Game 51 - LA Lakers @ Toronto (Tampa) Raptors - Tuesday, April 6 @ 7:30PM EST

[planetmars]

2019 champs vs 2020 champs. Let's go!

Missing in Action:
Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond (questionable), Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet (questionable)

[G__Deane]

Don't care who's playing or who's missing; beating the lakers would be like a championship to me 2021 style.

Then again......tank away

[Maury]

Gotta beat the Lakers, force them to have to play in the play-in tournament. I'm still pro tank though.

[planetmars]

[planetmars]

Coming off a back to back and were down 19 to the Wizards before Russ took over. I know the two stars aren't there in LA, but this one looks like a big loss tonight.

[A.I]

Coming off a back to back and were down 19 to the Wizards before Russ took over. I know the two stars aren't there in LA, but this one looks like a big loss tonight.

We're on a back to back and the Lakers aren't. We should have lost against the Wizards but Westbrook pulled off the epic tank.

[G__Deane]

Is Drummond playing?
Drummond vs Baynes might be hands-throwin' time.
Drummond vs Boucher might be twig snapping time.
Gasol vs either might be .... interesting. Tre Boucher would try to rain threes and then take him off the dribble.

[big boi]

Time to get back on track

[KeonClark]

Coming off a back to back and were down 19 to the Wizards before Russ took over. I know the two stars aren't there in LA, but this one looks like a big loss tonight.

With the top 4 players on either team all sitting, again.

some guys are legitimately really hurt but the NBA needs to figure its shit out with its mid to late season rosters, its getting uglier every year to watch after the all star break until about a week before playoffs. The bad teams are tanking, the good teams are resting, and like 8 teams in the middle are fielding their best roster

[planetmars]

With the top 4 players on either team all sitting, again.

some guys are legitimately really hurt but the NBA needs to figure its shit out with its mid to late season rosters, its getting uglier every year to watch after the all star break until about a week before playoffs. The bad teams are tanking, the good teams are resting, and like 8 teams in the middle are fielding their best roster

The league can't do anything.. it's just part of the game now. Anyone can be "hurt" for any reason. And I mean how do you prove that they aren't hurt? OKC shutting down Horford is appalling though. That should never happen.

Tanking isn't going away unless you make it easier for the #8 seed to beat the #1 seed. This requires parity which will never happen as long as star players team up. That requires some serious salary cap changes like no max contracts but you have to hard cap teams instead.

For tanking teams they have to even up the draft odds even more. Non-playoff teams all get even odds at the #1-4 picks. Picks 5-14 are then assigned as usual.

NBAPA has a lot of power now.. so they won't go for these changes.. especially ones that could eliminate the mid-tier guys. And sucky small market / expansion teams will never allow a decent team that just missed the playoffs to get the #1 pick over them.

[G__Deane]

Are you telling me that the lakers minus lebron and Davis should still beat Siakam, OG and GTJ?Davis? ie no Lowry and FVV.

Let's Go!

[The Great One]

Are you telling me that the lakers minus lebron and Davis should still beat Siakam, OG and GTJ?Davis? ie no Lowry and FVV.

Let's Go!

My only concern for tonight is rebounding. Harrell is an offensive rebounding machine.

Raps should win if they control the glass. We're a better team than the Lakers.

Let's go!

[G__Deane]

My only concern for tonight is rebounding. Harrell is an offensive rebounding machine.

Raps should win if they control the glass. We're a better team than the Lakers.

Let's go!

But how many games in the last 20 have we won the rebounding stat? 2? 3-4?

Drummond would kill us too if he plays (currently listed as questionable)

[MixxAOR]

[KeonClark]

I mean hes shaped like fred