Everything 2021-2022 Season

[Jclaw]

There is so much negativity on Twitter and social media these days my resolution for 2022 has been to not read the comments.

Unless it’s after a Celtics loss. Then you should go to their Twitter page or real gm forum and read all the comments. It will bring you happiness in the midst of all that is wrong in the world.

Was aware of the game because of this tweet

Started watching it because of this reply

[KeonClark]

Kawhi greatest legacy in L.A may be proving to the world how good Kyle,Marc, Fred, Pascal and serge really were that run

Proving to us, yes. The world shaped that one as the Kawhi Title, and really only remember The Shot, and the KD injury. Every year ends up being reduced to 1 or 2 memories. People don't remember that Jordan couldnt win shit until Pippen came along, and the league was in one of those weaker periods, from about 1991 until about 1999 when Kobe and Duncan were coming along there was no truly dominant teams other than Chicago.

I think also, Kawhi himself has eaten some humble pie since the parade. He was believing his own press clippings, and then got a stark reminder how hard it truly is to win a title, and how you need at least 6 to 8 guys pulling on the rope at different points.

[golden]

Proving to us, yes. The world shaped that one as the Kawhi Title, and really only remember The Shot, and the KD injury. Every year ends up being reduced to 1 or 2 memories. People don't remember that Jordan couldnt win shit until Pippen came along, and the league was in one of those weaker periods, from about 1991 until about 1999 when Kobe and Duncan were coming along there was no truly dominant teams other than Chicago.

I think also, Kawhi himself has eaten some humble pie since the parade. He was believing his own press clippings, and then got a stark reminder how hard it truly is to win a title, and how you need at least 6 to 8 guys pulling on the rope at different points.

Actually, the lasting legacy of "The Others" was shaped in the middle of the Sixers series, when Kawhi truly did carry the team when the others shrank in fear. After that point, in the minds of non-Raptor fans and US media, it didn't matter what any non-Kawhi Raptor did. The Shot simply sealed the deal.

[planetmars]

DJ "Jazzy" Wilson is back:

[KeonClark]

Actually, the lasting legacy of "The Others" was shaped in the middle of the Sixers series, when Kawhi truly did carry the team when the others shrank in fear. After that point, in the minds of non-Raptor fans and US media, it didn't matter what any non-Kawhi Raptor did. The Shot simply sealed the deal.

Carried them offensively, yes. We also aren't advancing to round 3 without the team defense (Philly held to under 100 in 5 games), specifically Marc gasol.

Did you the know minutes leaders in that game 7? Marc gasol and joell embiid, tied at 45:12. Joell embiid went 6 for 18. If he goes 7 for 18, kawhis shot sends the game to OT. If he goes 8 for 18, we're talking about the world champion 6ers or bucks.

[Kagemusha]

Kyrie getting more all AS votes than Fred and Garland is the most stupid things ever.
HE HAS ONLY PLAYED ONE GAME!

[The Great One]

Idk.. Thera just not enough there around kawhi and bucks net warriors are all better teams then the 2 that bounced the clips the last 2 years. I believe in kawhi, but I don't believe in anyone else on that roster

I mean, they're going to get Paul George back. The Flippers beat the #1 seed Jazz in the playoffs without Kawhi and gave the Suns a lot of trouble in the ECF. With Kawhi back, anything can happen.

[golden]

Carried them offensively, yes. We also aren't advancing to round 3 without the team defense (Philly held to under 100 in 5 games), specifically Marc gasol.

Did you the know minutes leaders in that game 7? Marc gasol and joell embiid, tied at 45:12. Joell embiid went 6 for 18. If he goes 7 for 18, kawhis shot sends the game to OT. If he goes 8 for 18, we're talking about the world champion 6ers or bucks.

I'm not disagreeing... just telling you why people think the way they do. Basketball is a team sport, it's exactly like you mentioned with MJ and the stage-props. The NBA and the media have pushed the individual superstar narrative, because that's what sells. David Stern figured that out and the NBA took off. Just giving the masses what they want.

[KeonClark]

Guys, who are the 5 or 6 most famous in the league? Lebron, kd, steph are the big 3, then harden, kyrie and giannis? Look at the votes and then you see. And then of course old heads like Carmelo, d rose are always gonna rack votes, d wade was always up there in his late years too.

The only thing they should probably fix is take players off the ballot altogether if by voting time they haven't played a game and will be out a lot more. In this seasons case, kyrie and klay should have been not included on the ballot.

[golden]

Kyrie getting more all AS votes than Fred and Garland is the most stupid things ever.
HE HAS ONLY PLAYED ONE GAME!

Yeah, but Kyrie has a 100% winning percentage. Who else can claim that?

[Hotshot]

DJ "Jazzy" Wilson is back:

I wonder if they will let him play in today's game. I mean he did great with little to no practice previously and considering he will be playing with the 2nd unit this time against mostly a G-league roster I think they should let him play.

