GAME #47 - Detroit Pistons 107 - Toronto Raptors 111

[Barolt]

No, I don't. Its a collective effort. The 3 you just mention do play a big role though.

One question, do you have any issue with your coach saying that our point guard 'should only look for others if he has to'? Are you totally ok with that statement coming out of our coach's mouth?

[Chr1s1anL]

There are plenty of valid criticisms of Casey without having to make things up, that was my point.

Seriously making something out of nothing.

[Chr1s1anL]

One question, do you have any issue with your coach saying that our point guard 'should only look for others if he has to'? Are you totally ok with that statement coming out of our coach's mouth?

Cory had the hot hand. I don't see a problem with coach telling him to be more aggressive.

[Barolt]

Cory had the hot hand. I don't see a problem with coach telling him to be more aggressive.

Again, NOONE has any issue with Casey saying for Cory to be aggressive. Literally no one has challenged that statement. EVERYONE wants Cory to be aggressive. You can be aggressive and still pass the ball though. The question is, are you ok with him saying that Cory should only pass as a last resort?

[Chr1s1anL]

Again, NOONE has any issue with Casey saying for Cory to be aggressive. Literally no one has challenged that statement. EVERYONE wants Cory to be aggressive. You can be aggressive and still pass the ball though. The question is, are you ok with him saying that Cory should only pass as a last resort?

When you play with other players that cant get their own shot and the best way for them to get open is off your penetration. Than, no I don't have a problem with it.

[hotfuzz]

It's hard to argue that last night was one of those games where Lowry and DeMar needed to be held accountable for some awful decision making.

Of course, instead if you read any Toronto media right now it's talking about how Ross and Patterson had bad games, and DeMar was amazing and scored 29 points, with a gif of the dunk(which was nice). Ross literally had 11 touches last night, how the hell was he supposed to score?

Cory had the hot hand. I don't see a problem with coach telling him to be more aggressive.

You seriously don't see a problem with the coach telling a POINT GUARD to not look for other scorers? Wow! I don't even know what to say.

[golden]

http://www.nba.com/raptors/video

He said Cory's got to 'continue to be aggressive and not look for other people unless he has to'. People still want to contend that it's not Casey's fault we don't pass?

I was at the game last night, and you could sense the Raps going into "close-out the game mode" around the 4-5 minute mark, which meant both Lowry and CoJo started to run more clock and stopped attacking the rim at the first possible opportunity. As soon as you start running clock, you are automatically being less aggressive and consciously trying to protect the ball, so there's bit of a contradiction there. Would be interesting to know what the coaching staff is telling our PGs to do at the end of games, because running clock and setting up a half-court offense just opens up the team for turnovers, since they are not used to that style, while the other team is cranking up the intensity.

Basically, the Raps team has now learned how to move and react based on the un-predictability of Lowry, DD and CoJo drives and being aggressive. I was watching a lot of Scola off-the-ball movement and it's obvious why he's so valuable in the starting lineup with this group - he can almost anticipate a broken play and is almost always in perfect position for a Lowry/DD bailout to keep the possession alive, or get an OREB. It's all about reading and reacting to Lowry, DD & CoJo - kind of a dribble-drive-scramble offense.

[Barolt]

I was at the game last night, and you could sense the Raps going into "close-out the game mode" around the 4-5 minute mark, which meant both Lowry and CoJo started to run more clock and stopped attacking the rim at the first possible opportunity. As soon as you start running clock, you are automatically being less aggressive, so there's bit of a contradiction there. Would be interesting to know what the coaching staff is telling our PGs to do at the end of games, because running clock and setting up a half-court offense just opens up the team for turnovers, since their not used to that style, while the other team is cranking up the intensity.

Basically, the Raps team has now learned how to move and react based on the un-predictability of Lowry, DD and CoJo drives and being aggressive. I was watching a lot of Scola off-the-ball movement and it's obvious why he's so valuable in the starting lineup with this group - he can almost anticipate a broken play and is almost always in perfect position for a Lowry/DD bailout to keep the possession alive, or get an OREB. It's all about reading and reacting to Lowry, DD & CoJo - kind of a dribble-drive-scramble offense.

Personally, I hate this mentality. Even the teams that people think worked like this, didn't work like this. The Jordan Bulls and the Kobe Lakers worked on the idea of being a team, and sometimes that means Jordan/Kobe take a tough shot because that's the best shot that you can get, but sometimes that means, even at the end of games, you let a Robert Horry, a John Paxson, a Derek Fisher take that big shot. Because 5 players working together is always better than one player trying to do it himself.

[special1]

GAME #47 - Pistons (25-22) at Raptors (31-15); Saturday Jan. 30th at 6:30PM o...

Personally, I hate this mentality. Even the teams that people think worked like this, didn't work like this. The Jordan Bulls and the Kobe Lakers worked on the idea of being a team, and sometimes that means Jordan/Kobe take a tough shot because that's the best shot that you can get, but sometimes that means, even at the end of games, you let a Robert Horry, a John Paxson, a Derek Fisher take that big shot. Because 5 players working together is always better than one player trying to do it himself.

