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Top 10 in Offense and Defense

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  • #16
    I still don't like the offensive system was just pointing out that were top 10 in both. Makes me feel a little bit comfortable in the playoffs because even if our offense struggles which it inevitably will we can play good enough defense to grind out wins potentially which was absolutely not the case last season

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

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    • #17
      JWash wrote: View Post
      Why is this a problem... Nobody thinks we can beat Cleveland unless lebron channels his 2011 finals.

      Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
      Actually, I think a lot of people are kind of wait-and-see on if the Raps can even win a first round matchup in the playoffs against anybody. The RR "expert" round-table weighs in on that topic....

      5. This team will mostly only be measured by whether or not they win a playoff series. Has your confidence level in them doing so changed since the start of the season?

      Blake Murphy: My confidence is probably slightly higher. The defense came together more quickly than I expected, even with Carroll struggling and missing time, and the fact that they’ve won a few tough games solely on their defense is encouraging. Being able to play both ends makes them a little bit more matchup-proof (though the East is probably still going to come down to matchups). I probably would have put their odds of making the second round a shade below 50 percent before the season, and now I’d probably go a shade above. That might seem too negative still, but there’s still a lot to prove in a jumbled conference.

      Zarar Siddiqi: No. That needle hasn’t shifted. I can’t pick a single playoff team in the conference right now where you’d, without hesitation, say the Raptors would win that series.

      Gavin MacPherson: My confidence in them may have shifted a little bit but I’m still not convinced they can get it done. Casey seems improved this year but it’s hard to ignore the fact that the was badly outcoached in consecutive first round upsets. The offensive strategy is still exactly what a quality defense wants to go up against and the mental toughness of players like Ross and Patterson is still very much in question. Right now I don’t think anyone will sweep them but I don’t think they stand a chance against the Cavs, Bulls, Heat or Hawks in a 7 game series and would struggle with the Pacers or Pistons.

      Kiyan Sobhani: The Raptors are more equipped as a team to get to the second round this season, but so is the rest of the East, which somewhat counteracts that. If the Raptors face someone like Miami, I have huge doubts if they can overcome a 7-game series with an experienced and rejuvenated Heat team. Will Carroll be not only back, but back to his best? That’s a huge factor.

      Tamberlyn Richardson: Honestly one recent response increased my belief exponentially. The sarcasm and commitment to why he performed the way he did spoke volumes for me. The other night during the broadcast I found a fact they dropped very telling: Only 3 teams have remained above .500 every day for the past 2 seasons (Golden State, Chicago, and Toronto). I would have bet money the Spurs were one of the 3, but that speaks to the franchises commitment to improve. The fact the past two post seasons get lumped together annoys me because we were ONE PLAY from making the second round in 2014 which is a far cry from being swept. I’d rather the years were reversed, but I do feel more confident this team is headed in the right direction than I did last season.

      Michael Holian: I predicted a playoff series win in the Roundtable before the season started and my confidence has not wavered. We’ve yet to see this squad operate with their optimal lineup in place for a prolonged period of time. Only time will tell whether that ultimately proves worthy of advancing into Round 2 but now is not the time to change my beliefs. Even if a move is not made to improve the roster, the eventual return of DeMarre Carroll can essentially be viewed as a trade acquisition. Their track record makes it easy to have doubts, but the first half of the year has provided a sufficient amount of reasons to think they’ll get over the hump.

      Shyam Baskaran: Hasn’t changed much. The Raptors lost in 2014 because it was their first experience in a long time, and they just fell short to a Nets squad with a wealth of playoff experience. And last year, the sheer exhaustion of Lowry late in the season and lack of offensive ball movement killed the Raptors, against a Wizards team that peaked at the right moment with John Wall playing some of the best ball of his career. This year, the east is much improved and while the Raptors seem better on paper, only time will tell if a) the Raptors can improve their standing in the conference for better seeding and home court advantage, and b) if they match up well against the opponent they end up paired with. At the beginning of the season and now, I still feel that we’ve got a slightly better chance this year at a first-round win than the in past 2 years. But that can change quickly.

      Nick Reynoldson: If we have a fully healthy squad. We got this. If not, depending on the injured party…The brooms could come out again.

      Tim Chisholm: No. I expected them to have a shot to win a series at the start of the season and I think that they have a shot now, but the team’s toughness comes and goes, and that is a big concern and a reason why it’s hard to peg them as a shoo-in for the second round. They may well win a series as constructed if they get the right matchup, but at this point you’d like to feel more certain considering where they are meant to be on their growth curve. You don’t mortgage the farm to get a slight bump this year, but you can’t let the inaction of a season ago repeat itself, either, with the east looking improved and the stakes involved for many being so high in this upcoming postseason.


      http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2016/...ors-midseason/

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      • #18
        I'm impressed, but I know it won't matter unless it translates to playoff sucess, for most fans.

