Raps vs Pellies Game 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wednesday Dec 23rd 7:30pm on TSN (Merry Xmas Jack)

[Jclaw]

Deja vu? With no further ado, I present last year's/this year's opening night thread
(it mostly holds up)

Welcome back to the Champion's Republic. Does it feel real yet? Actually, the weirder thing is that it feels like we've always been champions. Was there every a time we weren't? I can't recall it. Let this flag fly forever.

But now...the back to back* drive starts with Game 1 against our old rival...the Pelicans?! No matter...tomorrow is all about the ringz. (It still is)

As for the opponents? Here they are...

ZION IS COMING! ZION IS COMING!! ZION IS COMING!!!

So here's the presumed starting lineup

pg

sg

sf



pf

(for the geography buffs)

c

and, if we're lucky we may get to see

Now, you might have noticed the asterisk on "back to back" up there.
Makes sense because everyone knows the Raps are the last official season NBA champions
(thus, either way we will still be going for back to back championships when we face the Pelicans on opening night again next year)

But while last year's team might not have won the artificial NBA title, they we're definitely number one in our hearts.
Pour one out one last time for the gang.
Last season was a blast.

By now we've all seen the season previews. It looks like some talking heads are terrified of becoming this years Dennis Scott and Sam Mitchell

But others (Vegas included) have continued to get lost in the gaze of shiny new toys and forget the guys that go out and get the job done.
But who cares?
Like I said last year at this time, it's "all about the ringz".
So what if they underestimate us?
To paraphrase a certain Montreal goalie..

I can't hear any of it.

One more time...

Go Raps

(hope this doesn't break the site)

[planetmars]

Norm is questionable for this game. COVID protocols.. not necessarily positive for COVID. My guess is he missed a test or he did something that he wasn't supposed to do.

McCaw is out.

[MixxAOR]

Road to 72 wins starts with 1. Let's go Raps

[GOLDBLUM]

Jclaw for the W

Nice stuff!

LET’S GO

[can't teach wingspan]

I'm looking forward to the Baynes/Adams matchup: Nice and physical

[SkywalkerAC]

Let's freaking do this.

[SkywalkerAC]

With Norm out will give an interesting opportunity for another bench guy to step up. Does Malachi get his rookie premiere and/or does Terrence keep getting minutes and/or does Watson get a look?

[bertarapsfan]

I feel like Flynn is already in the rotation based on preseason. TD and Thomas are going to be the ones who battle for the next bench spot. If norm doesnt play we will see who is first off the bench in his place will give us an insight to who Nick see in front of that battle.
Think we get a good dose of both with no Norm

[golden]

Dubya

[inthepaint]

With Norm out will give an interesting opportunity for another bench guy to step up. Does Malachi get his rookie premiere and/or does Terrence keep getting minutes and/or does Watson get a look?

Bembry is playing ahead of Watson which I find unfortunate. We know who Bembry is. He's a stable player but a career 27% 3pt shooter without much explosiveness to rim.

Watson on the other hand is still unknown, because unlike Bembry, he has yet to be given stables minutes in the NBA so he can get a rhythm and develop his game. We know he's an improving 3&D player that's very explosive to the rim and can help close gaps defensively as a lean, quick-feet 6'7" wing. I'd like to see more of him in real game situations, with good teammates, rather than just "hey, here's some garbage time minutes, make something happen"

Our team needs to start focusing on giving minutes to guys that can score in different ways and generate gravity on the offence. Watson may very well prove he's no better the Bembry, but we won't know unless we try.

[Demographic Shift]

Hoping for a Raps win to start the season off on the right foot.

A few questions for tonight.

• Is Zion Williamson on the Joel Embiid Cheesburger and Shirley Temple diet ? Will he have any cardio reserve beyond the 1st Q ?
• Will Lonzo Ball be able to run the point without Jrue Holliday and prove it for a big second deal with the Pellies ?
• Will Pascal Siakam accomplish more by doing less hero ball work in the key and moving the ball back out as the defense collapses on him. ?
• Will Chris Boucher and Alex Len make us really really miss Serge even more than after the 3 preseason games ?
• Is New Orleans a playoff team out west ?

Will the Trawna media gang who are never on the wrong side of a political wind choke back some crow pie and now start in on the second chance story line as opposed to the run this guilty prick out of town like Ossuna that they were on early....

Raps W as Ball turns it over 5 or more times and the Raps put up a workmanlike win with the usual suspects carrying the mail.

[consmap]

Finally some legit basketball

[S.R.]

Man I'm pumped for this season again. This team will be fun. We've got some question marks that it'll be interesting to see how they turn out.

I'm most interested in seeing if Siakam can build on his All-NBA play from last year and put the bubble behind him permanently. Also looking forward to a leap from OG, TD, and Flynn (does that count?).

Most worried about Fred trying to be Jordan 2.0 and the coaching staff throwing Siakam into iso's all year.

Generating buckets on demand will be a challenge at times. Defence will be great. Team will compete every night. Should be fun.

[DanH]

Game day! So exciting.

[DogeLover1234]

Bembry is playing ahead of Watson which I find unfortunate. We know who Bembry is. He's a stable player but a career 27% 3pt shooter without much explosiveness to rim.

Watson on the other hand is still unknown, because unlike Bembry, he has yet to be given stables minutes in the NBA so he can get a rhythm and develop his game. We know he's an improving 3&D player that's very explosive to the rim and can help close gaps defensively as a lean, quick-feet 6'7" wing. I'd like to see more of him in real game situations, with good teammates, rather than just "hey, here's some garbage time minutes, make something happen"

Our team needs to start focusing on giving minutes to guys that can score in different ways and generate gravity on the offence. Watson may very well prove he's no better the Bembry, but we won't know unless we try.

I actually like Bembry's fit quite a bit - he was always the leading candidate to take the McCaw/RHJ minutes. The shooting isn't there so he probably doesn't crack the playoffs rotation, but he checks so many boxes. Long, athletic and smart. His playmaking and defensive stats are incredible for a wing. As much as people worry about FVV and Siakam trying to do too much, at times we really didn't have the ball handling to provide other options. Think the offense runs a lot smoother with another two way wing ball handler - Bembry is the type of guy who allows Nurse to get really creative with lineups.

I do want to to see more Watson though, hes really impressed in limited minutes and just looks the part of an NBA player.