Everything Round 2: Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers

[hotfuzz]

How do you really feel about Casey Joey?

[A.I]

Complacent like the rest of the team, they came here and made an impact right away but the more they played the more they became complacent.

They gave up on Casey

[GLF]

Fuck! This was the good game! And Casey fucked it all up. Damn it!

Let's walk through the insanity that must have been the thought process for Mr. Championship Ring in the late 3rd, early 4th Q.

We're approaching the end of a moderately successful third quarter. The score is close. DeMar and JV have played the entire Q. As have Thompson and Irving. Because you are a functioning human being with a brain, you realize DeMar is going to have to rest soon, probably at the start of the 4th quarter. So you decide you want an offensive contributor on the floor to start the 4th. Got to be one of JV or DeMar. No one else is scoring with any consistency, and only a fucking moron would look at the past season and decide having Norm as the primary attacker would be a good idea. I mean, he excelled as the third guy in starting units and was garbage as a 6th man scorer.

Wait, here's the brilliant plan! We'll run our two guys who need their breath the most (DeMar because he carries a heavy load, JV because he's the big lumbering guy) and we'll run them both into the freaking ground at the same time to end the third. Literally play them both the entire quarter. Both are tired, so the team will lose ground in those final minutes (-3 in 3 minutes), and we'll head to the 4th with both players exhausted and so we'll sit them both. And just for good measure, we'll sit Cory too! Who needs an experienced playoff ball handler and scorer out there when you've got Delon Wright and Norman Powell? Better yet, we'll put them out there with Serge Ibaka, who was just shooting the lights out tonight, Patterson, who was so passive he didn't even take a shot, and PJ Tucker - three of the best offensive players on the team to give them real options to pass to on the off chance the defence actually has to shift at some point. And just for fucking kicks we'll have Tucker chase Korver around, totally his forte.

Obviously we're doing this because guys need a rest, all at the same time. And even if you wanted to put JV in there, for example (though who would want to do that, right?), you can't, because they've got Channing Frye and Irving both out there, and you can't have JV out there with Irving too long or they target him in PnR action, and we all know how much trouble Frye gives us!

What's that? You're saying Frye didn't come in until there were 3 minutes left and Irving sat the entire 4th quarter? Huh, too bad none of the coaching staff noticed that.

Anyway, no need to have JV in there against literally the ideal opposing lineup from a defensive point of view, to provide scoring for a lineup that had literally none (scored 2 points in 2 minutes on 3 possessions). Doesn't matter anyway, because we're bringing in DeMar DeRozan and Joseph instead! I mean, sure, they've barely had any rest and presumably will be playing the rest of the quarter, unlike JV, but who cares? They'll generate offence!

Or, you know, not. Maybe instead, since the Raptors had no inside presence at all (and allowed Thompson to hang around as a rim protector) they'll settle for jumpers and miss nine straight shots before we make more subs. Nevermind that even if having JV in there wouldn't open the floor for DeMar, the Cavs would probably go to Frye to get JV to sit down - and DeRozan was scoring over Frye all night with ease.

Even more good news! As soon as JV subs in, you go to him and prove he can be an offensive option for those dry spells. Bad news, of course, is the game is over. And you obviously know that! Because you've gone and taken Cory Joseph out of the game! For freaking Fred Van Vleet! Which makes sense - the Raptors are down by 19 after a 12-1 run with zero timeouts by the Raptors in the 5 minutes it took, and that includes a fricking 5 second violation where obviously you should call a time out!

I'm just freaking rambling now. Stupid. Throwing away a fucking playoff game. The Raptors were IN IT! And you threw it away with these ridiculous garbage crap rotation decisions.

How do you let your team down like that? The team fought and clawed for every scrap of offence on a night when the team couldn't hit a shot, and were right there late in the third, and you decide to pull this shit then? If Casey hadn't lost the locker room by then, he surely lost it right there. These players aren't stupid. They can see what's happening out there, Dwane. If I can see it plain as day, ignorant schmuck that I am sitting on my couch, they sure can. So why can't you, coach? It makes no sense!

