Raptors Collapse Continues....

[psrs1]

Eerily reminiscent of how the Pacers limped into the playoffs last season.

Great analogy.

[Zainab]

Something BIG is going to happen this off season. Book it.

The Leafs and Raptors are tanking at the same time

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) March 2, 2015

[golden]

Is it just me or has Open Gym lost its edge this year? Seems much more PR than behind the scenes this year.

Open Gym is now sponsored by Bell instead of Blackberry, so I guess that was to be expected.

[Scraptor]

Eerily reminiscent of how the Pacers limped into the playoffs last season.

We're nowhere near that level of dysfunction yet. In that locker room there was at least one fistfight, some tawdry rumors, Lance Stephenson being a big distraction, and Roy Hibbert having one of the most confounding single season meltdowns of all time.

This is a slump, but it's more about:
a) the schedule getting tougher after an easy early start
b) other teams scouting our game plan, and our coaches AND our players not making adjustments

[rightsideup]

I can't believe we lost to the knicks LMAO AHAHAHAHAA. I just got home and saw that and even I was in disbelief. I really hope mcHAPPY is right man. Casey and DD got to go. Or at least Casey. This team is such a complete mess and what's worse is NO one thinks anything they're doing is wrong. The only person who has a brain is Patterson. Derozan and Casey both just think they need to play harder. I don't even care about what this team does for the rest of the season and playoffs. I just want the offseason to hurry up because this team is doing absolutely nothing in the playoffs. They are just so easy to guard. Yes there is fatigue but are our guys like the most unfit team in the NBA? Because it seems like we let fatigue fuck us up way more than any other team in the playoff race right now.

Not that I am defending our team but their are no nights off in the nba. The knicks just beat the pistons and their roster is auditioning for jobs. having said that every one in foul trouble in the front court was a cause for concern, lack of ball movement as well.

[MixxAOR]

I can't believe we lost to the knicks LMAO AHAHAHAHAA. I just got home and saw that and even I was in disbelief. I really hope mcHAPPY is right man. Casey and DD got to go. Or at least Casey. This team is such a complete mess and what's worse is NO one thinks anything they're doing is wrong. The only person who has a brain is Patterson. Derozan and Casey both just think they need to play harder. I don't even care about what this team does for the rest of the season and playoffs. I just want the offseason to hurry up because this team is doing absolutely nothing in the playoffs. They are just so easy to guard. Yes there is fatigue but are our guys like the most unfit team in the NBA? Because it seems like we let fatigue fuck us up way more than any other team in the playoff race right now.

thats a goddamn lie

[godkingleonidas]

The 20th anniversary Toronto Raptors = The 1976 Bad News Bears.

[ezz_bee]

The 20th anniversary Toronto Raptors = The 1976 Bad News Bears.

Jews, Spics, Niggers, and now a girl!?!?!

What are the odds you could make a PG-13 trailer with that line in it these days?

Maybe we should sign Maya Moore to a 10-day?

[GLF]

Someone said it on the front page in the comments but I have been thinking this for a while as well. One of the biggest reasons why we have been playing like shit for a good month to 2 months now is because Lowry has been shit for a while. We go as Lowry goes and it seems since Lowry has fallen off a cliff so has our team. There are obviously a lot of other little things that have been a problem but at the end of the day we are really playing any different now than we were early on in the season when we were winning. What HAS changed though is how Lowry is playing. Another issue I think is that teams have figured us out and we have not adjusted. That's where the blame falls on Casey. How are we going to have any type of success in the playoffs in teams have already figured us out and learned to stop us since like January. But anyway I think those are the two main reasons we are losing now. Because we have been taking bad shots and not moving the ball since the season started but we were winning a lot early on, so that can't be the reason.

[S.R.]

Someone said it on the front page in the comments but I have been thinking this for a while as well. One of the biggest reasons why we have been playing like shit for a good month to 2 months now is because Lowry has been shit for a while. We go as Lowry goes and it seems since Lowry has fallen off a cliff so has our team. There are obviously a lot of other little things that have been a problem but at the end of the day we are really playing any different now than we were early on in the season when we were winning. What HAS changed though is how Lowry is playing. Another issue I think is that teams have figured us out and we have not adjusted. That's where the blame falls on Casey. How are we going to have any type of success in the playoffs in teams have already figured us out and learned to stop us since like January. But anyway I think those are the two main reasons we are losing now. Because we have been taking bad shots and not moving the ball since the season started but we were winning a lot early on, so that can't be the reason.

These issues are definitely all connected. Lowry hit the wall earlier trying to compensate for DeMar's absence in December, but DeMar looks exhausted now, too. Both of these guys have taken more bad shots and been worse decision makers as they've gotten more tired. Casey's responsibility lies in not identifying this, not demanding good decision-making and good shots regardless of the situation (that "DeMar needs someone to put an arm around him right now" BS), and giving the guards a long leash when it turns out these guys still need mentoring, coaching, and accountability. It's also on Casey that, like you said, he hasn't adjusted. That he's still allowing the guards to to iso when other teams have figured out how to defend them isn't helping the guards at all - they need their coach to be more demanding.

This team is talented enough to be a lot better. I don't really hate/blame any of the players, even though MU still needs to improve the roster in the coming seasons. So much of this lies ultimately at the feet of the head coach, and GS is a great example of how quickly some of these style of play issues can be resolved through a coaching change.

[Axel]

Shot Differential (FGA vs Opp FGA) by month
Nov +4.0
Dec +2.6
Jan +0.3
Feb -2.5

Assists down by about 4 per game in Feb from season average.

Turnovers in Jan/Feb is higher by about 3 per game.

FG% by month
Nov 45.59%
Dec 47.16%
Jan 45.52%
Feb 41.82%

The lack of ball movement is making it harder for us to get shots off, resulting in fewer as well as tougher shots. Until the ball starts moving, this team isn't likely to get things going again.

[Bendit]

What are the odds you could make a PG-13 trailer with that line in it these days?

Maybe we should sign Maya Moore to a 10-day?

LOL. PG13? The movie wouldn't have made it with that line past the script vetting stage. What happened to a LGBT slag?

[S.R.]

Shot Differential (FGA vs Opp FGA) by month
Nov +4.0
Dec +2.6
Jan +0.3
Feb -2.5

Assists down by about 4 per game in Feb from season average.

Turnovers in Jan/Feb is higher by about 3 per game.

FG% by month
Nov 45.59%
Dec 47.16%
Jan 45.52%
Feb 41.82%

The lack of ball movement is making it harder for us to get shots off, resulting in fewer as well as tougher shots. Until the ball starts moving, this team isn't likely to get things going again.

Would love to hear Casey, Lowry, and DD reference some of these issues specifically. Really discouraging to hear Casey make "just need to try harder" type comments.

[Axel]

Would love to hear Casey, Lowry, and DD reference some of these issues specifically. Really discouraging to hear Casey make "just need to try harder" type comments.

I think the media is finally coming around and will hopefully start pressing a bit harder in post-game. Kid gloves should be off by now.

[Axel]

I think this is honestly how I see DD playing the game right now.



Yes, it is that bad.