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What would it take for the Raptors to go to ECF ?

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  • #16
    TorontoRaptors4Eva wrote: View Post
    First I wanna clinched a playoff spot and win a round before we talk about the conference finals. Lets hope we don't play brooklyn or chicago in the first round
    Why the fear for Brooklyn? I don't think that's a bad matchup. Joe Johnson is a shell of who he was. Garnett is not as big of a force as he once was especially defensively. Kyle is better than Deron. Pierce is the wild card as he still seems to have the Raptors number.. if we can get a body on him and make it hard for him I don't see that team as a threat.


    I'm most scared of Charlotte. They are a joke franchise, and if the Raptors lose to them in the first round with home court advantage that's going to be somewhat embarrassing. Plus Charlotte is 0-3 against the Raptors this year. AJ is a force in the paint too.

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    • #17
      It would take one heck of a game plan by Casey. To his credit he has the playoff experience with Dallas, and is credited with the only defense to beat Heat in a 7 game series since the big 3 era, but obviously the personnel was of a different calss with the Mav's than it is now with the Raptors.

      I'd say you would need two of the big 3 out and one of those two would have to be LBJ.

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      • #18
        planetmars wrote: View Post
        Why the fear for Brooklyn? I don't think that's a bad matchup. Joe Johnson is a shell of who he was. Garnett is not as big of a force as he once was especially defensively. Kyle is better than Deron. Pierce is the wild card as he still seems to have the Raptors number.. if we can get a body on him and make it hard for him I don't see that team as a threat.


        I'm most scared of Charlotte. They are a joke franchise, and if the Raptors lose to them in the first round with home court advantage that's going to be somewhat embarrassing. Plus Charlotte is 0-3 against the Raptors this year. AJ is a force in the paint too.
        I think it's the fact that Brooklyn is a veteran team. Those sort of teams wake up in the playoffs, so what your are seeing now isn't what you'll see when playoff time comes around. Just look how easily JV gets taken out of the game when he isn't even the focus of the other teams D. Imagine in the playoffs when the team is targeting the opposing teams weaknesses. I'd want to stay away from any vet team with playoff experience.

        Charlotte is no joke this season. They've been beating some good teams and have our number.

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        • #19
          My tinfoil hat says it will take refs who aren't paid by the league to ensure the Raptors don't beat anyone of consequence and destroy the TV ratings.
          If we knew half as much about coaching an NBA team as we think, we"d know twice as much as we do.

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          • #20
            Chr1s1anL wrote: View Post
            Playing Indy in the second round


            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
            Exactly. There is a 0% chance we are beating Miami under any circumstances. Indiana though, especially if they have a little injury trouble, there is at least a chance. A small chance, but a chance none the less.

            I think its also most likely that Miami finishes with the #1 seed, so if we can keep it up, Indy very likely a round 2 opponent.

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            • #21
              mountio wrote: View Post
              Exactly. There is a 0% chance we are beating Miami under any circumstances. Indiana though, especially if they have a little injury trouble, there is at least a chance. A small chance, but a chance none the less.

              I think its also most likely that Miami finishes with the #1 seed, so if we can keep it up, Indy very likely a round 2 opponent.
              I don't think it's impossible. It wouldn't even take a major injury. A few (unlikely) things would need to happen in the playoffs for us to beat Miami.

              A- Lowry would need to play at his highest level to cause a matchup problem that would require them to put james on him for a bit. He would also need to bother their PG's constantly on defense, forcing miami to use Wade and James to be the ball-handlers more often.

              B- Demar would need to go at wade, and make his shots. In the post, off the drive, catch and shoot off screens- and get him into foul trouble. He would also need to play at least average defense on him. His athleticism has always given him potential to play good defense, he'd need to utilize some of it.

              C- Ross needs to play his best defense on James. And he needs to keep moving- we saw how it tired james out to run through screens chasing ross when the Heat played us earlier in the year. James can do it, but over a seven-game series?

              D- 2-Pat and Amir need to do what they do best. Patterson needs to make them defend the pick-and-pop, forcing the Heat to not be able to trap so aggressively. And Amir needs to fight for boards, create chances, and anchor the defense.

              E- JV needs to play at the high level we've seen flashes of at a consistent level. Force the heat to pay for going big. Gobble up rebounds, make himself a problem in the post, and keep the damn ball high.

              In addition to this, Casey would have to be smart with his rotations, use his timeouts properly, and use more variation on offense. If all this happens, we'd have a shot.
              @Boymusic66

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              • #22
                TSF wrote: View Post
                I don't think it's impossible. It wouldn't even take a major injury. A few (unlikely) things would need to happen in the playoffs for us to beat Miami.

                A- Lowry would need to play at his highest level to cause a matchup problem that would require them to put james on him for a bit. He would also need to bother their PG's constantly on defense, forcing miami to use Wade and James to be the ball-handlers more often.