The Cavs didn't win this game. They may well have won it - in fact, they probably would have pulled it out unless the Raps caught fire late. But that final score? Looks like the first two games. This game was NOT the first two games. This game was a GAME. Until Casey decided to prove that he could get out coached by a fifth grader, or heck, even by Tyronn Lue - without Lue having to do anything!

God, I haven't been this frustrated with a member of the Raptors since the Nets series when DeRozan almost singlehandedly threw away game 3 with his horrendous defence on ISO-Joe. Freaking infuriating.

LeBron, put us out of our misery, and Masai, same to you. I can't take any more of this. Nevermind the team never looking prepared for a playoff series matchup, nor making adjustments until a game or two too late. Nevermind the clown show rotations in the regular season, or the ridiculous misuse of players. Setting all that aside, we get to the playoffs and we get ourselves into a third quarter where the team has a lead, a hard earned lead, on LeBron's Cavs. And he fucking throws it away. Who can play for that coach? How can you trust him, or work hard for him? How do you reward your team for those hard fought and tremendous first three quarters, by throwing the towel in the 4th down two?

Just, fuck. Seriously.

When Dan H is done and isn't speaking positively you KNOW is over. Casey HAS to go. Without question. I'm just so worried that our franchise is so cursed that whatever new coach we bring in will be just as bad or worse than Casey lol. It's been this way since the Raptors were created. No matter how many coaches, players, or GMs we change it's the same old Raptors. But something has to be done. We cannot go into next season with Casey as the coach again. But I truly don't think Masai has the balls to fire him for some reason. Casey isn't our only problem but he is definitely the number 1 problem

[DanH]

shieeeet

It's his fault! Get him!

[GOLDBLUM]

This Cavs team is better than last year's Cavs team. I'm starting to rethink the Finals.

Finals should be incredible. ... Cavs/Warriors should be like two stars colliding.

[Hotshot]

They gave up on Casey

The team tuned him out like they did 2 years ago which is why they bounced out of the playoffs in the first round against the Wizards.. They all suffered the "James Johnson" effect, limit your minutes and your creativity and you become unmotivated. Then you go to a different team and play the best basketball of your career!! how is this possible?! motivation!

[consmap]

This is the darkest timeline

[GOLDBLUM]

I just can't friggin believe that Edy Tavares went and gave the Cavs
allllllllll of the Raptors/Raptors905 plays...
Otherwise, how would they know?
HOW WOULD THEY KNOOOOOW?????????????????????????
We totally would've won this series otherwise.
Thanks a lot Edy. Congrats on yer DPOY.

[Joey]

This is the darkest timeline

[The Great One]

When Dan H is done and isn't speaking positively you KNOW is over. Casey HAS to go. Without question. I'm just so worried that our franchise is so cursed that whatever new coach we bring in will be just as bad or worse than Casey lol. It's been this way since the Raptors were created. No matter how many coaches, players, or GMs we change it's the same old Raptors. But something has to be done. We cannot go into next season with Casey as the coach again. But I truly don't think Masai has the balls to fire him for some reason. Casey isn't our only problem but he is definitely the number 1 problem

Nah Casey is not the #1 problem, he's part of the problem. #1 problem is we don't have a true superstar on our team.

[Scraptor]

This is the darkest timeline

This is the dankest timeline. The memes are hilarious at least.

[psrs1]

The team tuned him out like they did 2 years ago which is why they bounced out of the playoffs in the first round against the Wizards.. They all suffered the "James Johnson" effect, limit your minutes and your creativity and you become unmotivated. Then you go to a different team and play the best basketball of your career!! how is this possible?! motivation!

That's exactly why Casey needs to go .

[Puffer]

Nah Casey is not the #1 problem, he's part of the problem. #1 problem is we don't have a true superstar on our team.

What "true superstar" would choose to come play for Casey?

[special1]

What "true superstar" would choose to come play for Casey?

Which "true superstar" CHOSE to play for Greg Popovich?

*please don't count the ones they drafted or traded for*


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[Axel]

Which "true superstar" CHOSE to play for Greg Popovich?

*please don't count the ones they drafted or traded for*

Are you suggesting that they wouldn't?

Spurs have never really had any problems signing players they wanted and, luckily, haven't had much need to target "true superstar" players in free agency.

LMA may not be a true superstar by whatever definition is in play here, but he ultimately chose Pop over Casey.