[KingslayerParticipant]

I haven’t been this excited as a Raps fan since I grew up watching VC dunk on the NBA. Toronto already has wins against the Cavs, Thunder and now the Spurs in this young season, and may have given Golden State the best run for its money… twice. I believe those 4 teams are the top contenders this season. The Raps also have wins over quality opponents like LAC, Dallas, Boston, Indy and Atlanta. 

They’ve been doing a good chunk of this without JV, and with Carroll extremely limited by his foot injury all season. I really like the Raptors’ potential this year if they can stay healthy. It might actually be good that Carroll misses time with his knee contusion, so his foot has time to heal and he can get some explosiveness back. With Lowry playing at an all NBA level, Toronto can make some serious noise in the East this season. Contending for a championship is asking too much, but I’d love to see them advance to the ECF against Cleveland (in all likelihood) and continue to improve. Long way to go still… Go Raps!

 

[trelos6Participant]

I was worried when T-dot lost Amir Johnson.  He’s a great defensive big and glue guy.

But Slim Lowry has been gunning it, as well as contract year DeRozan.

Scola is doing Scola things, and Cory Joseph was a nice pick up.

And when Jonas comes back, he’s one of the best up and coming centres, purely because he can stay on the court in crunch time.

Great win vs Spurs, and great game v Golden State.

As a Celtic fan, I’m happy you’re giving us a run in the Atlantic.

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Derozan really gave it to Kawhi tonight and thoroughly outplayed him tonight leading the Raps to victory. The Raptors are a much better team this year in my opinion but they are following old traits by playing to their competitions level. Even against GSW I believe they should have won both games. They controlled both games. They only won by 3 against the Spurs but they were in the lead for most of the second half and never gave up the lead down the stretch.

As far as Valanciunas goes Biyambo has proved to be a capable starter and may cut into Valanciunas minutes when he gets back. Nogeiura has also played great in limited minutes. I’m not saying trade Jonas but the team has seemed more structured with him out.

They really gotta find a more reliable stretch 4 though. Patterson is a ghost on the boards and defensive end and it really cripples the team even if his shots are falling and he stretches the floor. 

They have a ton two 1st rounders this year and a bunch of assets they should try to get something done with the Suns for Markieff Morris.

 Even Terrence Jones who is a childhood friend of Terrence Ross would be a good pickup. His minutes have been limited with the Rockets and with the team committed to Ross maybe that gives Terrence the spark he needs.

Ryan Anderson and Thad Young are some other options and I hope Masai is aggressive this trade deadline.

 

 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Derozan really gave it to Kawhi tonight and thoroughly outplayed him tonight leading the Raps to victory. The Raptors are a much better team this year in my opinion but they are following old traits by playing to their competitions level. Even against GSW I believe they should have won both games. They controlled both games. They only won by 3 against the Spurs but they were in the lead for most of the second half and never gave up the lead down the stretch.

As far as Valanciunas goes Biyambo has proved to be a capable starter and may cut into Valanciunas minutes when he gets back. Nogeiura has also played great in limited minutes. I’m not saying trade Jonas but the team has seemed more structured with him out.

They really gotta find a more reliable stretch 4 though. Patterson is a ghost on the boards and defensive end and it really cripples the team even if his shots are falling and he stretches the floor. 

They have a ton two 1st rounders this year and a bunch of assets they should try to get something done with the Suns for Markieff Morris.

 Even Terrence Jones who is a childhood friend of Terrence Ross would be a good pickup. His minutes have been limited with the Rockets and with the team committed to Ross maybe that gives Terrence the spark he needs.

Ryan Anderson and Thad Young are some other options and I hope Masai is aggressive this trade deadline.

 

 

 

[trelos6Participant]

I was worried when T-dot lost Amir Johnson.  He’s a great defensive big and glue guy.

But Slim Lowry has been gunning it, as well as contract year DeRozan.

Scola is doing Scola things, and Cory Joseph was a nice pick up.

And when Jonas comes back, he’s one of the best up and coming centres, purely because he can stay on the court in crunch time.

Great win vs Spurs, and great game v Golden State.

As a Celtic fan, I’m happy you’re giving us a run in the Atlantic.

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

 I don’t really trust the Toronto  Raptors. Not trying to disrespect any Raptors fan or anything, but we seen this act from the Raptors. They always do great in the regular season and play outstanding throughout the season. But in the playoffs they struggle and not live up to what most believe to be a great team. 

I know that it’s a new year and can’t judge teams based off the past, but this team I’m taking an exception to that rule. I have to really have to see them in the playoffs to I can really believe that they are "forreal" because we seen the Kyle Lowry/Demar Derozan show in the regular season, we seen that they compete with the top dogs in the regular season, This is the only team that I’m hesitant to make that judgement.

