2015-16 Raptors and General NBA Thread

[corporatejay]

Curry is like a video game

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Yeah iPad typo made you press 7 instead of 5.....

Just admit you're not really a Raptors fan, because if you were you'd know there are so many reasons to be bitchin.

Yup, not a hardcore fan. Watch a handful of regular season games then pretty much all of the playoff games. Definitely a typo. I dunno, as a casual fan I just find it odd that there's this much negativity when they're locked at 2-2 in round 2. It's not like they got swept in round 1 and we're doing an autopsy of the season. Seems like a sentiment not found in hockey fandom. My understanding is that the expectations are they make round 3 then get swept by the Cavs. Seems they're on track for that.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Yup, not a hardcore fan. Watch a handful of regular season games then pretty much all of the playoff games. Definitely a typo. I dunno, as a casual fan I just find it odd that there's this much negativity when they're locked at 2-2 in round 2. It's not like they got swept in round 1 and we're doing an autopsy of the season. Seems like a sentiment not found in hockey fandom. My understanding is that the expectations are they make round 3 then get swept by the Cavs. Seems they're on track for that.

I can't speak for others but I know with the lower post counts in the Jays/Raps threads I end up posting horribly. I watch the games with all the ups and downs, but you feel stupid posting "yes!" or any cheerleading style posts when no one else is really posting in the moment, unlike Flames game threads where everyone's doing it.

So I refrain from those, but then something bad happens and I get mad and post it in here immediately. So at least for me, my posting isn't indicative of how angry/disappointed/despondent I am in the game or series.

[Frequitude]

That makes sense I guess. And with basketball there's so many more individual binary events (good or bad, no grey area) that when a guy's sucking as much as Derozan has been there's more things to respond to. Ah well. Go, Raps.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Yup, not a hardcore fan. Watch a handful of regular season games then pretty much all of the playoff games. Definitely a typo. I dunno, as a casual fan I just find it odd that there's this much negativity when they're locked at 2-2 in round 2. It's not like they got swept in round 1 and we're doing an autopsy of the season. Seems like a sentiment not found in hockey fandom. My understanding is that the expectations are they make round 3 then get swept by the Cavs. Seems they're on track for that.

Can't speak for others but I'm more then just a casual Raptors fan. Therefore it is frustrating watching derozen struggle as he has but still out up ugly shots. This team was the 2nd best regular season team in the East in the regular season. Yet, it barely made it out of 1st round because of poor play from its stars. If it wasn't for Carroll/JV/Powell in the first round, they would've already been out.

When you win 56 games, expectation are higher. If they make it round 3, it will go down as Raps made it to East final in the history books but in all reality they would have limped their way to east final.

[The Big Chill]

It is definitely an odd scenario. Basketball is a bit different from hockey in that the good teams don't get upset very often in a 7 game series. It is not that weird in hockey to see a 7 or 8 seed upset a 2 or 1, but that is massive in basketball.

The Raptors are in a weird position of being better then most teams, but still being a mile behind the top 4. I think a lot of us were hoping to see the Raps at least put up a challenge to these top teams in this playoffs, but now as we're watching them struggle against the weak teams, it is looking more likely that we are just another one of the weak teams, rather then a team that might challenge the Cavs. I think that is where the frustration is coming from.

[corporatejay]

My interest in basketball as a whole this year has been elevated because of the Warriors.

The Raps are my favourite team so I watch them and cheer for them, but my overall excitement for games is because of Golden State and I guess the "Elite" west as well (and after this series, even though they lost 4-1, I'd throw Portland in there)

The tempo and ball movement is just so much more interesting, the East plays like the game is happening in slow motion.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Portland is a nice team but hardly worthy of being mentioned with the other great teams. After all if CP3 didn't get hurt they're likely out in the first round. People are down on the Raps and deservedly so, but the Raps got to be on the edge of being a great team because of their defense. The reason the Spurs have a chance to beat the Warriors and almost no one else does is for that reason, no team can outgun to Warriors in an offensive series, it's all about playing lockdown defense.

So the Thunder might beat the Spurs, but they'll get swept or lose in 5 to the Warriors because the Thunder are not a good defensive team. You can win a game trying to outgun the Warriors, but not a series. That's why defense matters, for instance if Carroll and JV were both 100% going into a ECF, even with Lowry and DeRozan playing like crap, the Raps would have a chance because of the defense. With the defense playing high level and Lowry and DeRozan at regular season levels, they would have a legit chance to win IMO. But since we're unlikely to get JV/Carroll at 100% and Lowry/DeRozan are unreliable, Raps are candidates to get swept.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

My interest in basketball as a whole this year has been elevated because of the Warriors.

The Raps are my favourite team so I watch them and cheer for them, but my overall excitement for games is because of Golden State and I guess the "Elite" west as well (and after this series, even though they lost 4-1, I'd throw Portland in there)

The tempo and ball movement is just so much more interesting, the East plays like the game is happening in slow motion.

