2019-20 Raptors and General NBA Thread

[Saint Troy]

Hard to love this team more, all the the guys that played with Kawhi seem to have been galvanized by the experience, and now the standard has been raised for all the new guys. Nurse is a hell of a coach as well, good times.

[octothorp]

It's crazy to think back when the Raptors were going through their coach hiring process, and the line on Nurse was that he was an offensive specialist, so probably wouldn't have a big impact on the defensive side.

A little over a year later, and he hasn't just made the Raptors defense arguably one of the best in the league despite losing two elite defensive players this season, he's also impact defenses league-wide, with Lillard mentioning that he's had to face box-and-1 defenses multiple times already this year, something that would have been a laughable idea before the finals. (Which isn't to give credit to Nurse for inventing it, but he did show that it can be an effective piece of a modern NBA defense.)

I was a big fan of hiring Nurse, but I had no idea he would be this good an all-round coach, this early in his career. Even his team management strategy, like having playoff rotation guys from last year playing the first couple games of the season, to set the tone for what the expectations are for the whole team. And now that he's opening up the playing time, guys like Davis II and RHJ and Boucher and Thomas (definitely below the others in defensive impact and awareness but still giving his all at that end) are playing with playoff level intensity.

[edslunch]

I only worry about the sustainability of the intensity with keys guys out for long stretches and other key guys playing crazy minutes.

[bluejays]

I gotta say, because nobody's mentioned it yet, but have we ever seen a player like Luka Doncic? This guy is incredible. His numbers night after night are spectacular so far. He may not score at the same rate going forward, but to do what he's doing is stunning.

[devo22]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1197179229697269760

that plus Westbrook ... Rockets games must be unwatchable.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah Harden is the ugliest great player to ever watch. It's effective no doubt (in the regular season anyway), but it's painful to watch.

[bluejays]

While I don't care to watch in slomo, but does Harden travel with every play with his stutter step?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Guess we're gonna have to start the Terrence Davis fan club.

[Drake]

@SportsCenter:
The NBA is seriously discussing changes with the NBPA and broadcast partners that could include ...

∙ Reseeding the 4 conference finalists
∙ 30 team in-season tourney
∙ Postseason play-in games
∙ 78-game season

(via @wojespn and @ZachLowe_NBA)

https://t.co/3XZiUYCBL0

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Drake

@SportsCenter:
The NBA is seriously discussing changes with the NBPA and broadcast partners that could include ...

∙ Reseeding the 4 conference finalists
∙ 30 team in-season tourney
∙ Postseason play-in games
∙ 78-game season

(via @wojespn and @ZachLowe_NBA)

https://t.co/3XZiUYCBL0

Love these ideas.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

I hope the NHL looks at the in-season tourney idea as well. It really helps to make games in January and February a lot more meaningful than they might be, for teams that are either locked into a spot or teams that are out of it.

[Senator Clay Davis]

How about holding Embiid to a big fat 0 burger? Marc Gasol owns his soul.

[Scornfire]

That dunk to end the game was beyond savage

[octothorp]

Random record the Raptors now have a share of: most home wins in a row against divisional opponents. 32 in a row. Last loss was in 2015. And while some of the division has been crap during that time, Boston has been a 50 win team for all of that stretch, Philly for half of it, and last season every one of them except the Knicks were playoff teams. They've got a chance (hell, it would be a shock if they didn't at this point) to set the record against the Knicks tomorrow night.

[Senator Clay Davis]

So uhhh how about all this chatter that DeMar might be coming back in a trade? Makes basically no sense to me, but it's been growing the past couple days.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

So uhhh how about all this chatter that DeMar might be coming back in a trade? Makes basically no sense to me, but it's been growing the past couple days.

Haven't seen anything about this. Any reporting? I wouldn't be opposed to it, but with it being only a little over a year that he's gone, I'm sure he'd still be quite bitter. I wonder what it would cost? I can't imagine it'd be cheap, though I'd do Gasol and Powell to get rid of them. Though they'd probably want Anunoby at the very least.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Random record the Raptors now have a share of: most home wins in a row against divisional opponents. 32 in a row. Last loss was in 2015. And while some of the division has been crap during that time, Boston has been a 50 win team for all of that stretch, Philly for half of it, and last season every one of them except the Knicks were playoff teams. They've got a chance (hell, it would be a shock if they didn't at this point) to set the record against the Knicks tomorrow night.

Did they ever.

[Scornfire]

DD is a terrible fit for the current system, Hard Pass

[transplant99]

I just saw a score cross the screen..

Hou 127 ATL 73 after 3 quarters.

54 pt lead after 3? Holy crap.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I just saw a score cross the screen..

Hou 127 ATL 73 after 3 quarters.

54 pt lead after 3? Holy crap.

Yeah Harden with 60 in 3 quarters. Guess Hawks are pretty bad.