                B- Demar would need to go at wade, and make his shots. In the post, off the drive, catch and shoot off screens- and get him into foul trouble. He would also need to play at least average defense on him. His athleticism has always given him potential to play good defense, he'd need to utilize some of it.

                C- Ross needs to play his best defense on James. And he needs to keep moving- we saw how it tired james out to run through screens chasing ross when the Heat played us earlier in the year. James can do it, but over a seven-game series?

                D- 2-Pat and Amir need to do what they do best. Patterson needs to make them defend the pick-and-pop, forcing the Heat to not be able to trap so aggressively. And Amir needs to fight for boards, create chances, and anchor the defense.

                E- JV needs to play at the high level we've seen flashes of at a consistent level. Force the heat to pay for going big. Gobble up rebounds, make himself a problem in the post, and keep the damn ball high.

                In addition to this, Casey would have to be smart with his rotations, use his timeouts properly, and use more variation on offense. If all this happens, we'd have a shot.
                That's a lot of needs @TSF. Basically the stars would have to align and we'd need to play perfect ball, I don't see it happening..



                Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
                Last edited by Raps76; Mon Feb 24, 2014, 02:30 PM.

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                • #23
                  Raps76 wrote: View Post
                  That's a lot of needs @TSF. Basically the stars would have to align and we'd need to play perfect ball, I don't see it happening..



                  Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
                  Oh I agree, very unlikely. We'd have to play our best ball and get a little luck. But that's pretty much what every team needs to beat Miami.
                  @Boymusic66

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                  • #24
                    Ideal first round match up is either Washington or Atlanta. If we get by.
                    Need to play Miami in round 2 .. and Wade has to be hobbled. Lebron will get his and more. But we have enough of a supporting cast to hold Bosh and Allen to negligiable status. Indy is scary as they have a big physical front line which we seem to struggle with.
                    There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
                    - TGO

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                    • #25
                      Demographic Shift wrote: View Post
                      Ideal first round match up is either Washington or Atlanta. If we get by.
                      Need to play Miami in round 2 .. and Wade has to be hobbled. Lebron will get his and more. But we have enough of a supporting cast to hold Bosh and Allen to negligiable status. Indy is scary as they have a big physical front line which we seem to struggle with.
                      Haven't we split the season series with Indiana though? I think we match up much better with them than we do with Miami. I could be wrong but I don't think our record agains Miami during the LeBron era has been very good.

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                      • #26
                        Mediumcore wrote: View Post
                        Haven't we split the season series with Indiana though? I think we match up much better with them than we do with Miami. I could be wrong but I don't think our record agains Miami during the LeBron era has been very good.
                        They are 0-13. Get to play them one more time before the end of the season though

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                        • #27
                          planetmars wrote: View Post
                          They are 0-13. Get to play them one more time before the end of the season though
                          Any given Sunday...oh wait, that doesn't work in a 7 game series
                          Heir, Prince of Cambridge

                          If you see KeonClark in the wasteland, please share your food and water with him.

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                          • #28
                            I definitely agree with the sentiment that we'd do better against Indiana than Miami; I think we could take Indiana to 6 or 7, while Miami would probably be 5 or 6. Even 4. That said, the great unknown about this team is how they'll play over a 7 game series. For that matter, will Casey be able to really exert his defensive expertise over a 7 game series and shut down key opponents? I do feel like we're at the minimum, one backup center away from having even a remote shot at knocking off either of those top two.

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                            • #29
                              Chr1s1anL wrote: View Post
                              Playing Indy in the second round


                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                              Agree 100%. We match up with them pretty well. I think in a 7 games series we'd go neck and neck with them.

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                              • #30
                                What would it take for the Raptors to go to the ECF?

                                One, experience. There is no significant experience by any of the Raptors' key players - Ross, DeRozan, JV with absolutely NO experience in the post-season.

                                Two, a consistent, productive, and elite power-forward/small-forward. I like Amir and 2Pat, but the problem is, they're both better coming off the bench - providing strong rebounding, energy, 2Pat's stretch shooting, Amir's ability in the pick-&-roll. But, there needs to be a guy who can demand - at times - double teams or intense defensive attention, at the very least near to the defensive attention DeMar attracts. Otherwise, it's going to be tough in the half-court for the Raptors when teams will just clog the paint on DeMar, asking Lowry to penetrate or make things happen out of nothing constantly, and making JV try to make plays in the low-post all the time - he's just not there yet. Unless the Raptors can continue to hit tons of threes (isn't happening in the playoffs), and get up-&-down (also scarce in the playoffs), they will not get there without another elite or borderline all-star talent. This'll be acquired by trade, free agency, or internal growth.

                                Three, luck. Indiana and Miami are too deep and talented for the Raptors. They will have to rely on injuries or poor performances, and they will actually have to take advantage of it in order to get anywhere near there. Memphis was lucky last playoffs with the Westbrook injury, otherwise we would have seen OKC/Spurs and possibly a repeat finals.

                                So. There is a lot for the Raptors to accomplish/do in order to get to the ECF.
                                Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.

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