Game #70: Toronto Raptors VS Detroit Pistons - 17/03/19 - 4:00PM ET - TSN

[inthepaint]

Raps had a boatload of confidence heading into that series with the Wizards, the year we swept them in the regular season. How'd that work out for that rock pounding crew?

That was one outlier/atypical example, which is why people still talk about it to this day. You don't allow yourself to get swept in the regular season series to be able to say "ha! got them right where we wanted them, their overconfident now, so we're primed to sweep them right back, just like another team did to us once!".

The reality is, if we drew them, they would come out pounding (pardon the pun), knowing that they are the lower seed underdogs with a less talented team, but also confident that they had been quite successful in exploiting our weaknesses recently. They wouldn't be taking anything for granted and would come out in a well-balanced place mentally, which is important in the playoffs. I have no doubt we'd still beat them in the series, the talent difference is significant, but the series could potentially be longer/more mentally taxing then it needs to be, which is not what you want as a team looking into making a deep playoff run.

This was a lost opportunity to (1) beat Casey, (2) Have the players see that is very difficult for any team to beat them 4 times (which is what is required in the playoffs) and (3) develop/mature a staggered-starter rotation away from all-bench units, which is what we'll see in the playoffs.

I think Nurse has been treating this last bit of the reg season a bit too casually. I know seeding is locked, that doesn't matter anymore, but the team needs tactical/rotation rhythm, so hopefully we'll see that taking form soon.

[spicy_d]

ya I don't know why people keep saying we'd sweep the pistons or win easily if we met them. in the first round

the first time we faced them we lost with a fully healthy lineup and at home

if we were to face them ...it'd be a lot harder series than you think ...pistons have a psychological advantage of the raps

the last thing we need is a difficult first round ...which will mess up the rapstors mentality and give other teams confidence that the raps aren't that dangerous even with green and Kawhi

[MixxAOR]

We would sweep Pistons guaranteed. Ban me if we lose one game to them in playoffs

[Zak24gege]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...cks-revolution

An interesting article on the Bucks and the changes Bud has implemented to help the Bucks to the league leading record. What I get from this is that:

1. Changes implemented are simple, easy to understand and take advantage of the players strengths
2. Addresses both offense and defense strengths and weaknesses.
3. Helped develop team identity, players roles and responsibilities.
4. They have been playing this style since day 1 of training camp with mostly the same players.

Contrast this with our mish mash of line-ups rotations and churn of players. Yes we have the 2nd best record...After the 20-4 start, we have gone 29 and 17 which is still decent, however I have heard the wait till we are healthy and have our full line-up refrain before (Lowry Injury, Ibaka-Ross trade) and that did get us to the finals against a historically very weak east field. Well we will never be 100% healthy and watching these games I have no idea what winning Rapter basketball looks like in it's current form. The overall play is messy, disjointed, 3's from anywhere and anyone, turnovers. We see simple end of game miscues, lots of iso-ball and what is going on with the new guys. What is Gasol's role? He is not JV in the post. What is the starting unit? What's the rotation? We look nothing like a team preparing to go deep in the play-offs,

Nobody mentions it but hey we are now 4 games ahead of Philly including tie-breaker. Recently we are playing 0.500 basketball. If we close out the year 6-6, Philly must go 10W - 2L to capture second in the EC. Let's hope that just doesn't happen. We need to see a pulse, a winning attitude,games where we just exert our dominance so there is no question who is the better team. Enough of the poor 4Q starts. Nick kick some butt!

[MixxAOR]

Counter point to Bud and Bucks is that they are easily scoutable

[A.I]

ya I don't know why people keep saying we'd sweep the pistons or win easily if we met them. in the first round

the first time we faced them we lost with a fully healthy lineup and at home

if we were to face them ...it'd be a lot harder series than you think ...pistons have a psychological advantage of the raps

the last thing we need is a difficult first round ...which will mess up the rapstors mentality and give other teams confidence that the raps aren't that dangerous even with green and Kawhi

They weren't once fully healthy. They haven't been healthy for most of the season. The first Pistons game, Ibaka didn't play. Second game, Leonard and FVV didn't play and today's game, Lowry and Ibaka didn't play. Pistons don't have another gear to go into in the Playoffs and we've seen how Casey coaches in the Playoffs.

[A.I]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...cks-revolution

An interesting article on the Bucks and the changes Bud has implemented to help the Bucks to the league leading record. What I get from this is that:

1. Changes implemented are simple, easy to understand and take advantage of the players strengths
2. Addresses both offense and defense strengths and weaknesses.
3. Helped develop team identity, players roles and responsibilities.
4. They have been playing this style since day 1 of training camp with mostly the same players.