 

 

 

 

 

[KingslayerParticipant]

 That’s a very fair point based on the one-and-outs Toronto has had in the playoffs the last 2 seasons. Those teams weren’t built to compete with their iso-heavy offense and just not having enough talent. However there are important differences with this year’s team that give reason for optimism. 

The additions of Carroll, Joseph and Scola were great because they all came from winning systems/organizations, and they all play smart team basketball on both ends of the court. Not only do they have better depth of talent, they are playing a far more team-oriented game on the offensive end, and sometimes lockdown team defense when the effort is high. By no means have they transformed into the Spurs or Warriors with their ball movement, but it’s a marked improvement which makes their style of play much more conducive to winning come playoff time.

The other huge difference is Lowry. He’s had spurts of strong play before (post-Gay trade, start of last season). However even those instances don’t compare to what he is doing now. He’s reached another level entirely with his weight loss and overall improvement. Kyle’s literally playing like a superstar so far this season. Keeping it up will be tough, but I like his chances of at least maintaining good health (which has been elusive prior to the weight loss). He gives the Raps the bona-fide star you need to have success in the playoffs.

 

 

[KingslayerParticipant]

 That’s a very fair point based on the one-and-outs Toronto has had in the playoffs the last 2 seasons. Those teams weren’t built to compete with their iso-heavy offense and just not having enough talent. However there are important differences with this year’s team that give reason for optimism. 

The additions of Carroll, Joseph and Scola were great because they all came from winning systems/organizations, and they all play smart team basketball on both ends of the court. Not only do they have better depth of talent, they are playing a far more team-oriented game on the offensive end, and sometimes lockdown team defense when the effort is high. By no means have they transformed into the Spurs or Warriors with their ball movement, but it’s a marked improvement which makes their style of play much more conducive to winning come playoff time.

The other huge difference is Lowry. He’s had spurts of strong play before (post-Gay trade, start of last season). However even those instances don’t compare to what he is doing now. He’s reached another level entirely with his weight loss and overall improvement. Kyle’s literally playing like a superstar so far this season. Keeping it up will be tough, but I like his chances of at least maintaining good health (which has been elusive prior to the weight loss). He gives the Raps the bona-fide star you need to have success in the playoffs.

 

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

 The media and fans made it out to be that the Raptors were ready to compete and most believe that they were the third best team in the eastern conference last year and the year before. Yeah, their offense were build around Derozan and Lowry playing one on one, But that’s their game, not the style of the offense. Lowry and Derozan are iso heavy players and they been those types of players throughout their careers. During both of their time with Toronto, Lowry and Derozan has been known for being ball hogs and not being able to use their young big man that have tons of talent. 

Yeah, they added Cory Joseph, Louis Scola, and DeMarre Carroll to their roster to add a little playoff experience. They are all phenomenal players, but Cory Joseph never seen significant playing time in San Antonio, DeMarre Carroll only had a one year run of being a major contributor, and Luis Scola is Luis Scola. Not trying to dismiss them for being key role players for the Raptors, but the Raptors are going to go as far as Lowry, Derozan, and Casey take them.

Not trying to dismiss Kyle Lowry improvement and his great start, but I seen this last year. He played phenomenal up to the all star game. He averaged 20 points per game and 6 assist per game in November, and he averaged 22 ppg, 9 apg, and shooting 40 % from 3 and 46 from the field. He was playing phenomenal last year and people were saying what you are saying this year last year. 

I’m not trying to indicate that this is fools gold, but we seen this act before. We seen the new free agents coming in (Lou Williams, Vasquez, James Johnson) and everyone says that they are the difference makers. We seen the Lowry spectactular run at the beginging of the year, and we seen them compete with the big boys in the league. We have to see way more with the Raptors because we seen this before with the Raptors and the only indicator for the Raptors is the playoffs due to them always being great in the regular season.

 

 

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

 The media and fans made it out to be that the Raptors were ready to compete and most believe that they were the third best team in the eastern conference last year and the year before. Yeah, their offense were build around Derozan and Lowry playing one on one, But that’s their game, not the style of the offense. Lowry and Derozan are iso heavy players and they been those types of players throughout their careers. During both of their time with Toronto, Lowry and Derozan has been known for being ball hogs and not being able to use their young big man that have tons of talent. 

Yeah, they added Cory Joseph, Louis Scola, and DeMarre Carroll to their roster to add a little playoff experience. They are all phenomenal players, but Cory Joseph never seen significant playing time in San Antonio, DeMarre Carroll only had a one year run of being a major contributor, and Luis Scola is Luis Scola. Not trying to dismiss them for being key role players for the Raptors, but the Raptors are going to go as far as Lowry, Derozan, and Casey take them.

Not trying to dismiss Kyle Lowry improvement and his great start, but I seen this last year. He played phenomenal up to the all star game. He averaged 20 points per game and 6 assist per game in November, and he averaged 22 ppg, 9 apg, and shooting 40 % from 3 and 46 from the field. He was playing phenomenal last year and people were saying what you are saying this year last year. 

