he was alive. Picked his brain and trained with him. Siakam could benefit by spending time with a great like Garnett, Duncan, Vince, etc well players like that and work on his footwork more.
Siakam needs to also be more efficient at the FT line or drawing more fouls so that way he gets to the line more often than not.
And also shooting more threes and being more outspoken in demanding the ball especially when you supposed to be the #1 option on this team.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tg11
Siakam has been working out with the all stars and with Rico Hines the last few off seasons. That is how he has gotten so much better so quickly.
The problem with post ups is that a lot of those shots result in "mid range" 2 pt attempts....which is like "the Cardinal Sin" among analytic supporters. Even the best big men in the game rarely post up anymore. The NBA game is just spread out and either attack the basket or shoot 3's.
He doesn't get the whistle when he yells after contact, I wish he would stop doing that. Its weak. That is hoping for a foul and not trying to actually finish the play. The refs can hear every slap, there is no need to scream like a baby.
He isn't the only one in the NBA doing it, its an epidemic really of soft ***** players who scream every time a defender puts a hand on them, or just does everything in their power to draw ticky tac fouls like Trae Young instead of just trying to score.
There is enough scoring in basketball that they didnt need to make breathing on someone a foul. Although I did see a ref not give Luka a call when he jumped 2 feet in and reached out in the most unnatural motion ever to try and get 3 shots the other night. I wish they would actually start calling more flops and scissor kicks from jump shooters.
Yeah he needs to do more of that but also spend time picking the brain of or spending time with NBA legends, all time greats of the game as well. If he does that like I'm talking all time former greats like Hakeem, McHale, Garnett, Duncan, etc and also working out with them too.Quote:
Originally Posted by bartron_44
I see what you're saying but he needs to be more of a post up type player in the sense of using his body more. I mean Siakam is a big man, he's a big guy right? If anything that should be more of an advantage for him rather than a weakness.
But also he can be more of a passing big man like a facilitator type like think Jokic or more of an explosive big man like an Embiid.
Honestly, picking the brains of legends is so overrated. The game has changed so much in the last 10 years that most old heads don't even know what they're talking about anymore. On the off chance they actually do know what they're talking about, it doesn't even matter because they can't play for you.
Siakam literally just needs a consistent jumper. Improving his footwork and his body isn't going to do **** for him. Guys like Jokic, Sabonis, Embiid etc have insane footwork. But guess what? When their jumpers aren't falling, they're practically useless offensively (scoring wise at least).
I just want him focused on getting the ball on the move towards the basket and not on shooting 3's. People give him 3's for a reason. I want to see him keep working his game inside out like he jas bern lately and not outside in shooting a bunch of 3's just because they are there early in the clock.
I'll tell you what though, today's win over Indy was ugly, but it was the best D and rebounding they have shown all season. The refs set the tone of it being a streetball type game early and OG took advantage. Boucher and Stanley with back to back game winning blocks on Sabonis at point blank to seal it too.
Baynes is showing signs of being able to play..lol and Watanabe is showing true 3 and D potential too. He played some really good defense today.
Flynn was awful, Bembry made some really stupid passes, but other than that they played pretty well for being down Kyle AND Pascal.
Td has looked unplayable at times when he gets put in. Stupid fouls and just careless with the ball. Yutas shot looks too smooth to not consistently get in and with baynes coming around slowly things looking at averaging itself out. Flynn definitely looks like he still needs a year or two to find the nba pace but he will come along.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bartron_44
Gotta give these guys loads of credit...
Nurse has done an excellent coaching job bringing this back after the poor start. Plenty success stories amongst the role players who are beginning to find their way.
Flynn definitely needs like 3 years or 4 but at this point if there was G League he would be perfect over thereQuote:
Originally Posted by driftindirt
OG is another guy who needs to get better too. If I had to critique parts of his game too, he needs to work on his handles first and foremost before anythin. Yeah OG has been workin on his 3 point shooting but he needs to work on his mid range game. By developing more of a mid range or even a step back by incorporating that into his game.
Defensively, OG is right there as far as being defensively sound. But he can get even more better than he has been.
Again, I'm goin to harp on footwork cuz it really is essential. If OG can also work on that, then he can actually be an emerging star in the league.
There were times where he was at the line and he missed some easy shots at the FT line. He too also needs to work on that too but also forcing himself towards the basket by doing what Siakam does in a sense, incorporate a spin move. Or better yet even a Euro step.
But for the most part, yeah he did score 30 today but that's probably what the first time he's done that in how long? OG needs to be more aggressive sometimes on offense but he's all right I guess.
Y'all are 7-9 but no rest for y'all either cuz you play them again tomorrow in a back to back basically on 24 hours rest. No doubt y'all are probably goin to be tired comin into tomorrow's game so I don't know if y'all get the job done tomorrow.
Yah its been quite enjoyable to see them really play some good defence last few games which has led to less of a half court offence. Weird trend in ft percentage but I think like most things itl even out. Man does OG look elite with his defence. He has reached sort of that next step toward all team defence. His shot setup also looks much quicker. The drives down to the post where he just muscled past sabonis was impressive
Quote:
Originally Posted by pebloemer
Someone once said they couldn't understand why TD was in Nurse's dog house. That game was a perfect example of why.
It's a shame FVV didn't win the genetic lottery. A couple inches taller and he would be a bonafide two way superstar in this league.
No kidding about FVV. Named to the Team USA 60 man squad. Not bad for an undrafted 5’11 kid.Quote:
Originally Posted by ecart
TD is talented but not all there yet. Reminds be of my frustration with Ross early on. I think he will come around and be a good player though I dont mind trading him to get better talent.
This is where I’m at too. I’m getting a Ross Vibe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raps18-19 Champ
Decent player, but doesn’t seem to have his head on right to get to the super star level. Will likely cap out as a 11ppg type role player. Which is obviously great for an undrafted guy. But he doesn’t have the drive and tunnel vision that someone like FVV has.
Is it just me or does it feel like Kyle is not getting as many charges this season?
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He has a reputation for trying to doctor the whistle. Refs are irritated by him, even when he is right. But yes, I agree. Feels like he gets fewer calls each year.Quote:
Originally Posted by aman_13