Game #5: Toronto Raptors 125 - Detroit Pistons 113

[007]

After improving to 3-1 to start the season, the Raptors will face off against the 2-2 Detroit Pistons, who are coming off a close win over the struggling Pacers. I don't think anyone needs reminding of what happened the last time the Pistons visited Toronto, so let's get to the lineups!


Projected Starting Lineups

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Keys to the Game

1. Keep Up the D: The Raptors' defence has been stifling at times in recent games, with OG in particular standing out on that end against the Magic. Keep it up, and there will be plenty more wins to come

2. Executing the O: That said, there were a couple dead spots on the other end of the floor last night, with the Raptors letting Orlando back into things because of terrible offence. Let's not have any more 0-13 stretches, alright?

3. Defend Homecourt: The Scotiabank Arena has been a fortress for the last few years, and if the Raptors are to get a top 3 seed that needs to continue. Facing off against a middling Eastern Conference foe? It's time to put them to the sword



LET'S GO RAPS!!!

[golden]

The fans in Toronto...... we know what a championship is all about.

[MixxAOR]

[bertarapsfan]

The fans in Toronto...... we know what a championship is all about.

I wonder if Nick Nurse is going to wear his championship ring the the pre-game press conference?

[bertarapsfan]

Drummond has been a beast so far they way we have been getting killed on the glass we have to keep him in check. Hopefully marc can continue his great defense he showed against Vuc. Kennard has actually been surprisingly good to need OG to shut him down.

[Shredder]

I liked Casey as a person while he was here, not so much as a coach. Some of his quotes since starting with the Pistons, I'm starting to think he's a little bit of sore looser.

I hope we punish them tomorrow night. Our championship wasn't a fluke. We had great team, coached well. We weathered the storm and the fans were out of control throughout the whole thing. From shutting down Oracle with a 1/4 raptor fans in attendance to 3 million out for the parade. WE ARE A STORIED FRANCHISE now. I don't think many people would say the same about the Pistons, currently.

But I guess I would be sour grapes too, if the team I coached, fired me for someone more progressive, traded their star player for someone even better, won a championship the very next year and I ended up going from living in Toronto to Detroit. Ya I would be bitter too.

[The Great One]

The fans in Toronto...... we know what a championship is all about.

Love Phil Handy lol.

[G__Deane]

Screw bitter little man Casey ......

[LJ2]

Is Blake back for the Pistons yet?

[007]

Is Blake back for the Pistons yet?

He hasn't played yet this season. Reggie Jackson also missed their last two games

[inthepaint]

The fans in Toronto...... we know what a championship is all about.

Ahhh I love that tweet. That and the clip with the dufus that was so sure Boston would win 67 games last year are my all time favorites...

[KeonClark]

The fans in Toronto...... we know what a championship is all about.

The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room. Raptors were taking potshots from everyone last year, Spurs, Pop, Casey, Demar, Warriors, Raptors fans (post demar trade lol) I'm sure I'm forgetting some....and the front office, coaches and players on this team didn't respond to anything except with class and humility. Focused on the game.

[slaw]

I liked Casey as a person while he was here, not so much as a coach. Some of his quotes since starting with the Pistons, I'm starting to think he's a little bit of sore looser.

I hope we punish them tomorrow night. Our championship wasn't a fluke. We had great team, coached well. We weathered the storm and the fans were out of control throughout the whole thing. From shutting down Oracle with a 1/4 raptor fans in attendance to 3 million out for the parade. WE ARE A STORIED FRANCHISE now. I don't think many people would say the same about the Pistons, currently.

But I guess I would be sour grapes too, if the team I coached, fired me for someone more progressive, traded their star player for someone even better, won a championship the very next year and I ended up going from living in Toronto to Detroit. Ya I would be bitter too.

I suppose I'd be dubbed a Casey defender around here, though, I always had mixed feelings about him. I thought he got way too much credit early on and way too much blame towards the end. Ultimately, his playoff failures doomed him in Toronto, albeit likely later than they would have other coaches (he probably should have been fired after the WSH sweep).

He's definitely bitter and most people would be after getting replaced and watching the new guy win it all. I think it's also clear from a lot of his comments, snide and otherwise, that he feels betrayed by Nurse and maybe even Ujiri. Look, Casey was a company man and he likely feels Toronto owed him more in the end but, sadly, that's not the way the world works no matter how entitled he may feel to some special considerations.

[KeonClark]

I suppose I'd be dubbed a Casey defender around here, though, I always had mixed feelings about him. I thought he got way too much credit early on and way too much blame towards the end. Ultimately, his playoff failures doomed him in Toronto, albeit likely later than they would have other coaches (he probably should have been fired after the WSH sweep).

He's definitely bitter and most people would be after getting replaced and watching the new guy win it all. I think it's also clear from a lot of his comments, snide and otherwise, that he feels betrayed by Nurse and maybe even Ujiri. Look, Casey was a company man and he likely feels Toronto owed him more in the end but, sadly, that's not the way the world works no matter how entitled he may feel to some special considerations.

I could see that in the early going, but lets face it, a lot of coaches don't even make it past the front office change. Ujiri not only embraced Casey on his arrival, but also extended him (twice? he certainly didn't have to either, Casey was still green on the head coaching scene), and gave him like 5 fucking cracks at the playoffs lol. I mean come on.

You'd think after this much time has passed he'd realize Toronto was in fact a great employer and it was a life changing opportunity that he did quite well with. Would he still be head coaching in 2020 if Masai Ujiri fired him early in his tenure? Maybe he does realize it, I don't know.

[S.R.]

The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room. Raptors were taking potshots from everyone last year, Spurs, Pop, Casey, Demar, Warriors, Raptors fans (post demar trade lol) I'm sure I'm forgetting some....and the front office, coaches and players on this team didn't respond to anything except with class and humility. Focused on the game.

Daryl Morey