Raptors Collapse Continues....

[CalgaryRapsFan]

The Raptors have a loosing record against teams over .500. They never were as good as their record out of the gate seemed to indicate to casual fans. Take away the overblown hype and they've always been a middle-of-the-pack team, relative to the entire league; no collapse, they just happen to play in a horrendous division in a terrible conference.

[MixxAOR]

The Raptors have a loosing record against teams over .500. They never were as good as their record out of the gate seemed to indicate to casual fans. Take away the overblown hype and they've always been a middle-of-the-pack team, relative to the entire league; no collapse, they just happen to play in a horrendous division in a terrible conference.

aka Pretenders

[KeonClark]

As long as we have Demar Derozan and Dwane Casey, this team is going to flounder. I'm starting to calm around to this collapse shit, they are both sapping the impact of promising young players like JV and 2Pat. Demar Derozan has gotten so cocky since he got his bogus all star and team USA bullshit. It just will not cease to amaze me that they can watch the success of Golden State, Atlanta, San Antonio, etc and still not PASS THE FUCKING BALL! Dribble dribble clank dur dur shots i normally make fuck sakes

[JimiCliff]

Great post game from Grange: http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/n...finition-ugly/

Some of his numbers really make Kerr's impact pop.

Interesting article. First time I've seen a reporter imply that Casey should be fired.

And starts the article off by directly contradicting one of the coach's game assessments. This is Casey responding to Grange's question about whether Demar was forcing things early on (this isn't in the article; it's from the scrum):

Well, (Demar) was in motion, I thought he had some good looks, Michael. I thought he had some good clean looks and he just missed them...I thought Kyle also had good looks in the first quarter, but for whatever reason, they weren't faling.

Then, from Grange's article; right near the top, the first game analysis he makes:

This was not a case of a team missing makeable shots. This was a case of a team consistently forcing the ball into the teeth of a very good defence and missing one highly contested shot after another.

[psrs1]

The Raptors have a loosing record against teams over .500. They never were as good as their record out of the gate seemed to indicate to casual fans. Take away the overblown hype and they've always been a middle-of-the-pack team, relative to the entire league; no collapse, they just happen to play in a horrendous division in a terrible conference.

Relative to where they were prior to folding at the end of December they have collapsed. Overall they are a 4/5. seed middle of the pack team. They certainly like to torment their fans.

[mcHAPPY]

Interesting article. First time I've seen a reporter imply that Casey should be fired.

And starts the article off by directly contradicting one of the coach's game assessments. This is Casey responding to Grange's question about whether Demar was forcing things early on (this isn't in the article; it's from the scrum):



Then, from Grange's article; right near the top, the first game analysis he makes:

Casey is done.

These guys don't start questioning and contradicting unless they know the eventual result.

They have too much to lose to speculate and share contradictory opinions as a casual fan or blogger does.

This is my opinion. Don't treat as fact.

[psrs1]

Casey is done.

These guys don't start questioning and contradicting unless they know the eventual result.

They have too much to lose to speculate and share contradictory opinions as a casual fan or blogger does.

This is my opinion. Don't treat as fact.

Wow. Though I know you said not to treat as fact I think a lot of posters , myself included , would give a high degree if credence to what you' say Matt.

[white men can't jump]

Casey is done.

These guys don't start questioning and contradicting unless they know the eventual result.

They have too much to lose to speculate and share contradictory opinions as a casual fan or blogger does.

This is my opinion. Don't treat as fact.

I won't treat as fact but it is an interesting point. We all know the guys covering the team rarely write anything negative, and Grange is arguably the biggest "yes man" among them all. If he's writing critical pieces, maybe there is some sense that it's fair game now. That management is not happy with the on court product, and know that the system/coach is the major issue.

[Demographic Shift]

This is going to be worth the price of addmission listening to someone explain why its not an offesive foul but rather a block when Lebron pushes off on each and every drive to the basket.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12...s-crunch-calls

ESPN NEW YORK -- The NBA will begin revealing whether it determined referees' crunch-time calls to be right or wrong.

Starting Monday and continuing throughout the playoffs, the league will release play-by-play reports of all calls and relevant no-calls in the final minutes of close games. Such information had been shared only internally.

[psrs1]

This is going to be worth the price of addmission listening to someone explain why its not an offesive foul but rather a block when Lebron pushes off on each and every drive to the basket.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12...s-crunch-calls

ESPN NEW YORK -- The NBA will begin revealing whether it determined referees' crunch-time calls to be right or wrong.

Starting Monday and continuing throughout the playoffs, the league will release play-by-play reports of all calls and relevant no-calls in the final minutes of close games. Such information had been shared only internally.

Wow that is great news. Finally some accountability to the fans.

[Scraptor]

Casey is done.

These guys don't start questioning and contradicting unless they know the eventual result.

They have too much to lose to speculate and share contradictory opinions as a casual fan or blogger does.

This is my opinion. Don't treat as fact.

I wish this were true.

If the season were to end today, I think Casey might be on the hot seat. But all it will take is one playoff series win and I bet Masai brings him back again for continuity's sake.

[Primer]

Great post game from Grange: http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/n...finition-ugly/

Some of his numbers really make Kerr's impact pop.

Some good quotes from the article:

But they’ve been slipping, badly of late. They are 24th in the NBA for the month of February on offence in part because of scouting reports like the ones the Warriors had in their dressing room that noted the Raptors quickly devolve into one-on-one play when challenged.

Quite simply the Warriors have given themselves over to the idea that passing the ball as often and efficiently as possible is a great way to play basketball.

The Raptors don’t do this very much. They pass the ball 281 times a game, which is 25th in the NBA and they are second in the NBA in pull-up jumpers – by definition a contested shot — which they convert at just 34 percent.

There is hope. Last season Warriors passed the ball less than any other team in the NBA, averaging 245.8 per game, this season they average 314 passes a game, which is good for eighth in the league.
Improving their ball movement was the single biggest adjustment rookie head coach Steve Kerr pushed for when he took over from Mark Jackson who was fired in the off-season. Despite the Warriors high level of skill they were only 12th in the NBA in offensive efficiency and forcing their offence was identified as a reason why.

[TheWaterboy]

What is happening now is the result of a combination of mental fatigue and bad habits.

Mental fatigue exists and is real because this is the first full season at which this team has been playing together at a high intensity level, exacerbated by the absence of Derozan due to injury. Don't forget that the Raptors only put together a high-powered record for about 2/3 of last season, and that their newfound post-trade chemistry caught enough teams by surprise that they could up their intensity as last season progressed.

Bad habits are on the coaching staff, though. They wouldn't matter so much without the mental fatigue, but they are going to matter even more come playoff time. If the Raptors can't find some way to start breaking their bad habits over the next three weeks, they are going to be eaten alive in the second round of the playoffs (assuming they make it that far).

[psrs1]

Tonight's game is the low point of the season. We have collapsed. MU really needs to thinks about teasing the market for DD.

[raptors999]

Tonight's game is the low point of the season. We have collapsed. MU really needs to thinks about teasing the market for DD.

No trades fire Casery then evaluate