DJ Wilson is a diamond in the rough that matured slowly. He was traded for by the Bucks to Houston in the PJ Tucker trade as the Bucks were going for the championship. Houston did not want to pick up his 4th year option (as it was $7 million dollars worth) and Wilson didn't exactly showed progress from year 2 to justify long term investment. Good situation for him as he is tall (6'10) - long wingpan, athletic for his size, plays good defense, can shoot and has high BBIQ which fills a whole bunch checkmarks the Raptors are looking for in recruiting players.

If it wasn't for that anchor of a contract of Dragic that keeps the Raptors hostage, they would have already sign him. If DJ wilson plays well in these 10 days they might have to let someone go. I hope it won't be like the keeping McCaw thing instead of Brissett.

[MixxAOR]

Kyrie getting more all AS votes than Fred and Garland is the most stupid things ever.
HE HAS ONLY PLAYED ONE GAME!

He used to get million votes. Drop of is crazy

[DanH]

I wonder if they will let him play in today's game. I mean he did great with little to no practice previously and considering he will be playing with the 2nd unit this time against mostly a G-league roster I think they should let him play.

DJ Wilson is a diamond in the rough that matured slowly. He was traded for by the Bucks to Houston in the PJ Tucker trade as the Bucks were going for the championship. Houston did not want to pick up his 4th year option (as it was $7 million dollars worth) and Wilson didn't exactly showed progress from year 2 to justify long term investment. Good situation for him as he is tall (6'10) - long wingpan, athletic for his size, plays good defense, can shoot and has high BBIQ which fills a whole bunch checkmarks the Raptors are looking for in recruiting players.

If it wasn't for that anchor of a contract of Dragic that keeps the Raptors hostage, they would have already sign him. If DJ wilson plays well in these 10 days they might have to let someone go. I hope it won't be like the keeping McCaw thing instead of Brissett.

They have no way to keep Wilson on a real contract (not even a real 10-day, can only do these non-cap hardship deals) until they shed salary unless they are willing to risk going into the tax - which they almost certainly are not. I suspect they give him this 10 day and then just hope he's still there to be had by the time they resolve the Dragic situation with a trade or buyout.

[Ebonhawke]

From Lowe's "10 things" article on ESPN

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...ival-cleveland

3. Here come the weird, gigantic, fascinating Toronto Raptors?


Are the Raptors secretly becoming the most interesting team in the league? They're whole again, and up to 18-17 -- tied with Cleveland in the loss column for the No. 6 spot in the East.

Nick Nurse has dispensed with centers in the starting lineup, opening with Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes next to the Gary Trent Jr./Fred VanVleet guard duo. That group is super switchable after VanVleet, and he's stronger than you think.

The Raps of late have started second and fourth quarters with this bad boy: Barnes, Anunoby, Siakam, Chris Boucher, and Precious Achiuwa. For years, fans have wondered if the future of basketball is five 6-8 dudes wrecking stuff. Hi, it's happening right now in Toronto.

It's one thing to be switchable, quite another to be switchable and huge. Offenses know how to counter switches. Those actions -- slipped screens, well-timed cuts -- open tiny passing windows before the defense completes its switch. To be a good switching team, you need help defenders fast, smart, and long enough to flash into those windows -- and then rotate back outside:

There are just arms, everywhere. Arms, arms, arms. Toronto is No. 2 in forcing turnovers, and I expect a climb up the overall defense rankings if they keep this team intact.

Switchability is helpful in transition defense, and the Raptors need to be airtight there because they bombard the offensive glass. With so many like-sized guys, they don't have to worry about finding the "right" matchups.

Nurse plays with defensive matchups in ways that help Toronto's offense. He often uses Siakam on opposing guards, leaving Barnes or Anunoby defending centers. If Toronto gets a stop, Siakam can drag that mismatch to the other end -- posting up for buckets, or sucking in help that unlocks trail 3s. (Siakam is back playing at his All-NBA level from two seasons ago.) Barnes and Anunoby can exploit those same size advantages.

Switching everything on defense doesn't help as much if the opponent can do the same against your offense. The Raptors have enough good one-on-one players to combat that.

I don't know if Masai Ujiri built toward this vision on purpose, or if it kind of cascaded from one decision to another, but I'm intrigued.

[Ebonhawke]

And

4. The sad Raptor


As the Raptors prepared to inbound in the second quarter Sunday, a repetitive thudding noise pierced Toronto's mostly empty arena -- cleared of fans under virus-related rules. The sound emanated from off camera -- a metronomic bum, bum, bum. It sounded like ... applause? But who was clapping? And why were they only clapping -- and not yelling, or shouting encouragement? Why were they so enthusiastic at such a ho-hum moment?

The camera zoomed out, revealing the source: the Raptor mascot, kneeling alone in the corner -- a showman without an audience.

What a sad symbol of these sad times.

Later in the game, the Raptor donned a dress suit and sat with Toronto's broadcast duo of Matt Devlin and Jack Armstrong. He scrawled a note, telling Devlin and Armstrong he loved them. It was a cry for help -- the scribbles of a beloved entertainer robbed of his purpose.