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GLF wrote: View PostBy now you guys should know not to care where we end up. We have proven being the higher seed means absolutely nothing so at this point I could give a flying fuck if we stay 2nd. It's all about the playoffs for me. Who cares if we end up second or even pass Cleveland and get first and then lose to Charlotte or Chicago in the first round. It's actually more of an embarrassment.
Also, I agree. The next step for the Raptors is not getting home court in the first round - they've already achieved that two years running. The next step is winning the first round, no matter who the opponent is. Yeah it's historically/mathematically easier if you're the 2nd seed playing the 7th seed, but the point here is just that the Raps have to win a round to consider this season a successful step forward, regardless of seeding.
I also think the Raps by now need to be way beyond the "hoping for a favourable match-up!" phase of being a new playoff team. If they're a fringe playoff team for the third year running who needs the right match-up (in the East!) to get to the second round, then they've made a lot less progress than I'd like to think they've made. I'd like to think - I'm hoping - they can beat any team in the East other than Cleveland."We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard
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S.R. wrote: View PostBold is the point here, not that seeding is meaningless.
Also, I agree. The next step for the Raptors is not getting home court in the first round - they've already achieved that two years running. The next step is winning the first round, no matter who the opponent is. Yeah it's historically/mathematically easier if you're the 2nd seed playing the 7th seed, but the point here is just that the Raps have to win a round to consider this season a successful step forward, regardless of seeding.
I also think the Raps by now need to be way beyond the "hoping for a favourable match-up!" phase of being a new playoff team. If they're a fringe playoff team for the third year running who needs the right match-up (in the East!) to get to the second round, then they've made a lot less progress than I'd like to think they've made. I'd like to think - I'm hoping - they can beat any team in the East other than Cleveland.
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S.R. wrote: View PostBold is the point here, not that seeding is meaningless.
Also, I agree. The next step for the Raptors is not getting home court in the first round - they've already achieved that two years running. The next step is winning the first round, no matter who the opponent is. Yeah it's historically/mathematically easier if you're the 2nd seed playing the 7th seed, but the point here is just that the Raps have to win a round to consider this season a successful step forward, regardless of seeding.
I also think the Raps by now need to be way beyond the "hoping for a favourable match-up!" phase of being a new playoff team. If they're a fringe playoff team for the third year running who needs the right match-up (in the East!) to get to the second round, then they've made a lot less progress than I'd like to think they've made. I'd like to think - I'm hoping - they can beat any team in the East other than Cleveland.
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S.R. wrote: View PostBold is the point here, not that seeding is meaningless.
Also, I agree. The next step for the Raptors is not getting home court in the first round - they've already achieved that two years running. The next step is winning the first round, no matter who the opponent is. Yeah it's historically/mathematically easier if you're the 2nd seed playing the 7th seed, but the point here is just that the Raps have to win a round to consider this season a successful step forward, regardless of seeding.
I also think the Raps by now need to be way beyond the "hoping for a favourable match-up!" phase of being a new playoff team. If they're a fringe playoff team for the third year running who needs the right match-up (in the East!) to get to the second round, then they've made a lot less progress than I'd like to think they've made. I'd like to think - I'm hoping - they can beat any team in the East other than Cleveland.
In our first playoff run (3 seed versus 6th seed Net), we had a higher seeding, but we were definitely the underdogs. We were playing against some HOFers who schooled our inexperience, yet we still pushed that team to 7 games and the final possession. Kyle Lowry's end of game shot goes in, and the conversation is 100% different about this Raptors team and playoffs. Literally one possession.
Last year was a special year IMO. Special in a bad way. We were the 4th seed heading into the playoffs, but really we had flamed out by February, playing .500 basketball at best with next to no defense. It's not shocking we got our asses whooped. However, I don't think that ass-whooping is indicative of anything other than last year we had a tired team and nobody to check Wall and Beal defensively in the first round.
This year's team is not last years team. This year's team is better and this year's team is a very good defensive team with two years of first round match ups to learn from. I expect them to be out of the first round and have no hesitation saying that. Whoever the Raptors play in the first round, they are the better team. Chicago worries me because of match up issues, but other than that, you gotta believe the better team should and will prevail.
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CNinja26 wrote: View PostYeah, I agree man. There's so much paranoia on this forum about the Raptors flaming out. I don't think it's going to happen.
In our first playoff run (3 seed versus 6th seed Net), we had a higher seeding, but we were definitely the underdogs. We were playing against some HOFers who schooled our inexperience, yet we still pushed that team to 7 games and the final possession. Kyle Lowry's end of game shot goes in, and the conversation is 100% different about this Raptors team and playoffs. Literally one possession.
Last year was a special year IMO. Special in a bad way. We were the 4th seed heading into the playoffs, but really we had flamed out by February, playing .500 basketball at best with next to no defense. It's not shocking we got our asses whooped. However, I don't think that ass-whooping is indicative of anything other than last year we had a tired team and nobody to check Wall and Beal defensively in the first round.
This year's team is not last years team. This year's team is better and this year's team is a very good defensive team with two years of first round match ups to learn from. I expect them to be out of the first round and have no hesitation saying that. Whoever the Raptors play in the first round, they are the better team. Chicago worries me because of match up issues, but other than that, you gotta believe the better team should and will prevail.
In regards to the bolded...there was only one other playoff team who flamed out post All Star break at the same level as the Raptors (if not worse). Guess which team.
If Chicago ends up as either the 7 or 8 seed; there's a VERY decent chance they still advance forward (especially if healthy). It's the only team that I think either the Cavs or Raptors can lose to in the first round and it not being considered an upset."My biggest concern as a coach is to not confuse winning with progress." - Steve Kerr
"If it's unacceptable in defeat, it's unacceptable in victory." - Jeff Van Gundy
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psrs1 wrote: View PostBulls looked awful tonight but still don't want to face them in the fourth quarter.
Not that it matters but if we finish 2nd which is still most likely scenario....the best roll of the dice for us would be to see the geriatric Heat finish 4th and the more myth than reality 20150-16 Bulls miss the party altogether.
Regardless of who finishes where .... the road to the NBA finals goes through ClevelandLast edited by Demographic Shift; Sat Feb 27, 2016, 01:17 PM.There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
- TGO
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Barolt wrote: View PostIn a weird way, I almost want the Bulls after the toughness we showed last night. Might do Lowry and the boys good to exorcise that demon in the first round.
The Bulls have a pretty tough road ahead. They have 25 games left.
13 of them are against plus 500 teams and 8 of those are on the road. They also get another 3 against teams scrapping hard to get in to the playoffs.. Whiz / Jazz / Pistons.
4-6 last 10
8 -12 last 20
10 - 15 last 25.
At some point you have to see them for what they are.Last edited by Demographic Shift; Sat Feb 27, 2016, 01:38 PM.There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
- TGO
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