Let's Talk About the Raptors

cybercoma · May 10, 2016

DeRozan and Lowry for Curry? Hahaha. You'd have to trade the entire roster plus the next decade of draft picks for Curry.

cybercoma · May 13, 2016

Oh shit! The Thunder beat The Spurs!

Boges · May 13, 2016

The Thunder have 2 bonafide superstars. I thought when they lost to Lebron's Heat in 2011, they'd be back several times. They haven't.

The role players on the Spurs are getting really old. That was probably Tim Duncan's last game. Kawhi Leonard is top 5 player but that wasn't good enough I guess. The Spurs ran out of steam chasing the Warriors, I guess.

As for the Raps. I really hope they win tonight. Playing a Game 7 a full week after the Cavs swept the Hawks is a really bad look. I know the Raps have little chance to beat the Cavs, but it would be nice, should the make it, to make the series competitive.

cybercoma · May 13, 2016

Check out the +/- for the OKC-Spurs game last night and it becomes immediately obvious what happened. Spurs didn't have the depth. They had a couple all-stars who showed up to play and everyone else got beat upon.

Big Guy · May 16, 2016

Big Guy strategy for beating Cleveland.

First Game:

Start Scola. First time Cleveland have the ball: put Lowry on James to start. James will see the mismatch and will ask for a clear out to take Lowry inside - one on one - planning on driving towards the hoop for a slam dunk. Cleveland and Raptors spread the defense. Scola lurks in the corner. Lowry lets LeBron beat him and as Lebron drives to the basket and becomes airborne well above the hoop, Scola runs out of the corner, shoulder down, and takes LeBron into the third tier of seats, maybe taking the beer lady and the Cleveland bench with him.

Scola - gone for the series and gets a nice hospital room.

LeBron - limps through the series if he survives the blow

Advantage Raptors!

On to the finals !!!!!!

Boges · May 17, 2016

Thunder beat the Spurs and now has home court advantage against Golden State.

Don't be surprised if the Raptors play up to their competition this series. Especially if Lowry plays like he did in Game 6 and 7.

cybercoma · May 17, 2016

Boges · May 24, 2016

What a great game last night.

Lowry and DeRozen were the best players and they won.

JV was active for the game but didn't see any minutes cuz Biyambo is the newsest Toronto sports sensation.

I suspect by Wednesday JV will be more prepared to put in minutes and that could be lots of trouble for LeFlop and company.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Boges

kimmy · May 24, 2016

After getting completely smashed in the two games in Cleveland, they have won their two home games.

Is "home court advantage" a bigger thing in basketball than other sports?

-k

Boges · May 24, 2016

After getting completely smashed in the two games in Cleveland, they have won their two home games.

Is "home court advantage" a bigger thing in basketball than other sports?

-k

Or pride. They were embarrassed and didn't want to be known as the worst Eastern Conference final team ever.

Basketball is a fickle thing. Earlier in these playoffs and certainly in the first 2 games, Kyle and Demar couldn't hit a shot. Last night they hit clutch shot after clutch shot.

Kevin Love has been awful. LIKE HORAWFUL!!! To the point where they played better when he was on the bench.

Making a basketball go into a 10 foot hoop from a distance away is a very difficult thing to do, and it's very difficult to predict when a player will have it or not.

Look at Steph Curry. Most of the year he's the best shooter in the history of the sport, well Sunday night his team got blown out by 29.

kimmy · May 24, 2016

I just had a quick look at the regular season standings and some of the top teams had home records like 39-2, 40-1, 33-8, 32-9... in hockey that would be unheard of. Middle of the pack teams still have very strong home records, but also mediocre road records. Celtics 28-13 at home, 20-21 road, Hawks 27-14 home, 21-20 road... It seems like a very pronounced home vs road difference compared to other sports.

-k

Boges · May 24, 2016

I just had a quick look at the regular season standings and some of the top teams had home records like 39-2, 40-1, 33-8, 32-9... in hockey that would be unheard of. Middle of the pack teams still have very strong home records, but also mediocre road records. Celtics 28-13 at home, 20-21 road, Hawks 27-14 home, 21-20 road... It seems like a very pronounced home vs road difference compared to other sports.