Demar passed to Cory Joseph for the game winner vs. Washington....

Also, all those guys were super clutch players.

I think if you ask Demar, Lowry or Casey, they would say the same thing as you said in your last sentence.

Do you honestly think Lowry and Demar are selfish players? You don't see them involving other players or something?

I get the point that they should do it more often....I really do. However, they are the leaders of this team. It's only natural that they would try to put the team on their shoulders sometimes. All great players do this from time to time. Can you fault them for believing in themselves? It's not like it hasn't worked at times.

Obviously, any player will admit that they can't do it all by themselves.... It's a team game, but star players have to come through when it matters. (See Jimmy Butler, insert any all-star player). Kyle Lowry and Demar have both kept us in games when we just didn't have it. Both made great plays to close out games.

Maybe I'm seeing the games different from you, but I do see an effort from both Kyle and Demar to involve their teammates. So I don't see it as a major issue.




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[Barolt]

Demar passed to Cory Joseph for the game vs. Washington....

Also, all those guys were super clutch players.

I think if you ask Demar, Lowry or Casey, they would say the same thing as you said in your last sentence.

Do you honestly think Lowry and Demar are selfish players? You don't see them involving other players or something?

I get the point that they should do it more often....I really do. However, they are the leaders of this team. It's only natural that they would try to put the team on their shoulders sometimes. All great players do this from time to time. Can you fault them for believing in themselves? It's not like it hasn't worked at times.

Obviously, any player will admit that they can't do it all by themselves.... It's a team game, but star players have to come through when it matters. (See Jimmy Butler, insert any all-star player). Kyle Lowry and Demar have both kept us in games when we just didn't have it. Both made great plays to close out games.

Maybe I'm seeing the games different from you, but I do see an effort from both Kyle and Demar to involve their teammates. So I don't see it as a major issue.




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My comment there was actually in response to Casey's post-game comment about Cory only looking for other guys if has to. I think DeMar has gotten a lot better this season at looking for teammates, and although Lowry was awful on the offensive end last night, he's usually good in that regard.

Casey's comment drives me nuts though, because it's like he just told us the game plan is to NOT involve other guys.

[special1]

My comment there was actually in response to Casey's post-game comment about Cory only looking for other guys if has to. I think DeMar has gotten a lot better this season at looking for teammates, and although Lowry was awful on the offensive end last night, he's usually good in that regard.

Casey's comment drives me nuts though, because it's like he just told us the game plan is to NOT involve other guys.

But you know that's just not true.

Do you honestly believe that he just wants Lowry and Demar shooting every shot? Well... Now Cory? You don't see plays run for JV? You don't hear Casey saying Patterson should shoot more, same with Ross?

I just think you're taking his words out of context and maybe you just don't understand the point he was trying to make. I took away the point that he wants to see Cory more aggressive and he wants him to attack the basket at all times.

So many people jump to conclusions and make assumptions based on a couple words. Maybe he misspoke or didn't articulate the point properly. I'll give Casey the benefit of the doubt because he's earned it.






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[Barolt]

But you know that's just not true.

Do you honestly believe that he just wants Lowry and Demar shooting every shot? Well... Now Cory? You don't see plays run for JV? You don't hear Casey saying Patterson should shoot more, same with Ross?

I just think you're taking his words out of context and maybe you just don't understand the point he was trying to make. I took away the point that he wants to see Cory more aggressive and he wants him to attack the basket at all times.

So many people jump to conclusions and make assumptions based on a couple words. Maybe he misspoke or didn't articulate the point properly. I'll give Casey the benefit of the doubt because he's earned it.






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I mean, Ross has been lights out for a month and somehow only got 11 touches last night. If Casey wants other guys shooting, why didn't he say that last night? We took 78 FGA, 47 of those were from Lowry/DeMar/Joseph. The problem wasn't those guys not shooting enough.

[GLF]

I just read this somewhere about why we should trade for Ryan Anderson. And their reasoning is when the playoffs come teams are for sure going to trap us because Brooklyn and Washington did it to us and it worked. The person said JV and Bismack aren't good enough at the top of the key to do any damage and they aren't a threat in the pick and roll because Kyle and Demar don't make that pass more often than not. Also Scola and Patterson are too inconsistent to rely on them. Anderson would be an automatic 3 pointer and if someone rotates to him he just has to make one more pass and you have the defense scrambling. I have ALWAYS been worried about the trapping. That's the easiest way to stop Demar and Kyle. And if you stop them you stop this team. That is a big reason why I'm still worried about us come playoff time.

[GLF]

I'm not saying Anderson would for sure relieve us of our problems but trapping is definitely a concern for this team going forward. I hope they finally figure out how to handle it cause they have lost because of it in the playoffs for two straight seasons.

[Barolt]

Anderson doesn't make sense to me. He looks like an awful defender next to Anthony Davis, and he's a high usage guy, and he's expensive.