I’m not trying to indicate that this is fools gold, but we seen this act before. We seen the new free agents coming in (Lou Williams, Vasquez, James Johnson) and everyone says that they are the difference makers. We seen the Lowry spectactular run at the beginging of the year, and we seen them compete with the big boys in the league. We have to see way more with the Raptors because we seen this before with the Raptors and the only indicator for the Raptors is the playoffs due to them always being great in the regular season.

 

 

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

 I don’t really trust the Toronto  Raptors. Not trying to disrespect any Raptors fan or anything, but we seen this act from the Raptors. They always do great in the regular season and play outstanding throughout the season. But in the playoffs they struggle and not live up to what most believe to be a great team. 

I know that it’s a new year and can’t judge teams based off the past, but this team I’m taking an exception to that rule. I have to really have to see them in the playoffs to I can really believe that they are "forreal" because we seen the Kyle Lowry/Demar Derozan show in the regular season, we seen that they compete with the top dogs in the regular season, This is the only team that I’m hesitant to make that judgement.

 

 

 

 

 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

 No love for the work Biyombo is putting in? He’s a legit third big.  

 

The team will go as Lowry goes. If he’s hurt or wears down, they’ll fade again.

 

 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

 No love for the work Biyombo is putting in? He’s a legit third big.  

 

The team will go as Lowry goes. If he’s hurt or wears down, they’ll fade again.

 

 

[thparadoxParticipant]

Lowry’s performance this year has been top 5 in the league. If he can remain healthy, he is a superstar. He almost single handedly beat the Warriors (with help from Nogeira)

But there are some issues. Most are related to Dwayne Casey being a poor coach.

1. DeRozan is excellent with a running start. He normally gets layups / FTs / assists in those situations. But he is terrible on post up / isolations. A decent coach would recognize that and minimize DeRozan’s possessions in those situations

2. Scola has been ok, but Patterson is a better player and a much better fit for the starting unit. He thrives on getting open as a stretch 4, and needs to be with more shot creators like Lowry + DeRozan. Scola scores at a decent clip, but he takes more efficient possessions from Lowry. Scola would be more useful for scoring off the bench… people don’t realize how often Scola gets killed by his offensive match up.

3. Biyombo is one of the worst offensive players in the league and it’s 4 on 5 basketball when he’s on the court. He should be used for specific defensive match ups. Nogueira is the superior option. The pick and roll with Lowry + (JV or Nogueira) is the best offensive play the Raptors have, by far.

4. James Johnson IS being underutilized. He’s an excellent…. EXCELLENT isolation and post up offensive threat. Yet, Casey never plays him. He’s also a good 1 on 1 defender, but gets lost on rotations. He should be used more against specific matchups. Terrence Ross is almost useless, and should only be used as a 3pt threat.

The raptors need a second star, and DeRozan is not it. He is a good scorer, but his lack of 3 point shooting and terrible defensive awareness are huge negatives that hurt his overall value. Perhaps that would improve with a better coach. For the Raptors to be contenders, they need a new coach and blockbuster trade for a 2nd star (or JV to make a quantum leap)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thparadoxParticipant]

Lowry’s performance this year has been top 5 in the league. If he can remain healthy, he is a superstar. He almost single handedly beat the Warriors (with help from Nogeira)

But there are some issues. Most are related to Dwayne Casey being a poor coach.

1. DeRozan is excellent with a running start. He normally gets layups / FTs / assists in those situations. But he is terrible on post up / isolations. A decent coach would recognize that and minimize DeRozan’s possessions in those situations

2. Scola has been ok, but Patterson is a better player and a much better fit for the starting unit. He thrives on getting open as a stretch 4, and needs to be with more shot creators like Lowry + DeRozan. Scola scores at a decent clip, but he takes more efficient possessions from Lowry. Scola would be more useful for scoring off the bench… people don’t realize how often Scola gets killed by his offensive match up.

3. Biyombo is one of the worst offensive players in the league and it’s 4 on 5 basketball when he’s on the court. He should be used for specific defensive match ups. Nogueira is the superior option. The pick and roll with Lowry + (JV or Nogueira) is the best offensive play the Raptors have, by far.

4. James Johnson IS being underutilized. He’s an excellent…. EXCELLENT isolation and post up offensive threat. Yet, Casey never plays him. He’s also a good 1 on 1 defender, but gets lost on rotations. He should be used more against specific matchups. Terrence Ross is almost useless, and should only be used as a 3pt threat.

The raptors need a second star, and DeRozan is not it. He is a good scorer, but his lack of 3 point shooting and terrible defensive awareness are huge negatives that hurt his overall value. Perhaps that would improve with a better coach. For the Raptors to be contenders, they need a new coach and blockbuster trade for a 2nd star (or JV to make a quantum leap)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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