2016-17 Toronto Raptors and General NBA Thread

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by St. Pats

Casey's stupidity in the Minny game was weird even for him. This team is going rapidly backwards. Haven't been feeling it this year with the Raptors but I didn't think they would start drifting down the table until at least the year after next.

Casey wasn't great, but Lowry was an outright moron. Raptors had a one point lead with I think one minute left. Lowry jacks up a ridiculous off-balanced 3 point attempt from about 5 feet back of the line with like 14 second left on the shot clock. This type of BS is a constant for the Raptors. I'm starting to think it's not Casey, it's that these guys can't be coached and have a very low level of basketball IQ.

[St. Pats]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Casey wasn't great, but Lowry was an outright moron. Raptors had a one point lead with I think one minute left. Lowry jacks up a ridiculous off-balanced 3 point attempt from about 5 feet back of the line with like 14 second left on the shot clock. This type of BS is a constant for the Raptors. I'm starting to think it's not Casey, it's that these guys can't be coached and have a very low level of basketball IQ.

It is a constant because that is Casey's idea of offense. Give the ball to DD or Lowry and let them do what they want. While the other four guys sit with their fingers up their noses. The supporting cast bought in last year but this year there are back to just watching the game on both sides of the floor.

It's the recipe for a first round exit.

[Drake]

Dolan was just on the radio and suggested Oakley is an alcoholic with anger management issues. Not a good look by that doofus. He's also banned for life for MSG.

Dolan has now fired the head of MSG security, too.

[bluejays]

Dolan's an idiot as well. If what Oakley said is to be believed that he paid his own ticket (albeit behind Dolan) and Dolan kicked him out because he was who he was (Oakley), Dolan deserves critique too. He doesn't come away as a nice guy in this exchange, that's for sure.

[Drake]

Draymond Green made history tonight: 4 points, 12 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 10 Steals.1st triple-double in NBA history with less than 10 points.

[kmart]

Originally Posted by Drake

Draymond Green made history tonight: 4 points, 12 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 10 Steals.1st triple-double in NBA history with less than 10 points.

What a unique player. There isn't a player today that players Center on defence and on the flip side plays Point Guard on offence.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Draymond has a good chance to eventually get a 5x10: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals, 10 kicks to the nuts.

[Machiavelli]

Durant's return to OKC tonight! How badly does he get booed?

[Senator Clay Davis]

That was about as expected for booing. I'm just not sure the fans of a team stolen from another city should be complaining too much about betrayal.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Some Raps trade rumours.

There's a growing sense around the league ‎that Ibaka could be on the move again as the league's Feb. 23 trade deadline draws near.

The Thunder shook up the 2016 NBA draft when, just days before Durant's free agency, they dealt Ibaka to the Magic. Orlando was willing to part with Victor Oladipo and the rights to No. 11 pick Domantas Sabonis to make the swap, confident that Ibaka could be sold on a long-term future in the Magic Kingdom.

Seven months and change later, Orlando is exploring all of its options anew. League sources say the Magic are fielding calls from a handful of teams on Ibaka as the deadline approaches amid undeniable concern that retaining the Congo native in free agency come July will prove much trickier than initially anticipated.

Sources say that Toronto and Miami are among the Eastern Conference teams that have expressed interest in Ibaka this month. More than one rival club has expressed the belief that Orlando will use the next 10 days before the deadline to keep fielding offers and then, ultimately, choose the best available package for Ibaka on Feb. 23 and make the move.

Now that the Jusuf Nurkic trade we've been anticipating for weeks has materialized at last, league sources say Danilo Gallinari is a prime Nugget to watch between now and the deadline. The Raptors and Clippers are among the teams said to be monitoring Gallinari's availability, amid a growing belief that Denver is prepared to move him, given that the Nuggets anticipate that Gallinari will bypass the final season of his current contract (valued at $16.1 million) and join Millsap on the open market and don't plan to spend big to retain the Italian.

http://www.espn.com/blog/marc-stein/...ine-approaches

[bluejays]

Without looking at the numbers either Ibaka or Gallinari put up, I'd be more interested in Gallinari (at least from past memories). Though I'd prefer the Raps don't make any moves whatsoever simply because any asset is not worth dealing when they can hold on to it and spend it on a person who's locked into a contract. Both the above guys are potential FA's, and giving up anyone for a rental isn't prudent considering the Raps are really third tier this year. Though I guess from a management perspective it'd help their bottom line to try and move on to the second round.

[Machiavelli]

And they choke another one away

[St. Pats]

I'm seriously starting to think they should be sellers at the deadline. Try and move DC and Sullinger. Even put Lowry out there and see if you can get a real haul in return. Start with firing Casey.

[bluejays]

At this point I'm not convinced Casey is to blame or to be given praise. We do know the players respect him. Secondly, he came from the Mavs which was a pretty damn well coached team. All in all, I see more of the teams failures on the players themselves. So if I have a decision today, Casey stays to work on the rebuild, while the players take the fault for playing selfish bball.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Selling would come off as desperate so teams would likely not offer much. Besides dismantling the team in the summer makes way more sense in terms of maximizing asset return. It's wishful thinking to get something decent for Lowry right now as a pending UFA. Probably best case is they get a pick or some cap relief if you can maybe throw in Carroll for an expiring or a trade exception. I also wouldn't fire Casey, players right now deserve the bulk of the blame for this collapse.

[Drake]

Yeah that happened tonight...

Buddy Hield ejected with a flagrant 2 foul.

Why?

Boogie: "He just grabbed my nuts!" https://t.co/8ab3v7XlYV

[St. Pats]

Originally Posted by fleury

At this point I'm not convinced Casey is to blame or to be given praise. We do know the players respect him. Secondly, he came from the Mavs which was a pretty damn well coached team. All in all, I see more of the teams failures on the players themselves. So if I have a decision today, Casey stays to work on the rebuild, while the players take the fault for playing selfish bball.

Who lets them play selfish ball? Casey does. Casey in a rebuild. Guy sits young guys on the bench whenever given a chance. Can't think of a worse coach for a young team.

As for respect Lowry once said I respect Casey as a man. Nothing about him as a coach. Listen to the post game interview with Lowry after that game tonight. Carroll also yipping in his interview. They aren't playing for each other and methinks the dressing room isn't united(nothing to base that on except their play and rumours) and Casey just seems unwilling to hold them to account.

I don't know but it looks from the outside like they are about to implode.

[bluejays]

You're right, but Casey is an intelligent guy IMO, and he's working with what he's got. Clearly this isn't the smartest bunch, and running complex plays likely goes beyond their comprehension. I don't think he's a bad coach. Average, yes, but he doesn't have the most intelligent players to work with. It shows in how they pass and defend.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by fleury

You're right, but Casey is an intelligent guy IMO, and he's working with what he's got. Clearly this isn't the smartest bunch, and running complex plays likely goes beyond their comprehension. I don't think he's a bad coach. Average, yes, but he doesn't have the most intelligent players to work with. It shows in how they pass and defend.

All trust is lost in Casey when it's the same last second play every time; inbound, isolate DeRozen and watch him dribble for seconds before he misses the shot. Or the other one where Lowry launches a 3, being miles away from the 3 point line. Zero creativity.

He's at fault for trusting those morons as much as he does or having the same doofus play for every last second situation.

[Otto-matic]

Sportsnet ‏@Sportsnet 6m6 minutes ago
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BREAKING: #Raptors acquire Serge Ibaka from #Magic for Terrence Ross and 2017 first-rounder http://sprtsnt.ca/2lcRVuH