Game #40: Toronto Raptors 130 - OKC Thunder 121

[Jclaw]

So...here we are. Or rather, there we are. Halfway there. Halfway through the Raptors championship lap
25-14 and in the midst of the Eastern playoff bracket. 2 wins less than the second place team, 2 losses less than the 6th place team.
So, are you a half full or half empty kind of guy?
As has been pointed out, we're 6-6 since the Alamo game when half our starting lineup went down (with an overtime and 2 last seconds bucket losses in that stretch).
Let's take stock..

Injuries?.....
Kyle defying father time?
Siakam taking that next step?
Rest of the east being better than many thought?
Norm shooting 40% from 3?
OG taking that next step? ??
Serge stepping up?
Freddy being Freddy?
Some undrafted surprises?
Solid overall defense?
Coach Nick?

Overall (if you not unintentionally leave McCaw out of the assessment), I'd say the glass is half full. The first quarter or two against the Spurs gave us a quick glimpse of what this full strength Raptor team can do. Even without Gasol. It will be up to the fates to see if that is the team we see in April, May and June. The Raps are the 2019 Champions. It's 2020. Let's go get it.

First off, a meeting with the OKC Thunder.
After what was thought to be a fire sale rebuild in OKC, the Thunder have assembled a pretty competitive team. After the disappointing Spurs loss, I was going to suggest the time to panic was not then, but if we lost the next one. But that's not the case. The Thunder (that still sounds weird...plural names forever) have won 12 of their last 15 and are at home. Our local kid Shai just made all the evening NBA highlight rounds by getting a very Brodie-esque 20-20-10. Maybe it was Steven Adams box outs all along?
Should be a pretty even match. OKC has some confidence going but the Raps should still have the taste of their recent one point loss in their mouths (no, not the Spurs one, the Thunder one)

Here they are

PG

SG

SG

PF
(sorry...had to)

C


They'll have to face..




And assorted characters brought to you by the ever unpredictable Coach Nick



Should be a fun game. So bring on the Thunder. Who's afraid of a little rain?

Go Raps

[DanH]

Whispers that Gasol might potentially be back for this one...

[KeonClark]

Whispers that Gasol might potentially be back for this one...

[Jclaw]

Whispers are getting louder

[DanH]

Hallelujah.

Hopefully we see Boucher and RHJ shift up a position to the 4 and 3, leaving OG and Powell playing 3 and 2 exclusively, and shrinking the guard minutes we need to fill in around Lowry enough that we can't throw the game away with McCaw again.

[007]

Hallelujah for Gasol being back. We’ve missed him dearly

[KeonClark]

Hallelujah.

Hopefully we see Boucher and RHJ shift up a position to the 4 and 3, leaving OG and Powell playing 3 and 2 exclusively, and shrinking the guard minutes we need to fill in around Lowry enough that we can't throw the game away with McCaw again.

And then what will actually happen is RHJ and Boucher lose their minutes, because we need to make room for MCCAAAAW

[DanH]

And then what will actually happen is RHJ and Boucher lose their minutes, because we need to make room for MCCAAAAW

Undoubtedly. Or Davis gets completely benched.

[planetmars]

Good news about Gasol. Just need Fred back now (and he's honestly more important). More Fred means less McCaw. More Gasol just means less Boucher or RHJ.

[KeonClark]

Good news about Gasol. Just need Fred back now (and he's honestly more important). More Fred means less McCaw. More Gasol just means less Boucher or RHJ.

Unfortunately I don't see any getting rid of Mccaw until Nick chooses to. It seems he's 8th in the pecking order right now when full healthy, and higher than any of the newcomers we've grown so fond of.

[DanH]

Good news about Gasol. Just need Fred back now (and he's honestly more important). More Fred means less McCaw. More Gasol just means less Boucher or RHJ.

More Gasol means less Ibaka against starters, which helps an awful lot.

And I'm unconvinced more anyone means less McCaw, because more anyone should mean less McCaw and hasn't so far.

[planetmars]

Unfortunately I don't see any getting rid of Mccaw until Nick chooses to. It seems he's 8th in the pecking order right now when full healthy, and higher than any of the newcomers we've grown so fond of.

Yeah.. or until Masai is able to find a trade partner

[bertarapsfan]

Yeah.. or until Masai is able to find a trade partner

Hopefully we can get Devin Booker for McCaw. I know i know, It's tough to give up such a young raw scorer like Patrick for an unproven guard like Booker. Hopefully we can be swayed to give him up, maybe if they throw in Oubre and a unprotected 1st

[Scraptor]

Almost at the halfway point. This season has gone by so fast.

[G__Deane]

Marc missed 12 game and considering the nature of his injury, it could have been worse.

Each of Gasol, Powell and Siakam was injured Dec. 18 in Detroit with different injuries (hamstring, shoulder and groin) yet all return within a game of each other. Coincidence or were they all just partying somewhere warm?