Casey has fixed the defense

[Axel]

Sure we do. Lowry's maturity and change is well documented and he is enjoying being the best player and leader on a winning team now. Why is it so much to ask that of JJ to play within the system of a team?

He passes the ball on offence, so Casey might as well sit him for not following the team's system on offence.

[Mediumcore]

Well for one, I don't believe that we need 2 PGs on the floor at the same time. It's not like we have 2 great PG talents that need minutes. GV & Lou is our 2nd (and 4th) most used lineup, GV & KL is our third.

So, there are minutes available right there.

JJs offence has also been good this year. He isn't forcing treys, but is rather getting inside and shooting a high %. Considering the ugliness of our offence this year, I find it hard to believe minutes are that hard to come by.

If for example either DD or Ross could handle the ball then I don't think you would need to have two PG's on floor at the same time but it's easy to trap the single ball handler on the floor and force it out of their hands. Teams have scouted us and know which players on the floor can do what. And I too like what JJ has done on offence at times, but keep in mind it's a really small sample size. If he were a known quantity in the NBA by getting more minutes, teams would be planning for him and locking him up easily.

[Mediumcore]

He passes the ball on offence, so Casey might as well sit him for not following the team's system on offence.

LOL, well played

[Axel]

If for example either DD or Ross could handle the ball then I don't think you would need to have two PG's on floor at the same time but it's easy to trap the single ball handler on the floor and force it out of their hands. Teams have scouted us and know which players on the floor can do what. And I too like what JJ has done on offence at times, but keep in mind it's a really small sample size. If he were a known quantity in the NBA by getting more minutes, teams would be planning for him and locking him up easily.

Really, full court traps are a significant issue for us? I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a trap in the NBA. A single ball handler should be able to make a passing lane to get the ball over half, regardless of any trap. DD doesn't have great handles, but I'm pretty sure both him and Ross can dribble the ball 10 feet to get it over mid-court.

[caccia]

That is my issue.

I don't get the picking and choosing of who to punish or call out.

Seems like JJ is doing too much of what Casey wants while the others are not doing enough.

Coach Casey runs the team with a double standard. If you are James Johnson or Tyler Hansbrough and you make one mistake, out you go, often for the rest of the game. Or if you have a great game, you are not rewarded in the next one. If you are DeMar DeRozan and shooting 2-9 in the first half and allowing a layup line on defence, the coach trots you out there in the second half and watches it happen all over again.

I know that NBA basketball is not truly a meritocracy, but the unfairness of the double standards is not only galling, it hurts the team. If I were Greg Stiemsma, I would wonder why I do not get a chance to show what I could do against Andre Drummond? It's almost as if the coach decided, "He may be on my team, but I do not have to play him."

[Mediumcore]

Really, full court traps are a significant issue for us? I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a trap in the NBA. A single ball handler should be able to make a passing lane to get the ball over half, regardless of any trap. DD doesn't have great handles, but I'm pretty sure both him and Ross can dribble the ball 10 feet to get it over mid-court.

It's one small aspect, but one of many of having only one ball handler on the floor. Unless it's one pass and shoot for every posession you are gonna want to have multiple guys that can handle the ball on the floor.

Also, come playoff time you see a lot more planning for team weaknesses and traps do become a larger part of the game.

[Axel]

It's one small aspect, but one of many of havine only one ball handler on the floor. Unless it's one pass and shoot for every posession you are gonna want to have multiple guys that can handle the ball on the floor.

Also, come playoff time you see a lot more planning for team weaknesses and traps do become a larger part of the game.

Ummmm...that kind of describes our offence pretty well. Just add in "dribble the clock down" and you're bang on.

Ok, but we aren't talking about playoffs, we are talking about right now, and can you honestly remember the last time you saw a trap in the NBA? I seriously can't.

If that is the best justification that exists for why JJ is 9th on the team in MPG, then clearly something is wrong.

[Bendit]

Well, it's settled then?

JJ 1 - DC 0

Am really impressed with way JJ is handling the controversy swirl around him. He will benefit from this going forward whether with the Raptors or the next team.

DC must really be feeling the pressure to have to publicly air out a single player for an entire team-defense meltdown.

Does anyone know when was the last time that JJ's primary defensive check lit up the Raptors? How often has this happened this season?

[JimiCliff]

Dude I'm not arguing with you weather JJ is a good defender or not. He's the best on the team. What I'm saying is he can play better. The only reason he's on the team is for defence ! I'm glad he's doing his one job !

But, he can still be better, I've noticed it and I don't know if you haven't, but sometimes he's not doing his one job to the best of his abilities. he sometimes switches on every screen, over helps leading to a dump off or open three. Gv isn't in the team for defence, he has a role of just shooting.