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        • #19
          This team will have a much better playoff showing if they're healthy and continue to play the smarter basketball we've seen the last couple of months as well as the defense that's improved so much over last season's. If DeMar and Lowry revert to hero mode and force the ISO offense, the Raps are screwed.

          Does this defense have an extra playoff gear? Even during the regular season you'll see good teams crank it up for a few minutes or a quarter to put a team away, and you know that's what they're capable of.
          "We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard

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          • #20
            JWash wrote: View Post
            I still don't like the offensive system was just pointing out that were top 10 in both. Makes me feel a little bit comfortable in the playoffs because even if our offense struggles which it inevitably will we can play good enough defense to grind out wins potentially which was absolutely not the case last season

            Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
            This is a huge difference over last year's team and part of the reason they were within one FGM of the second round the year before. There were some ugly games & quarters in that Brooklyn series, and the defense kept them in it.
            "We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard

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            • #21
              Told ya.

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              • #22
                Almost no teams can consistently produce efficient offense in the playoffs over the course of 7 games against elite defense. That is why it's imperative for teams to be good on both ends so that if one falls apart you have some sort of fallback option.

                Not saying it guarantees any kind of playoff success but it definitely makes it more likely. Last year we were basically going to need lowry or dd or Jonas to play like a superstar for us to win.

                Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

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                • #23
                  S.R. wrote: View Post
                  This team will have a much better playoff showing if they're healthy and continue to play the smarter basketball we've seen the last couple of months as well as the defense that's improved so much over last season's. If DeMar and Lowry revert to hero mode and force the ISO offense, the Raps are screwed.

                  Does this defense have an extra playoff gear? Even during the regular season you'll see good teams crank it up for a few minutes or a quarter to put a team away, and you know that's what they're capable of.
                  If it does, I don't think we see it until everyone is healthy and back on the court together.

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                  • #24
                    Barolt wrote: View Post
                    The problem is, Cleveland was missing Kyrie for most of the season so far, and has been miles better with him. The Warriors and Spurs might have the best offense and best defense ever, respectively.
                    That is going to be a money match up in the playoffs.
                    "My biggest concern as a coach is to not confuse winning with progress." - Steve Kerr
                    "If it's unacceptable in defeat, it's unacceptable in victory." - Jeff Van Gundy

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                    • #25
                      Just Is wrote: View Post
                      That is going to be a money match up in the playoffs.
                      Man, I hope we get Spurs/Warriors in the playoffs. There's a chance OKC or LAC knock off one of them, but Spurs/Warriors could be one of the best series ever.
                      twitter.com/anthonysmdoyle

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                      • #26
                        Barolt wrote: View Post
                        Man, I hope we get Spurs/Warriors in the playoffs. There's a chance OKC or LAC knock off one of them, but Spurs/Warriors could be one of the best series ever.
                        I'm not sure about LAC (even prior to this current season; that Houston series...) but OKC is the dark horse in terms of knocking one or both of them out (as they are the most likely to have to actually beat both to make it to the finals). I think what's more likely is that whatever team faces OKC in the semis loses to the other.
                        "My biggest concern as a coach is to not confuse winning with progress." - Steve Kerr
                        "If it's unacceptable in defeat, it's unacceptable in victory." - Jeff Van Gundy

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                        • #27
                          golden wrote: View Post
                          Actually, I think a lot of people are kind of wait-and-see on if the Raps can even win a first round matchup in the playoffs against anybody. The RR "expert" round-table weighs in on that topic....

                          http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2016/...ors-midseason/
                          I posted almost word for word the same thing that Zarar said recently (couple of weeks ago maybe?).

                          In my books, we are a coin flip prediction at best.
                          Heir, Prince of Cambridge

                          If you see KeonClark in the wasteland, please share your food and water with him.

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                          • #28
                            My optimism dies when I see Kyle and Demar playing 39 minutes against the Sixers.

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                            • #29
                              Jangles wrote: View Post
                              My optimism dies when I see Kyle and Demar playing 39 minutes against the Sixers.
                              Lowry averages 34.3 MPG in 3 games against Philly this year.
                              Heir, Prince of Cambridge

                              If you see KeonClark in the wasteland, please share your food and water with him.

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                              • #30
                                They're obviously coasting against the Sixers. It's their own damn fault (though I doubt they personally feel a huge incentive to bust their ass to get their young teammates some reps).
                                Two beer away from being two beers away.

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