Contrast this with our mish mash of line-ups rotations and churn of players. Yes we have the 2nd best record...After the 20-4 start, we have gone 29 and 17 which is still decent, however I have heard the wait till we are healthy and have our full line-up refrain before (Lowry Injury, Ibaka-Ross trade) and that did get us to the finals against a historically very weak east field. Well we will never be 100% healthy and watching these games I have no idea what winning Rapter basketball looks like in it's current form. The overall play is messy, disjointed, 3's from anywhere and anyone, turnovers. We see simple end of game miscues, lots of iso-ball and what is going on with the new guys. What is Gasol's role? He is not JV in the post. What is the starting unit? What's the rotation? We look nothing like a team preparing to go deep in the play-offs,

Nobody mentions it but hey we are now 4 games ahead of Philly including tie-breaker. Recently we are playing 0.500 basketball. If we close out the year 6-6, Philly must go 10W - 2L to capture second in the EC. Let's hope that just doesn't happen. We need to see a pulse, a winning attitude,games where we just exert our dominance so there is no question who is the better team. Enough of the poor 4Q starts. Nick kick some butt!

Giannis is a superstar and Bud is a good coach, but the Hawks team a few years back that won 60 games went down in flames in the Playoffs. Until Bud and the Bucks prove themselves this post season, I'm not as scared of them as most people are.

[slaw]

Called it after the Raps had that big win in Golden State early in the year. After that, they started playing like a team that "thinks" they can flip the switch - compete and focus whenever they feel like it. Sometimes they can't find that switch when you can tell they want to win the game.... like on national TV games, or last game against the Pistons. Anyways, Masai made this season 100% about the playoffs, so load management, lack of focus, experimentation and all that during the regular season. It is what it is, and will be what it will be.

In retrospect, it was happening from the beginning but they were so far ahead of other teams early in the season it didn't matter. Play 8 good minutes. Coast for 40. Go into 5 or 6th gear only if necessary to make a statement. But, as you note, they haven't always been able to find those gears as the competition catches up and it's been a good while since we've seen 7th or 8th gear at all. Now, having said all that, none of the Eastern contenders have looked particularly good since the deadline, so the current stretch could just be the late season malaise that often happens in the NBA and NHL. I'm concerned but I hope I'm wrong.

[Zak24gege]

Counter point to Bud and Bucks is that they are easily scoutable

Sure, so are the warriors. Try to stop them... not too easy a task.

[MixxAOR]

Sure, so are the warriors. Try to stop them... not too easy a task.

No Warriors are not easily scoutable and Bucks are not Warriors.

[Zak24gege]

Giannis is a superstar and Bud is a good coach, but the Hawks team a few years back that won 60 games went down in flames in the Playoffs. Until Bud and the Bucks prove themselves this post season, I'm not as scared of them as most people are.

Bud lacked a superstar then, but he employed a similar offensive approach. Loss of Brogden really hurts them in a few area's. The 3-ball, defense and with good size he could dribble drive to the cup.

[A.I]

Sure, so are the warriors. Try to stop them... not too easy a task.

Warriors have 4 guys that can legitimately drop 30 a game. Bucks don’t have that.

[spicy_d]

They weren't once fully healthy. They haven't been healthy for most of the season. The first Pistons game, Ibaka didn't play. Second game, Leonard and FVV didn't play and today's game, Lowry and Ibaka didn't play. Pistons don't have another gear to go into in the Playoffs and we've seen how Casey coaches in the Playoffs.

my bad on that one, but still...some people make it like the raptors will squash the pistons when fully healthy. by that logic, that they should be at least winning if they have, say, ibaka out.

[spicy_d]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...cks-revolution

An interesting article on the Bucks and the changes Bud has implemented to help the Bucks to the league leading record. What I get from this is that:

1. Changes implemented are simple, easy to understand and take advantage of the players strengths
2. Addresses both offense and defense strengths and weaknesses.
3. Helped develop team identity, players roles and responsibilities.
4. They have been playing this style since day 1 of training camp with mostly the same players.

Contrast this with our mish mash of line-ups rotations and churn of players. Yes we have the 2nd best record...After the 20-4 start, we have gone 29 and 17 which is still decent, however I have heard the wait till we are healthy and have our full line-up refrain before (Lowry Injury, Ibaka-Ross trade) and that did get us to the finals against a historically very weak east field. Well we will never be 100% healthy and watching these games I have no idea what winning Rapter basketball looks like in it's current form. The overall play is messy, disjointed, 3's from anywhere and anyone, turnovers. We see simple end of game miscues, lots of iso-ball and what is going on with the new guys. What is Gasol's role? He is not JV in the post. What is the starting unit? What's the rotation? We look nothing like a team preparing to go deep in the play-offs,

Nobody mentions it but hey we are now 4 games ahead of Philly including tie-breaker. Recently we are playing 0.500 basketball. If we close out the year 6-6, Philly must go 10W - 2L to capture second in the EC. Let's hope that just doesn't happen. We need to see a pulse, a winning attitude,games where we just exert our dominance so there is no question who is the better team. Enough of the poor 4Q starts. Nick kick some butt!

agree..no cohension ...i dont like our team heading into the playoffs.

[S.R.]

Gasol was our weak link tonight. Where are the posters that were loving the trade? Man.. what a disaster. Gives you meh on offense. Struggles in the post. Soft as hell. Can't rebound worth a lick. And when he uses his body to do something, he gets called for a foul. And we have to play him next year too. Masai I love yah.. but this trade was awful.

The "well now he can get into a rhythm with Ibaka out and we'll see what he can do" phase of Gasol's Raptors career is off to a terrible start.