-k

You're citing playoff teams. They still had very good overall records.

Of course you have a home court advantage. Not just because of the friendly crowd but because of the travel involved. So if you're sleeping in your own bed the night before as opposed to getting into a hotel at 1 am, there's an advantage.

Basketball is also a unique sport because there are only 12 players per team and often only 8 or 9 play with any regularity. A lot harder on the body than in Hockey where there are 17 skaters regularly playing.

Last year the Toronto Blue Jays has a below .500 road record. I'd have to see more evidence to believe that this is exclusively a basketball issue.

There's also the axiom in all Best of Seven series'.

A playoff series doesn't start until one team loses on their home floor

Edited May 24, 2016 by Boges

Boges · May 25, 2016

It looks like Golden State is toast.

An OKC v Toronto final would be Lulz.

cybercoma · May 25, 2016

How about that reffing in the last game? Not a single free throw attempt in the entire first half? I bet Casey regrets that $25000 fine for criticizing the officiating now.

Boges · May 25, 2016

How about that reffing in the last game? Not a single free throw attempt in the entire first half? I bet Casey regrets that $25000 fine for criticizing the officiating now.

Yeah but the Cavs only got 2 free throws in the entire second half. And I believe the Raps got into the bonus in the 4th quarter. So it did even out.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Boges

cybercoma · May 25, 2016

It was some real bad reffing though. Biyombo's crushing block against Lebron being called as a foul was a travesty, when James had his arm out shoving Biyombo. I get that these guys have to make split second decisions and have eyes like an eagle, but god damn, boys. Get your shit together.

Boges · May 25, 2016

It was some real bad reffing though. Biyombo's crushing block against Lebron being called as a foul was a travesty, when James had his arm out shoving Biyombo. I get that these guys have to make split second decisions and have eyes like an eagle, but god damn, boys. Get your shit together.

I'm not disagreeing but I read an article that the NBA's 2 minute report revealed that on that dagger layup by Lowry with less than 30 seconds left, Biyambo committed a foul by holding a player that was trying to assist JR Smith.

It does go both ways.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Boges

cybercoma · May 25, 2016

It certainly does, but the last quarter was certainly reffed far differently from the first three. The refs know there's a 2 minute report. They're not going to blatant blow calls like they were the first half of the game in the last two minutes. They certainly let stuff slide for the Raptors, but I mean come on. Look at the free throw attempts in the first half. We're talking about a team that was second or third in the league (I can't remember) for free throw attempts and this was an aggressive playoff game. That was just unbelievable.

kimmy · May 26, 2016

The Raptors are getting clobbered! They have to try harder! Put the ball in the ring! Score more goals! Do the thing! Come on, Raptors! You can do it!

-k

Shady · May 26, 2016

They're a horrible road team. Horrible. It's almost a 40 point deficit.

cybercoma · May 26, 2016

Raptors and Cavaliers have faced each other 8 times this season and playoffs. Every single game was won by the home team.

Boges · May 26, 2016

Raptors and Cavaliers have faced each other 8 times this season and playoffs. Every single game was won by the home team.

We'll see if that holds true on Friday.

A 7-game series would be a good showing for a team that was given no shot.

cybercoma · May 26, 2016

That was a slaughter last night. I stopped watching after the first quarter

Boges · May 26, 2016

It's good that the Jays were winning last night

Boges · May 30, 2016

It's a shame they couldn't take the Cavs to 7. It was nice that Kyle Lowry, the team's de facto captain, played excellently in the final game.

We'll have to see if DeRozen decides to stay in Toronto. He'll obviously demand a max contract, but will he decide to go home and play for the Lakers? The Lakers have a long way to go before being competitive again, so will he prefer to go home or stay with the team that brought him up, that's obviously a contender.

I think the Raptors have to use one or both of their first round picks to ad some talent. Even though the salary cap is going up, I doubt any of the high profile free agents are deciding to come to Toronto.

Biyambo is another question. He's not nearly as good as JV, but with the dearth of quality centres available and the way he performed for all the basketball world to see, he's primed to get overpaid. There's no need for the Raptors to pay two centres top salaries. We'll see what happens.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Boges