Masai Ujiri said "We need a culture reset"

[Scraptor]

Cavs are 33-4 in playoffs since LBJ came back. Raps responsible for half the losses.

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Raps are 17-24 in the playoffs with Dwane Casey over the last 4 years.

Wizards are 19-15 over the same time frame.

You can't acknowledge the good without acknowledging the colossal amounts of bad.

[special1]

Chicago Bulls in 2015?

Good find. The overall point still stands.

*Only the Raps and the Bulls have won at least two games in a playoff series against the Cavs in the East, over the last 3 years.

If/when the Cavs destroy Boston, true perspective will return to everyone.

This doesn't mean that big changes won't occur, but the emotional reactions will be tempered.






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[golden]

I still believe Raps win at least one home game with Lowry playing. If not both. Raps weren't embarrassed at home for 4 straight qs like Celtics. No, such thing as fake wins in the playoffs.

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It's debatable whether Lowry would have helped or hurt. For some reason, he never meshed with the new players - they never "adjusted to him". Just an un-founded hunch, but I have a feeling that PJ & Serge probably weren't too thrilled with the "culture" they discovered here, where Kyle and DeMar weren't held accountable to play defense and didn't have to share the ball (except with each other) until they had no choice in the playoffs.

[psrs1]

I wonder what percentage of what MU says is marketing and what percentage he truly believes to be more than just words? Ultimately what he does tells us what he believes within the constraints of current contracts and the salary cap.

[MixxAOR]

It's debatable whether Lowry would have helped or hurt. For some reason, he never meshed with the new players - they never "adjusted to him". Just an un-founded hunch, but I have a feeling that PJ & Serge probably weren't too thrilled with the "culture" they discovered here, where Kyle and DeMar weren't held accountable to play defense and didn't have to share the ball (except with each other) until they had no choice in the playoffs.

LOL if that happened. they should stfu. One came from Orlando and another one came from Phoenix. Know your lane

[DogeLover1234]

Better......as in still destroyed?

I think it's time for people to understand that Lebron and therefore Cleveland is just that good and we can't jump to conclusions because we got blown out by them.

They are the defending champions.

We need to change our style of play/system..... But for all the stuff people were saying about our system..... We're the only East team to beat Cleveland twice in a series in the last 3 years...... Take that in.

Would have been interesting to see the Wiz play the Cavs. Of the eastern conference teams below the Cavs I'd say they have the best starting lineup, though their bench is also awful. Would have been a better playoffs if everyone got to see the Raps beat up on Boston and Wiz/Cavs in the second round. Cavs probably still win in 5 but it would have been more fun than Boston.

[KeonClark]

Would have been interesting to see the Wiz play the Cavs. Of the eastern conference teams below the Cavs I'd say they have the best starting lineup, though their bench is also awful. Would have been a better playoffs if everyone got to see the Raps beat up on Boston and Wiz/Cavs in the second round. Cavs probably still win in 5 but it would have been more fun than Boston.

The wiz are not better than the celtics, this was proven by losing to the celtics.

[psrs1]

The wiz are not better than the celtics, this was proven by losing to the celtics.

Absolutely true but NBA is all about matchups. Perhaps all eastern conference teams could "collude " next season to ensure CAVS have for them the most difficult path to NBA finals.

[Hotshot]

Absolutely true but NBA is all about matchups. Perhaps all eastern conference teams could "collude " next season to ensure CAVS have for them the most difficult path to NBA finals.

Yes but judging on playoffs performance alone The Raptors would have probably lost to the Wizards if faced them.

[JamesNaismith]

Better......as in still destroyed?

I think it's time for people to understand that Lebron and therefore Cleveland is just that good and we can't jump to conclusions because we got blown out by them.

They are the defending champions.

We need to change our style of play/system..... But for all the stuff people were saying about our system..... We're the only East team to beat Cleveland twice in a series in the last 3 years...... Take that in.

What a joke lol

The Cavs basically took a couple games off. Anyone that watched that series without the homer glasses on could see the Cavs didnt give a shit and literally had zero worry. The blew us out the first 2 games, took a nap, then just stepped on our throats for another easy W to close out the series then came back this year and made a point of showing us just how meaningless those games were by making us look like a D-League team this year. As such it literally caused our GM to basically admit he is lost at sea, thought he was headed towards the Promised Land and only to see it is No Mans Land and in desperate need of a map, has no idea how he is going to make it there just that he is determined to do so. His plan, stick with what he was doing lol....truly the Captain going down with his ship.

[rightsideup]

Based on the 2016 series against the Cavs and this series, its fair to say the Cavs took their foot off the gas pedal in those 2 losses. They are 8-2 in the last 2 Playoffs against the Raptors, and the Cavs won by an average of approximately 22 points in those 8 wins.

You'd have a point if the Cavs-Raptors series were actually competitive, but they were not.

It was glaringly obvious the Cavs couldn't care less about the Raptors based on their antics in this series.

I do not agree that the cavs took there foot off the gas in 2016 rest was a primary motivation for quick finishes. In 2017 the cav's respected the raptors and there antic's where meant to intimate them.

[Zainab]

I do not agree that the cavs took there foot off the gas in 2016 rest was a primary motivation for quick finishes. In 2017 the cav's respected the raptors and there antic's where meant to intimate them.

I think you meant to say intimidate them* whoooops.

[Nilanka]

It's debatable whether Lowry would have helped or hurt. For some reason, he never meshed with the new players - they never "adjusted to him". Just an un-founded hunch, but I have a feeling that PJ & Serge probably weren't too thrilled with the "culture" they discovered here, where Kyle and DeMar weren't held accountable to play defense and didn't have to share the ball (except with each other) until they had no choice in the playoffs.

Let's not forget that both Serge and Tucker came from shit teams. What discipline did Orlando play with? Has Phoenix had a winning season since Nash retired?

They may have been surprised by some preferential treatment, but I doubt that manifested onto the court.

[Mapko]

ISO does work in the playoffs but when the offence completely dies if you can't get a 1 on 1 mismatch consistently then there's a big problem with it.

I respectfully disagree.
ISO works a fair amount of time, esp in reg season, as teams do not have time to prepare for it.
In playoffs, different story. Even Wash figured it out 3 yrs ago.
However, what makes it whole lot more effective if you "mix it up" with some ball movement. This (IMO) is where we screw up.
Give the ball to DD at half court & act surprised when the other team figures out our play.

[S.R.]

Culture reset is likely to be mostly hype if the Lowry/DD/Casey core is all back. I do like the young talent this team has and can see a bit of a shift in the future with all the "positionless" defensive talent here, but some of the post-playoff talk was about bombing threes and I just don't see a sudden ball movement epiphany happening next season.

Systems aside, what was most apparent by the end of the playoffs was the massive talent gap between Cleveland + the rest of the EC, then also between GSW + Cleveland. Tweaking the offence of the current Toronto roster is not closing either of those gaps. You still change whatever you can to be better, but I'm not sure what I'm expecting at this point. Mostly more of the same as the past two years with incremental positive improvements. It's all just details unless Masai finds a knock-it-out-of-the-park transaction to make or until we're past the era of the current core on this team.