GAME 52 - Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls - 7:30 PM EST

[MixxAOR]

Lowry is too old to do anything at this point

[golden]

LOL the way you've changed is actually very shocking. What has come over you lol? I would have been certain you would be screaming for team tank and hating on all our players lol. It's crazy that the one season where a lot of our players are actually trash and deserve to be shitted on you're this positive. Even though I don't agree it's very refreshing. I like this version of The Great One lol

He’s not really saying the Raptors aren’t trash. He’s been saying the rest of the East is worse than trash. There’s a difference.

[golden]

So are we just gonna ignore Tres Boucher busting out some new Kawhi-esque midrange moves?

[GLF]

He’s not really saying the Raptors aren’t trash. He’s been saying the rest of the East is worse than trash. There’s a difference.

Very true

[DanH]

the problem is this isn't that team. Post covid Fred and Siakim is a real thing. If OG was actually susceptible to a world wide pandemic that's killed a million people, he'd be a bit off too They'll be back next year.

Right. But that's been my point. If the team never returns to full health, yes, they remain in the lotto.

But if they do, they can very much still make the playoffs. And Fred and Pascal have been pretty good lately, I think. Maybe not 100% there but not like when they first came back.

Personally I'm of the opinion that the team should err on the side of caution and give lots of guys rest and secure that lottery pick. But to suggest as some have that this team is just really bad based on the quality of players on the roster, it's false. The roster construction is absolutely a mess but if everyone is healthy our top players are good enough to carry a bad roster. Especially if Birch is anything halfway decent and Baynes doesn't have to play anymore.

[Dvdvideo]

Yes, still a dangerous team in the east this season if they by some miracle have a center playing well (khem?) And everyone back healthy......
playoffs anything can happen......NJ is injury prone, and the other "elite" east teams are inconsistent.

[planetmars]

It would make for a really cool story if the Raptors some how crawled into the play in, got the 8th seed, and beat the first place team in the East.

I don't see it happening.. but would be a really cool story nonetheless.

[planetmars]

I guess we really are tanking.

[A.I]

I guess we really are tanking.

Pascal out for rest against a team who is 0.5 games below us definitely says that.

Ball handling duties are increased for Flynn, GTJ and OG. Get those development games in.

[The Great One]

LOL the way you've changed is actually very shocking. What has come over you lol? I would have been certain you would be screaming for team tank and hating on all our players lol. It's crazy that the one season where a lot of our players are actually trash and deserve to be shitted on you're this positive. Even though I don't agree it's very refreshing. I like this version of The Great One lol

I just call it like i see it. Nothing's really changed. My opinion about Lowry has not changed at all. Great player, best player on the team(still), but he's had so many playoff games where he just completely choked.

In this forum, saying the truth about Lowry's playoff career = you're a Lowry hater.

Anyways, as for tanking, I just saw the news that they're going to "rest" Siakam tonight. It's pretty obvious now that they're tanking lol. It's gonna be interesting to see what happens when Lowry returns to the lineup. He's way too competitive to just throw in the towel.

[GOLDBLUM]

Pascal’s been giving everything he’s got on a severely undermanned squad and shouldering an extremely heavy load for several games. And he said himself that he lost 10-15 lbs while he was out with Covid... (yikes) that’s no joke when battling it out in the NBA.

It’s certainly possible that they’re consciously tanking but it’s also certainly possibly that he’s fukkin gassed and as much as he’d like to keep pushing, is in dire need of a rest day and at risk of pushing himself to injury otherwise.

I mean, I think both things can still be true.
And I’m on team lotto.

I just don’t think this necessarily says baldly that they’re just doing this for the tank.

[big boi]

Right. But that's been my point. If the team never returns to full health, yes, they remain in the lotto.

But if they do, they can very much still make the playoffs. And Fred and Pascal have been pretty good lately, I think. Maybe not 100% there but not like when they first came back.

Personally I'm of the opinion that the team should err on the side of caution and give lots of guys rest and secure that lottery pick. But to suggest as some have that this team is just really bad based on the quality of players on the roster, it's false. The roster construction is absolutely a mess but if everyone is healthy our top players are good enough to carry a bad roster. Especially if Birch is anything halfway decent and Baynes doesn't have to play anymore.

Yeah, there's a lot of quality on this roster, but it is poorly constructed. I feel good about a lot of the pieces we have going in to next year. Losing is painful and there's still a long way to go before the draft lottery, but this is a transition year and we're playing the cards we've been dealt with the pandemic and this fucked up season. Our good players didn't all of a sudden become trash. I feel really optimistic for next year, but I want a good lottery pick dammit!

[Dvdvideo]

I just call it like i see it. Nothing's really changed. My opinion about Lowry has not changed at all. Great player, best player on the team(still), but he's had so many playoff games where he just completely choked.

In this forum, saying the truth about Lowry's playoff career = you're a Lowry hater.

Anyways, as for tanking, I just saw the news that they're going to "rest" Siakam tonight. It's pretty obvious now that they're tanking lol. It's gonna be interesting to see what happens when Lowry returns to the lineup. He's way too competitive to just throw in the towel.

Actually, if you are going to sit siakam on the back to back, it makes more sense to sit him against the weaker team who is below you than the better team who is just above you in the standings (knicks). Better chance overall of winning both games. So not an indication of tanking at all.

[G__Deane]

Yes, still a dangerous team in the east this season if they by some miracle have a center playing well (khem?) And everyone back healthy......
playoffs anything can happen......NJ is injury prone, and the other "elite" east teams are inconsistent.

Nets have played almost the whole season without one of the big three and unfortunately, they're still the class (small c) of the East by a longshot. Without Harden, Kyrie or Durant, they're still favourites to the finals. Harden and Durant alone might be co-favorites to beat lebron/Davis and certainly are with Kyrie.

As much as I dislike lebron, I'm gonna puke if those other three get a chip like this. Harden's first, Durant's 2nd and Kyrie's second, all by super teaming it up because there's no other way to win. That's gotta be taken into consideration when you're talking legacies but it won't since everyone from lebron down has shown it's the only way to go in the modern NBA.

[JawsGT]

The tanking denial is hilarious. They arent making the playoffs folks cause they dont want to, and thats been obvious for a couple of weeks to anyone who chooses to see it.