Game #16: Philadelphia 76ers 96 - Toronto Raptors 101

[RaptorsVictim]

Ok this is the funniest thing ever.

You Adrian, I did it.

[RaptorsVictim]

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

[JawsGT]

What a game! This team is incredible. If it wasnt for richardson, the game would have been a blowout. Embiid played like a complete bum...he was awful, lazy and weak. Very surprised he didnt come out like a beast last night. Are philly's best players the two additions they picked up this offseason? Cause embiid, simmons and harris are as fucking over-rated as it gets. I shouldnt judge too much on one game, but what a bunch of bums. They have nothing on the bench, simmons cant shoot and embiid is afraid of gasol. I fuckin hate harris's face and i almost creamed myself when pascal blocked his punk ass, and after he got so hyped when he stopped a drive from a sub 6 footer. The same sub 6 footer that put in an all star level performance. Ha ha ha the raps broke the process. I hope we pound them in the playoffs too.

[JawsGT]

And you know what, that team would have been better off had it continued the process, and kept saric and covington and let that team develop.

[G__Deane]

Can't believe anyone is questioning Gasol today.... The guy just had one of his best regular season performance as a raptors. He held who some people think is the best center in the league to 0 points 0!! Would i like the guy to get a few more points? sure but if he can play this level of elite defense as a 34 year old against a young, supposed to be an mvp candidate then sign me up. The rebounding is a scheme issue.

Here's a good video of Stan Van explaining our defense schemes.

I'm not bagging on Gasol at all and don't want it to come across that way.

But are you telling me it's asking too much of your starting 7 foot C to avg somewhere near 10 and 5 at a minimum and to do that wouldn't necessarily negate from good D?

We lost ~30 PPG when Kawhi walked, it would be great if Marc stepped up and took a tiny bite out of that. At least make your bunnies and grab a few rebounds....

[big boi]

Most of american media today is trashing Embiid. It's funny but almost no one has talked about how well Toronto or Gasol played?

Raptors getting love on “The Jump”. Pippen says Raps deserve all the praise for shutting down the Sixers. Says Siakam is unguardable.

[DanH]

I'm not bagging on Gasol at all and don't want it to come across that way.

But are you telling me it's asking too much of your starting 7 foot C to avg somewhere near 10 and 5 at a minimum and to do that wouldn't necessarily negate from good D?

We lost ~30 PPG when Kawhi walked, it would be great if Marc stepped up and took a tiny bite out of that. At least make your bunnies and grab a few rebounds....

I don't think it's asking too much. I think it's asking the wrong things.

Who cares whether Marc puts up 10 and 5? Would you rather he put up 10 and 5 and we are .500 or his current 6 and 7 and we are 12-4?

I want Gasol to help us win games. He's been astonishingly good at that this season.

Frankly, Marc needs to stop trying to score so much by going inside, and focus on playmaking and taking open threes. He might even put up more points if he stuck to his strengths rather than trying to produce points, a role we do not need from him at all.

Gasol is going to miss bunnies. He's old, he doesn't have even the tiny lift he used to have, and playing inside is just going to get him beat up, and I want those beatings happening on the other end. And he's never been an elite rebounder, simply solid, and he's taken a small step down this year (DRB% down to 20% from 25%). Ideally, sure, more rebounds, but he's been anchoring a help heavy defensive scheme so he's not often in position for rebounds. We knew coming into this season that we'd need to gang rebound and nothing has changed there. Meanwhile the team as a whole has mostly abandoned the offensive glass (RHJ being the major exception as he's always in the dunker spot, Boucher being another).

Looking at basketball as PPG totals to be made up is probably a bad way to go about evaluating what your team needs from its players.

[JawsGT]

Yep, as far as I'm concerned, gasol gotta keep being the defensive presence he is and stick to shooting open 3s and passing. He is crazy good at the top of the key which is also a great zone buster or outlet from a double team. I think the raps are utilizing him well and fingers crossed he gets better from downtown.

[Puffer]

I'm not bagging on Gasol at all and don't want it to come across that way.

But are you telling me it's asking too much of your starting 7 foot C to avg somewhere near 10 and 5 at a minimum and to do that wouldn't necessarily negate from good D?....

Marc is 6 pts 6.5 rb and 3.5 assists with a per of 7.56 in 28.8 minutes. There is no question that a lot of what he does doesn't show up. A lot of his passes are the pass before the assist, because he can see the upcoming action and get the ball to the player that can make the assist. Be careful what you ask for.

[The Claw Reborn]

I don't think it's asking too much. I think it's asking the wrong things.

