Next 5 games...

[Other Scott]

sorry but to try and compare the spurs with the raptors as if we have anything in common besides being 2 nba teams is just ludicrous. we are nothing like the spurs. we dont play like the spurs. we certainly aren't coached like the spurs. their 2013-2014 season start has absolutely nothing to do with us. spurs weren't in the process of 'evaluating'. regardless of how they started, they have championship pedigree and continuity in their lineup and have had so for years and years. we don't.

you're saying it takes a long time to evaluate but you've also said you knew this team was good before the season even started??

The point is that the Spurs are a good team, and they lost games to other good teams. Because all good teams lose a lot of games to other good teams.

In that sense, we are more similar to the Spurs than we are to the 2013 Raptors. Most of us are Raptors fans and don't have a good grip of how good teams perform from game to game, because it's been a long time since we had a good team. Showing that, yes, even the best team in the league will lose to other good teams and occasionally even to bad ones is meant to keep the "sky is falling because we lost more than we've won against good teams" people at bay.

EDIT: Fully just basically said exactly the same thing. That will learn me for taking 2 minutes to make a post.

[ezz_bee]

i agree with your memphis breakdown. There frontcourt is big and strong, and Conley is legit PG. Milwaukee will be a bounce back win. The Cavs game will be interesting. Toronto matches up good against the Cavs, i really like the Raps chances on pulling out the win.

Who is guarding Lebron James and Kevin Love?

This seems like a 40 minute James Johnson night lol

I don't like the match up against Cleveland at ALL. If you have JV at Center and Amir at power forward guarding Love, that's a BIG problem for our defense as Love will pull our best help defender (Amir) far away from the basket. JV will have become a better help defender to mitigate that deficiency. I think in order to be effective against the Cavs you need a frontcourt of James Johnson/Patrick Patterson(and maybe mix in some Hansborough and/or Landry Fields)/Amir Johnson on the floor. That way the 3-4 can switch and Lebron/Love pick and Amir is guarding the weakest frontcourt offensive player (Likely Tristan or Varejao) which would allow him to help on driving lanes.

BUT running that line up during the times where Love and Lebron share the court would relegate Ross and JV to back ups for those games. Not saying that's a bad thing, just that matching up well would require a significant shake up to minutes, which is why I don't think we match up well.

Hopefully, if Casey adopted that line up strategy, Ross (playing back up 2 to Derozan, or at the 3 when Lebron sits) and JV playing as soon as Love sits would allow the bench unit to kill the Cavs bench unit offensively.

[ezz_bee]

Didn't get to this thread until after the Memphis win, although I probably would have had us going 2-3 or 3-2. Now that we've beaten Memphis I'll go 2-2 over the next four. Loss against Cleveland (especially if JJ is injured), and a Loss against one of Bucks/Hawks/Suns. But that will still leave us in good shape.

I general, I am of the opinion that in order to be considered an elite team you need to consistently beat the teams that are worse than you, and split against other playoff teams. Raps, so far have managed to take care of the worse teams and are 2-2 against playoff teams (or 3-2 if you think Atl is a playoff team), with wins against the Wiz and Grizz, and loses against Heat and Bulls. Loss against the Heat was on the Road, win against Grizz was at home, but so far so good, imo.

[godkingleonidas]

I'm fairly certain Atlanta's looking for revenge. Cleveland's bench is thin & their coach is clueless so, potentially we could win this game. It's too bad JJ got hurt because, he could pester Kevin Love all over the court. Oh well. AJ vs. LeBron. Patterson vs. Love. Can Kyle bother Kyrie enough to turn him over?

[Since Day 1]

sorry but to try and compare the spurs with the raptors as if we have anything in common besides being 2 nba teams is just ludicrous. we are nothing like the spurs. we dont play like the spurs. we certainly aren't coached like the spurs. their 2013-2014 season start has absolutely nothing to do with us. spurs weren't in the process of 'evaluating'. regardless of how they started, they have championship pedigree and continuity in their lineup and have had so for years and years. we don't.

you're saying it takes a long time to evaluate but you've also said you knew this team was good before the season even started??

I wasn't comparing the Raptors to the Spurs, I just used the Spurs as an example as how loosing to elite teams doesn't mean your not a good team yourself.

I originally replyed to ball4life's comment that stated if we go 3-2 over the next 5 games he would consider the Raptors a good team. I was trying to show that our record over the next 5 doesn't mean anything.

Yes, I knew this team is good, but we don't know HOW GOOD so be patient, is all I'm saying.

[Since Day 1]

I don't think he's really comparing the two organizations as much as he's trying to make the point that perspective is important over the course of an 82 game season. We don't have to treat every loss, especially those ones to the really good teams in the NBA like the Bulls or Memphis, as a massive indictment of this basketball team. At least that's how I read it.

Good teams are going to lose to other good teams often. Hell, good teams are going to lose to bad teams more often than they technically should. I know this whole success thing is new for us Raptor fans, but if we're serious about turning the corner into one of the sounder franchises in this league than we can do our part too by not flying off the handles every time we drop a game.

And it seems like some posters who aren't that high on the team want it both ways: they downplay the 8-2 record because they haven't beaten anyone good yet but then have no problem blasting the players and coach when they lose to a team like the Bulls, even though the Raptors shouldn't have been able to beat them anyway according to them.

I'd buy you a beer if I knew you Fully!

[Since Day 1]

The point is that the Spurs are a good team, and they lost games to other good teams. Because all good teams lose a lot of games to other good teams.

