Oklahoma City Thunder @ Toronto Raptors. March 21st 2014, 7:00 pm.

[GLF]

Nothing wrong with having an opinion about how they will do in the playoffs. Posters get into the weeds when they start stating things as facts, when they are opinions. EG. (not you specifically, I am not quoting anyone just demonstrating what I mean). "This team is full of scrubs. Only scrubs could blow a lead like that." "This team won't win two games in the playoffs." "That guy will never amount to anything. D leaguer at best." etc. etc. etc.

Everybody has different levels of Bball knowledge, experience and understanding. Most people expect others to have different opinions. It gets silly when people start stating opinions as facts, or denigrating others for not agreeing with them. Most of us are guilty of this to some extent.

I like it when another member tries to explain their position, and then when someone doesn't agree responds with "Well, we will just have to see." Respectful, thoughtful and more to the point, it doesn't turn into an extended disagreement that runs into name calling. One of the key things that makes this forum interesting is the number of members who have thought out positions, and can explain themselves. It's nice when they have some stats to back up their position. Then we get a lively discussion going. But the "Trust me on this. These guys are not going anywhere and are stuck on the treadmill for the next 5 years" is just irritating, arrogant and presumptuous.

Again, not saying you said any of these specific things, just explaining where I am coming from.

Peace.

I hear you. I definitely do need to work on that.

[Puffer]

...I still stand by my feelings of how they're going to do in the playoffs based on some of their flaws. Hopefully I'm proven wrong.

Nothing wrong with having an opinion about how they will do in the playoffs. Posters get into the weeds when they start stating things as facts, when they are opinions. EG. (not you specifically, I am not quoting anyone just demonstrating what I mean). "This team is full of scrubs. Only scrubs could blow a lead like that." "This team won't win two games in the playoffs." "That guy will never amount to anything. D leaguer at best." etc. etc. etc.

Everybody has different levels of Bball knowledge, experience and understanding. Most people expect others to have different opinions. It gets silly when people start stating opinions as facts, or denigrating others for not agreeing with them. Most of us are guilty of this to some extent.

I like it when another member tries to explain their position, and then when someone doesn't agree responds with "Well, we will just have to see." Respectful, thoughtful and more to the point, it doesn't turn into an extended disagreement that runs into name calling. One of the key things that makes this forum interesting is the number of members who have thought out positions, and can explain themselves. It's nice when they have some stats to back up their position. Then we get a lively discussion going. But the "Trust me on this. These guys are not going anywhere and are stuck on the treadmill for the next 5 years" is just irritating, arrogant and presumptuous.

Again, not saying you said any of these specific things, just explaining where I am coming from.

Peace.

[GLF]

no one takes you seriously because you say this in EVERY game thread, even in the games we end up winning. it could be the 1st quarter at the 8 minute mark and maybe amir misses a layup, and in all likelihood we'll see your post "yep thats game. we can't even make simple layups. this is over. amir needs to be traded. we're just horrible at offense and i dont know why no one believes me. i've been saying this all year long. we're gonna get crushed in the playoffs. don't know why anyone doesn't see that but me"

how do you feel about the heat or pacers then? pacers just lost by double digits to memphis. hell, their performance since all-star break has been completely subpar and are playing like a .500 team. heat lost to the CELTICS which is inexcusable for them even without lebron. miami aren't exactly winning a lot these days either with an actual losing record over the past 10 games going 4-6. bobcats just blew out portland by THIRTY!!!!

yah i guess these teams must suck now and will all suffer in the playoffs.

despite this little stretch of 'losing' for toronto, we're 6-4 in the last 10 and were a MINUTE AWAY from sweeping OKC this season until some crazy shit happened at the last second. its not about trying to search for any positives in a loss, its about keeping shit in perspective. and i'm sorry to say but your perspective has got to be the worst on this board.

Well my thing is Miami and Indiana have proven themselves in the playoffs even when they have bad stretches during the season. The Raptors have not. But I agree I do have too many ups and downs throughout a game and I probably shouldn't post every time something goes wrong for them in a game and act like it's over after 8 minutes. But I still stand by my feelings of how they're going to do in the playoffs based on some of their flaws. Hopefully I'm proven wrong.

[iblastoff]

I don't even know what to say at this point lol. Everything I say is clearly wrong it seems. I guess anytime we lose I should always look on the bright side and find some excuse for why we lost and why I should calm down and just let it be. I wish I could do that but I really can't. I am just honestly in shock at how the Raptors could lose a game where they were up by 8 with 49 seconds left and everyone is just so chill and everything is "welp they have Durant and are one of the top teams" so that makes it okay. And we've also lost to 3 teams in the past 2-3 weeks that are right behind us in the standings and are teams we maybe face in the playoffs because we couldn't execute down the stretch. I might be extremely negative to some but I truly find some of you guys to be extremely positive lol.

no one takes you seriously because you say this in EVERY game thread, even in the games we end up winning. it could be the 1st quarter at the 8 minute mark and maybe amir misses a layup, and in all likelihood we'll see your post "yep thats game. we can't even make simple layups. this is over. amir needs to be traded. we're just horrible at offense and i dont know why no one believes me. i've been saying this all year long. we're gonna get crushed in the playoffs. don't know why anyone doesn't see that but me"

how do you feel about the heat or pacers then? pacers just lost by double digits to memphis. hell, their performance since all-star break has been completely subpar and are playing like a .500 team. heat lost to the CELTICS which is inexcusable for them even without lebron. miami aren't exactly winning a lot these days either with an actual losing record over the past 10 games going 4-6. bobcats just blew out portland by THIRTY!!!!

yah i guess these teams must suck now and will all suffer in the playoffs.

despite this little stretch of 'losing' for toronto, we're 6-4 in the last 10 and were a MINUTE AWAY from sweeping OKC this season until some crazy shit happened at the last second. its not about trying to search for any positives in a loss, its about keeping shit in perspective. and i'm sorry to say but your perspective has got to be the worst on this board.

