2018-19 NBA and Raptors thread

[dino7c]

People don't like Drake because he is a fraud...started on the bottom, as a wealthy child actor from the suburbs.

Not a big deal...its just dumb to act like he is part of the team. Massaging the coaches shoulders ffs. Also, spending 750k on a jacket is just a bad look IMO

You are all rich as #### do something positive with that money

Lets get Joey Jeremiah court side

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by dino7c

People don't like Drake because he is a fraud...started on the bottom, as a wealthy child actor from the suburbs.

Not a big deal...its just dumb to act like he is part of the team. Massaging the coaches shoulders ffs. Also, spending 750k on a jacket is just a bad look IMO

You are all rich as #### do something positive with that money

Lets get Joey Jeremiah court side

I don't know the figures but I don't think the actors on degrassi were getting millions. Definitely not enough to set themselves up for life.

Not sure where you got the info about his younger life. I'm not a big fan of his music so I didn't know his background very well. But according to his wikipedia page:

Drake was raised in two polarizing Toronto neighbourhoods; he lived on Weston Road in the city's working-class west end,[44] until grade six. In his youth, he played minor hockey with the Weston Red Wings.[47] Drake then moved to one of the city's affluent neighbourhoods, Forest Hill, in 2000.[48][49] When asked about the move, Drake replied, "[We had] a half of a house we could live in. The other people had the top half, we had the bottom half. I lived in the basement, my mom lived on the first floor. It was not big, it was not luxurious. It was what we could afford."

"My mother was very sick. We were very poor, like broke. The only money I had coming in was off of Canadian TV"

[Joborule]

Wish people would focus less on hating Drake, and live and let live. He's earned what he's made, he's enjoying himself, and loves his city. What's to hate?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Is Drake really the "Nickelback of rap"? I'm no fan by any stretch, but he is nowhere close to as bad as Nickelback. People seem to have forgotten now that it's been more than a decade of Nickelback being irrelevant just how monumentally awful prime Nickelback really was (and Imagine Dragons coming along as the even worse version of Nickelback also makes you forget). As others have mentioned like him or not, Drake at least gives the Raps profile and yeah we all know original Degrassi ####s on the new gen one, but Zit Remedy ain't getting the Raps no profile.

As for the past two games, Gasol deserves big credit for stepping up after an awful start to the series. His passing in particular has been a big asset for getting other guys easy buckets. Bucks looked a little rattled last night, good to put them under pressure to at least see how they react.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by flamingred89

Also. The Bucks have a lot of punchable faces on their team.

The Bucks are the perfect team for Khris Middleton's teeth to play for.

[octothorp]

The defense on Giannis in the halfcourt has been superb. He's got his long euro-step and about one 3 per game, and that's it so far. And they've done it by throwing a number of different defenders on him.

This is what I think Boston screwed up on: they went with Horford on Giannis at every opportunity, and Horford is a superb defender... but Giannis was able to eventually figure out little things he could do to gain an edge. Kawhi is the Raptors' best defender on Giannis. But they're limiting the number of times Kawhi is the primary defender, so he doesn't have a sample size to learn how to attack Kawhi like he did with Horford... plus he seems so uninterested in trying to attack Kawhi, he's not going to figure it out.

As well, the team defense approach of sitting off Giannis, daring him to drive, and then bringing the double at the first sign of a spin move has been brilliant. Giannis is at 21 turnovers so far this series, compared to just 11 and 14 in the first two series.

There's a counter that Giannis can employ, and that's passing it to the open guy as soon as the double comes. But when you're in the midst of a spin-move, you can't usually see the double coming because your back is away and you're spinning into it. Maybe better communication from teammates here, or maybe it's just using the spin move less and the euro-step more.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

It's also a matter of some of the Bucks making those shots. If they have a good shooting night it's pretty damned tough to keep up, and you're going to have a cold stretch at some point in the game.

Anyway, underdog in the ECF, lose two games on the road, come home and win two in front of the TO fans, but looking a little the worse for wear coming out of those games? This is familiar. Hopefully they can flip the script from 2016 in game 5. Going to take a heck of a performance from Lowry and the Bench.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Wish people would focus less on hating Drake, and live and let live. He's earned what he's made, he's enjoying himself, and loves his city. What's to hate?

Ha Sid nailed it on Tim and Sid.

Drake only sticks out because everyone else sitting courtside doesn't want to be there and is on their phones. Having passion sticks out like a sore thumb.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Ha Sid nailed it on Tim and Sid.

Drake only sticks out because everyone else sitting courtside doesn't want to be there and is on their phones. Having passion sticks out like a sour thumb.

[Sainters7]

I'm not a Drake "fan" or anything but I like some of his songs and listen to him sometimes, and I like the "brand" and awareness increase he gives the Raptors that they need. I like when he's at the games.

That said, yesterday seemed a bit over the top, I found it a little embarrassing at times frankly. He's literally walking up and down the sidelines of the court like he's a mascot or something, mingling with coach/the announcers mid-game..it's impossible not to notice him. It's just a little weird and gives the Raps a bit of an amateur feel with that stuff going on. Be like other celeb super fans and go mingle with the team after the game, not during it.

Ibaka was so locked in yesterday, that was impressive..finally Kawhi got some help. So impressed this series is tied, now they just have to learn how to win in Milwaukee.

[dino7c]

NM...I'm just being angry for no reason.

Hope the Raptors can pull off a road win

[Magnum PEI]

Nickelback at least write their own songs.
I'm not really sure how Drake became so famous. He's not a good singer, his rapping and lyrics are below average, he's not particularly handsome. But he's been around for over a decade now. It's really mind boggling to me.

[Machiavelli]

Just like Taylor Swift, with catchy songs

[Flamenspiel]

Not a fan of his music, but I like him as a character and his heckling of the other teams. Spike Lee and other celebs have done that before, maybe not as effectively though. There was a TSN movie about Spike Lee and Reggie Williams, they had quite a battle going when the Knicks played the Pacers one year.

The fans are so close to the action in the NBA, it’s a big part of the home game advantage.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

Not a fan of his music, but I like him as a character and his heckling of the other teams. Spike Lee and other celebs have done that before, maybe not as effectively though. There was a TSN movie about Spike Lee and Reggie Williams, they had quite a battle going when the Knicks played the Pacers one year.

The fans are so close to the action in the NBA, it’s a big part of the home game advantage.

Reggie Williams... hahahaha and maybe you should rewatch that special because Miller owned Spike Lee's ass.

Drake needs to go home and watch the game on TV and wear bucks shorts so he doesn't curse the Raps. no talent hack.

[nik-]

He has a talent for making insanely popular albums and selling out a worldwide arena tour every two years.

Seems like those are pretty valuable talents.

[flamingred89]

Cautiously optimistic about the game tonight. Hoping they can carry the momentum from game 4. I’m calling for another solid game from Gasol and Vanvleet. Raps by 5.

[Sainters7]

Admittedly in a casual fan so I don't watch them enough...but does Denny Green EVER make baskets?? Feels like he always misses 3s

[flamingred89]

Less than 2 mins in and Matt and Jack are already questioning the calls.

[Jason14h]

It’s going to be one of these reffed games I see