And the reson gv plays more minutes is because he's one of the only 2 pgs on the team smh. Of coUrse one of them is always gonna be in the floor...

In terms of your last point:

Lowry plays 35 min per game.

GV plays 25 mins per game.

That equals 60; there are, as we all know, 48 total per game at the pg position. Playing backup point is NOT why GV plays so much.

He plays so much because Casey is very aware that GV is one of Masai's guys, and has been for years. Masai scouted him before college I believe, and wanted him on the Nuggets before getting him here. most likely there isn't much the guy could do to get benched.

[JimiCliff]

Well, it's settled then?

JJ 1 - DC 0

Am really impressed with way JJ is handling the controversy swirl around him. He will benefit from this going forward whether with the Raptors or the next team.

DC must really be feeling the pressure to have to publicly air out a single player for an entire team-defense meltdown.

Does anyone know when was the last time that JJ's primary defensive check lit up the Raptors? How often has this happened this season?

As far as I remember it happened once, and it was fucking Lebron.

[mcHAPPY]

As far as I remember it happened once, and it was fucking Lebron.

That is no excuse. /pinkDat

[white men can't jump]

In terms of your last point:

Lowry plays 35 min per game.

GV plays 25 mins per game.

That equals 60; there are, as we all know, 48 total per game at the pg position. Playing backup point is NOT why GV plays so much.

He plays so much because Casey is very aware that GV is one of Masai's guys, and has been for years. Masai scouted him before college I believe, and wanted him on the Nuggets before getting him here. most likely there isn't much the guy could do to get benched.

I don't think this has anything to do with it. I really don't know if Masai meddles, but I really don't get the impression that he interferes in any way, and that he wants the coach to feel free to coach the way they see fit.

I think Casey values ballhandling and shooting more than anything, and also vets over youngsters. So Greivis ends up getting lots of minutes, as does Lou, even though they're both streaky players who offer little in terms of all-around 2-way game. And guys like Ross and JJ get jerked around...basically because they're not vets and because their game isn't as suited to hero-ball.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Yes I suppose in some ways it could. As per Axel's post though I believe it is quite obvious that it isn't.

As per Yaba's post about how much better he could be: you don't bench someone who's already the best on your team because you think he can be better. You play him and tell him he can better, aka positive reinforcement, and try to help him.

I definitely agree on the bold. I argued the same approach for JV and Ross going back to last season.

All I was saying is that I totally understand DC wanting to resolve a problem that has consistently been an issue going back to JJ's first time with the Raptors.

I wasn't commenting on the approach taken to resolve the problem, or JJ's overall defensive abilities/results, or comparing JJ and other players, etc... I was really just commenting on a particular issue in a vacuum.

[Axel]

I definitely agree on the bold. I argued the same approach for JV and Ross going back to last season.

All I was saying is that I totally understand DC wanting to resolve a problem that has consistently been an issue going back to JJ's first time with the Raptors.

I wasn't commenting on the approach taken to resolve the problem, or JJ's overall defensive abilities/results, or comparing JJ and other players, etc... I was really just commenting on a particular issue in a vacuum.

But is it really a problem? He's still the best defender, despite this notion, which I'm not fully convinced exists at this point. Casey might just be cutting off his own nose to spite his face at this point.

[S.R.]

I don't think this has anything to do with it. I really don't know if Masai meddles, but I really don't get the impression that he interferes in any way, and that he wants the coach to feel free to coach the way they see fit.

I think Casey values ballhandling and shooting more than anything, and also vets over youngsters. So Greivis ends up getting lots of minutes, as does Lou, even though they're both streaky players who offer little in terms of all-around 2-way game. And guys like Ross and JJ get jerked around...basically because they're not vets and because their game isn't as suited to hero-ball.

Definitely.

For whatever reason, Casey always has a core group who are "his guys" who just get minutes regardless of performance. Last year that included Salmons, which drove everybody nuts. This year it's Lowry, DD, Lou, GV, Amir, PP and to a lesser extent Ross and Hansbrough.

But at the core of it is the fact that Casey loves those guards and needs good spacing for them - especially for DeMar. Hasn't he said that's one of the problems with playing JJ over PP or Amir? The media has certainly commented on it, and I think I've heard it from team sources. Basically giving DeMar space to dribble into three defenders and pump fake four times is a higher priority than getting the team's defence out of the bottom third of the league.

I'm exaggerating, obviously, but I've got the same basic beef as many of you. Certain guys on the roster have a limitless leash while other guys get sporadic minutes and regular benchings for not pleasing the coach. It would be one thing if the guys with the leash were All-NBA, but they aren't, and the guys who are getting benched are strong in some of the areas that this team is the weakest (rebounding, defence), while the guys with the limitless leash are the key contributors to some of this team's most glaring weaknesses (minimal ball movement, low FG%, bad defence, poor rebounding).