[rocwell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVue0bhQ6Oc

Thank the BASED GOD

Flag this video.

More flags = removed video.

[mcHAPPY]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVue0bhQ6Oc

Thank the BASED GOD

Wow.

I can't believe I wasted 15 seconds of my life to listen to that before googling their "beef"

Talk about attention grabbing B.S.

A "rapper" wants to play one of the 2 best players in the world and because KD won't waste his time he constantly raps dissing him?

Holy stupid

[MixxAOR]

I mean Thunder fans know what it's like to lose in NBA Finals. Now that is a whole summer of nightmares

[MixxAOR]

I don't even know what to say at this point lol. Everything I say is clearly wrong it seems. I guess anytime we lose I should always look on the bright side and find some excuse for why we lost and why I should calm down and just let it be. I wish I could do that but I really can't. I am just honestly in shock at how the Raptors could lose a game where they were up by 8 with 49 seconds left and everyone is just so chill and everything is "welp they have Durant and are one of the top teams" so that makes it okay. And we've also lost to 3 teams in the past 2-3 weeks that are right behind us in the standings and are teams we maybe face in the playoffs because we couldn't execute down the stretch. I might be extremely negative to some but I truly find some of you guys to be extremely positive lol.

whatever happens, happens man. You're not the coach. Your job is not on a line. Talking about this is not gonna get anything done either. But you don't annoy me. I understand where you coming. I get salty after losses too and it takes me a day to forget about it. At least you're not saying "Told you we should've tanked" that really grinds my gears lool. But yeah don't bet money on Raptors during playoffs. Let's just leave it at that.

[BigCamB]

Don't worry, even I'm not so calm yet over that loss. It stings, HARD. Being so hyped as the crowd goes nuts chanting MVP to Kyle, thinking the game is over to utter despair a few seconds later is something I can't recall feeling when watching a basketball game for a good while. I can't imagine what it would've been like to be there. Obviously you were witnessing greatness in KD, but I can't appreciate that right off the bat. It was a totally inexcusable loss, and I think everyone knows that, some just get over it sooner than others. It's certainly possible that it can be used as a positive in the long run, though.

[ryanc123]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVue0bhQ6Oc

Thank the BASED GOD

[GLF]

I don't even know what to say at this point lol. Everything I say is clearly wrong it seems. I guess anytime we lose I should always look on the bright side and find some excuse for why we lost and why I should calm down and just let it be. I wish I could do that but I really can't. I am just honestly in shock at how the Raptors could lose a game where they were up by 8 with 49 seconds left and everyone is just so chill and everything is "welp they have Durant and are one of the top teams" so that makes it okay. And we've also lost to 3 teams in the past 2-3 weeks that are right behind us in the standings and are teams we maybe face in the playoffs because we couldn't execute down the stretch. I might be extremely negative to some but I truly find some of you guys to be extremely positive lol.

[MixxAOR]

there are only two ways to lose. You either get blown out or you lose a close one. Just gotta control your emotions even though I have problems doing it.

[isaacthompson]

They weren't all blowouts but most of the games we won weren't that close in the last 2-3 minutes of a game, where you have to really execute every time down the floor. When it's a really tight game down to the wire against a good team we struggle to make the correct plays and execute. We have a lot of mental lapses and take a lot of bad shots. Some of that is on the coaching staff and some of that is on the players. The only game I can recall us winning against a good team that was tight in the last 2-3 minutes that we won was against Brooklyn in Brooklyn. But maybe you can correct me if I wrong. Normally when we win we have a decent lead in the last 2-3 minutes or if it's close and we win it's against a crappy team would make more mistake than we do. At least that's what I can recall. Facts might prove otherwise.

I don't understand your insane negativity at all.

These games are learning experiences. This season is NOT the be all and end all. It's more than likely this same core (DeMar, Ross, Amir, JV, hopefully Lowry) will be back next year, and possibly a few years to come. We don't have to win the championship this year. There's lots of time to figure out how to close games, and coming within 1 point of beating a perennial contender in double OT is a good place to start IMO.

[iblastoff]

Washington is our best opponent if we wish to advance. All we have to do is contain John Wall. Brooklyn and Chicago are just too experience and present more problems.

all we have to do is contain john wall? nene and gortat murdered us in the paint, buddy.

[psrs1]

They weren't all blowouts but most of the games we won weren't that close in the last 2-3 minutes of a game, where you have to really execute every time down the floor. When it's a really tight game down to the wire against a good team we struggle to make the correct plays and execute. We have a lot of mental lapses and take a lot of bad shots. Some of that is on the coaching staff and some of that is on the players. The only game I can recall us winning against a good team that was tight in the last 2-3 minutes that we won was against Brooklyn in Brooklyn. But maybe you can correct me if I wrong. Normally when we win we have a decent lead in the last 2-3 minutes or if it's close and we win it's against a crappy team would make more mistake than we do. At least that's what I can recall. Facts might prove otherwise.

Good post. You are on target.