In that sense, we are more similar to the Spurs than we are to the 2013 Raptors. Most of us are Raptors fans and don't have a good grip of how good teams perform from game to game, because it's been a long time since we had a good team. Showing that, yes, even the best team in the league will lose to other good teams and occasionally even to bad ones is meant to keep the "sky is falling because we lost more than we've won against good teams" people at bay.

EDIT: Fully just basically said exactly the same thing. That will learn me for taking 2 minutes to make a post.

You got it my man!!

[otiswolf1]

who's guarding Demar, Lowry and Ross. it's not like Cleveland is a defensive team. they try to out score teams and that plays into Toronto's style of play. The Raptors struggle with slow beatdown style teams like Chicago,Memphis, San Antonio. No one can guard Lebron, but Kevin Love can be guarded. this game will come down to the 4th quarter and we know how Toronto plays in the the fourth quarter #wethefourth

[JawsGT]

RE: The Cavs game. We can beat this team IMO. This is how I envision it. Amir and Patterson will guard Love. Amir has done a pretty good job in the past and I think Patterson will be alright on a stretch 4. And I really think they will stretch Love out because, as EzzBee pointed out, it drags our best help defender (Amir) out of the paint and opens the floor for LBJ and Irving. So, to start the game I'd have Ross check Irving. I think this can work because Ross is a pretty good defender against guys his size or smaller. He's quick enough to keep in front of Irving and long enough to pressure his shot. Plus Ross would be destroyed in the post by LBJ, as would Demar of course. So yeah, I'd have Lowry start the game with the task of checking Lebron. Sounds crazy I know, but I think he is much stronger than Ross in the post guarding a guy like LBJ, and can pressure him well on the perimeter. Being much smaller than LBJ, he may be able to pressure him enough and be pesky enough to force the ball out of his hands, and quick enough to keep in front of him on drives and possibly draw a charge or two. I can see Lowry frustrating LBJ. Of course, Lowry won't be able to contain him in the post, and LBJ can easily shoot over him, and there's the biggest problem. But if LBJ is the only guy scoring, I feel you have a better chance. He wants to move the ball and get his teammates involved, so any help would have to be timed well. JV would have to be smart in his rotations because Lebron can find Varejao and Thompson for easy buckets, and any misses will absolutely be gobbled up by these guys if JV is out of rebounding position due to providing help. So Demar should provide Lowry with the most help, but if my ideas play out, I'm sure the Cavs would space Lowry (LBJ) and Demar (Marion or Waiters I guess) on opposite sides of the court. In any event, if it doesn't work out you bring in JJ to check LBJ, as he is our best option anyways. But I don't think it necessary to disrupt the starting unit. Give Lowry a shot and see what happens, and if they chew us up in the first then JJ gets alot of minutes. Let's hope he's ready to go, cause either way we will need him.

I don't feel it's necessary to comment on our offence. We can score and they play poor D. They can score as well as anyone if the defence is weak, and we can play good D. The strategy employed to deal with LBJ will be interesting.

[Uncle_Si]

RE: The Cavs game. We can beat this team IMO. This is how I envision it. Amir and Patterson will guard Love. Amir has done a pretty good job in the past and I think Patterson will be alright on a stretch 4. And I really think they will stretch Love out because, as EzzBee pointed out, it drags our best help defender (Amir) out of the paint and opens the floor for LBJ and Irving. So, to start the game I'd have Ross check Irving. I think this can work because Ross is a pretty good defender against guys his size or smaller. He's quick enough to keep in front of Irving and long enough to pressure his shot. Plus Ross would be destroyed in the post by LBJ, as would Demar of course. So yeah, I'd have Lowry start the game with the task of checking Lebron. Sounds crazy I know, but I think he is much stronger than Ross in the post guarding a guy like LBJ, and can pressure him well on the perimeter. Being much smaller than LBJ, he may be able to pressure him enough and be pesky enough to force the ball out of his hands, and quick enough to keep in front of him on drives and possibly draw a charge or two. I can see Lowry frustrating LBJ. Of course, Lowry won't be able to contain him in the post, and LBJ can easily shoot over him, and there's the biggest problem. But if LBJ is the only guy scoring, I feel you have a better chance. He wants to move the ball and get his teammates involved, so any help would have to be timed well. JV would have to be smart in his rotations because Lebron can find Varejao and Thompson for easy buckets, and any misses will absolutely be gobbled up by these guys if JV is out of rebounding position due to providing help. So Demar should provide Lowry with the most help, but if my ideas play out, I'm sure the Cavs would space Lowry (LBJ) and Demar (Marion or Waiters I guess) on opposite sides of the court. In any event, if it doesn't work out you bring in JJ to check LBJ, as he is our best option anyways. But I don't think it necessary to disrupt the starting unit. Give Lowry a shot and see what happens, and if they chew us up in the first then JJ gets alot of minutes. Let's hope he's ready to go, cause either way we will need him.

I don't feel it's necessary to comment on our offence. We can score and they play poor D. They can score as well as anyone if the defence is weak, and we can play good D. The strategy employed to deal with LBJ will be interesting.

Pardon? 6' 200lb Lowry on 6'8 250lb LeBron Aka best player in the world? That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

[DanH]

Pardon? 6' 200lb Lowry on 6'8 250lb LeBron Aka best player in the world? That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

I've heard crazier. But I agree - Lowry on Irving, Ross on LBJ.

[Dino4life]

Pardon? 6' 200lb Lowry on 6'8 250lb LeBron Aka best player in the world? That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

What could be possibly go wrong ? you're overreacting

[Uncle_Si]

What could be possibly go wrong ? you're overreacting

Awesome