Who cares whether Marc puts up 10 and 5? Would you rather he put up 10 and 5 and we are .500 or his current 6 and 7 and we are 12-4?

I want Gasol to help us win games. He's been astonishingly good at that this season.

Frankly, Marc needs to stop trying to score so much by going inside, and focus on playmaking and taking open threes. He might even put up more points if he stuck to his strengths rather than trying to produce points, a role we do not need from him at all.

Gasol is going to miss bunnies. He's old, he doesn't have even the tiny lift he used to have, and playing inside is just going to get him beat up, and I want those beatings happening on the other end. And he's never been an elite rebounder, simply solid, and he's taken a small step down this year (DRB% down to 20% from 25%). Ideally, sure, more rebounds, but he's been anchoring a help heavy defensive scheme so he's not often in position for rebounds. We knew coming into this season that we'd need to gang rebound and nothing has changed there. Meanwhile the team as a whole has mostly abandoned the offensive glass (RHJ being the major exception as he's always in the dunker spot, Boucher being another).

Looking at basketball as PPG totals to be made up is probably a bad way to go about evaluating what your team needs from its players.

PPG doesn't win you a championship, we already experienced that the past decade. Gasol’s contribution is beyond the stat sheet.

[Zak24gege]

Thinking beyond this 1 game, Gasol is needed against teams like the Magic or Sixers that have a scoring center. Watched LAC demolish Dallas tonight and it's difficult to see how Gasol would be much of a factor against teams like LAC that are more wing / guard dominant.

[Scraptor]

You know, I don't really care about Marc's stats, but it is kind of crazy how age seems to have suddenly caught up with him. I know usage and minutes are a factor here, but only one year ago he averaged 20/10/4 with 1.5 stls, 1.7 blks, and 1.9 threes per game on 60%TS for the month of November.

Father time is undefeated.

[Rudy Bargnani]

Hopefully when Serge is back Marc can load manage a week or so and the rest will do him good.

[LJ2]

Marc is 6 pts 6.5 rb and 3.5 assists with a per of 7.56 in 28.8 minutes. There is no question that a lot of what he does doesn't show up. A lot of his passes are the pass before the assist, because he can see the upcoming action and get the ball to the player that can make the assist. Be careful what you ask for.

Yup, the opposite of JV who was a monster on the stat sheet.

Still, I think Marc could afford to take a couple more good shots a game to keep defenses honest. He gets a lot of open shot opportunities which he passes up on. As someone mentioned a few days ago teams cheat off him because of his tendency to pass and sometimes the resulting shot off his pass isn't as open as the one he himself had.

Having said that, Marc shut down Vuc and helped contain Embiid in the playoffs, so he gets carte blanche on doing whatever the fook he thinks is best

[G__Deane]

I don't think it's asking too much. I think it's asking the wrong things.

Who cares whether Marc puts up 10 and 5? Would you rather he put up 10 and 5 and we are .500 or his current 6 and 7 and we are 12-4?

I want Gasol to help us win games. He's been astonishingly good at that this season.

Frankly, Marc needs to stop trying to score so much by going inside, and focus on playmaking and taking open threes. He might even put up more points if he stuck to his strengths rather than trying to produce points, a role we do not need from him at all.

Gasol is going to miss bunnies. He's old, he doesn't have even the tiny lift he used to have, and playing inside is just going to get him beat up, and I want those beatings happening on the other end. And he's never been an elite rebounder, simply solid, and he's taken a small step down this year (DRB% down to 20% from 25%). Ideally, sure, more rebounds, but he's been anchoring a help heavy defensive scheme so he's not often in position for rebounds. We knew coming into this season that we'd need to gang rebound and nothing has changed there. Meanwhile the team as a whole has mostly abandoned the offensive glass (RHJ being the major exception as he's always in the dunker spot, Boucher being another).

Looking at basketball as PPG totals to be made up is probably a bad way to go about evaluating what your team needs from its players.

Look at my comment you are responding to plz.

How does my asking if "you are telling me it's asking too much of your starting 7 foot C to avg somewhere near 10 and 5 at a minimum and to do that wouldn't necessarily negate from good D" equate to you asking if I'd prefer the team being .500? That makes zero sense.

Marc could chip in minimal (but better) offensive numbers without affecting his stellar D whatsoever. My opinion.
I agree that our defensive scheme doesn't place him optimally for rebounds but disagree that he might put up more points, "a role we do not need from him at all."

I think that could well prove false as the season moves on. It's incredibly hard to keep winning at this pace without an elite player and getting under 5 PPG from your starting C. It almost never happens.

Lave it at that, Marc defenders are understandably quick to defend