Man, same here. Watching Gilden State play is infinitely more exciting than even watching Lebron play. And it's great that most of their games were on later in the evening after the little lady had gone to bed.

[Hockey Fan #751]

Demarre Carrol confident he'll play in Game 6:

https://www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...e-carroll.html

[Da_Chief]

Thunder knock off the Spurs.

Warriors vs Thunder. Wow, if you're not a fan but want to check out the NBA, then check this out. The offence, defence, ball movement, clutch plays, stars of the game will be on display. Will be better then the Finals.

[activeStick]

I think the Spurs would have been a better defensive challenge for the Warriors than the Thunder. I think GS brats OKC without much issue

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Thunder knock off the Spurs.

Warriors vs Thunder. Wow, if you're not a fan but want to check out the NBA, then check this out. The offence, defence, ball movement, clutch plays, stars of the game will be on display. Will be better then the Finals.

It's worth remembering the Cavs should have been up 3-0 last year against the Warriors, and that was without Love the whole series and Kyrie for 5 games. So I actually think the Finals will be better than the WCF, it's all about matchups and OKC matches up great with the less than athletic Spurs, but matches up terribly with the very athletic Warriors. The Cavs have also figured out their small ball lineup with Frye, Love and LeBron up front, whereas Kanter or Adams is going to get wrecked by the Warriors when they go small.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

It's worth remembering the Cavs should have been up 3-0 last year against the Warriors, and that was without Love the whole series and Kyrie for 5 games. So I actually think the Finals will be better than the WCF, it's all about matchups and OKC matches up great with the less than athletic Spurs, but matches up terribly with the very athletic Warriors. The Cavs have also figured out their small ball lineup with Frye, Love and LeBron up front, whereas Kanter or Adams is going to get wrecked by the Warriors when they go small.

Maybe or Maybe not. Lebron will be great but I still don't trust Smith, Frye, Love to show up against a top contender like the Warriors. All 3 of them are shooting close to or over 50% from the 3. I don't expect that to continue against the Warriors. Kyrie will be tasked to defend Steph, wish him best of luck with that. I still don't see the Cavs being very athletic, besides Lebron and Kyrie, rest of them are big stiffs.

Westbrook and Durant have been playing over 3 Qs a game. As long as one of them is on the floor the Thunder will have a scoring option. Still the Warriors will prevail but it will be very close.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I don't think so. Warriors swept the season series and scored about 120 a game in those matchups. It'll be a fun 4 or 5 game series, but the Warriors will cruise. Westbrook's defensive issues in particular will be badly exposed in this series, as will his propensity for gambling way too much on the offensive glass when you need to get back against Golden State. Best case scenario for the Thunder is Curry reinjures himself and they have a good chance then. Otherwise just a poor matchup for the Thunder. Cleveland matches up better since they can have LeBron and Dellavedova on Curry/Thompson, whereas the Thunder have no answer to that.

[Da_Chief]

At this point regular season means squat jack. Thunder couldn't win close games in the regular season and in the playoffs they are...

Lebron and Delladova is what they tried last year and we know how that turned out. Even if somehow they fare better this year defending those two (high unlikely), who's going to cover Draymond Green?

Advantage Warriors if they go small but advantage Thunder when they go big. Adams and Kanter will be crashing the boards, likely creating multiple 2nd chance points for the Thunder. Robinson/Waiters will also play key roles when they go small.

I guess we'll see what series ends up being better

[Senator Clay Davis]

Regular season matchups matter to a degree, and the degree they matter a lot here is the Thunder can't stop the Warriors from scoring at will. Like I said it'll be fun series between OKC and GS, probably a bunch of 120-115 games, and more enjoyable than watching the Spurs try and grind the Warriors down. But the Warriors will still easily dispatch the Thunder as they did the Rockets and Blazers. The team that beats the Warriors in a series will be one that can hold them to 100 or less, and that obviously isn't OKC. It probably isn't Cleveland either, but I think they have a better chance, particularly since there is a decent chance they'll play the minimum number of games going into the Finals which should keep them fresher.

[OzSome]

I wish Kyle would just worry about playing rather than yapping at the referee for non-call all the time. Referees are favoring the Heat so just deal with it and keep on playing. Derozan is playing well tonight but it just sucks that they are allowing Dragic some lane all night. They need to stop this guy.

[Johnny199r]

Kyle Lowry in early foul trouble, again.

Raps looking bad tonight.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by OzSome

I wish Kyle would just worry about playing rather than yapping at the referee for non-call all the time. Referees are favoring the Heat so just deal with it and keep on playing. Derozan is playing well tonight but it just sucks that they are allowing Dragic some lane all night. They need to stop this guy.

Ya Lowry needs to stop bitching.