Everything (2016-2017) Regular Season Game Threads

[KeonClark]

demarre carroll is legitimately the worst wing player i've ever seen at driving the basketball.

It's both ball handling and finishing at the rim that's abysmal. A double whammy

[KeonClark]

That's sort of the point. Without a firm knowledge of chaos theory, I'm going to say this has a lot to do with chaos theory. At this point in the season, the only thing we can do is start fine tuning for the playoffs. Everything else is random, likely til the last day of the season. Sure, it's great to see Boston lose. But does the Bucks handing them that loss mean Cleveland will overtake them and we'll avoid Cleveland by finishing 3rd? But we could just as easily finish 4th and that Boston loss might be the one that puts us in a 1-4 cavs matchup. So while it was nice the see them lose, I have no idea if I should be thankful for it.....yet.

A scenario I just considered: if we are firmly in 3rd at the last game, and cleveland can overtake Boston for 1st wit a win. Then we KNOW wed rather lose that game. You rest everybody and play the 905ers

So many variables and scenarios though. All 4 teams can still be randomly shuffled in any direction. Washington wit the hardest schedule of the 4.

[Jclaw]

Take us straight to the playoffs and run the table for the rest of the season. I like the standings watch. Maybe you could add the bottom 4 beside it as that's the other lesser race we're watching.

[Nilanka]

DeMarre Carroll dribbling:

[S.R.]

Another fun fact: the Raptors' small forwards should just never drive the ball. Just shoot the three. Even if contested. Dribbling = bad.

DeMarre Carroll this season is shooting 29% from the field on drives. He's gotten lucky with the refs bailing him out a lot, but even with the free throws, he's generated 60 points on 84 drives (that he didn't pass out of - and on his 20 passes out of drives he managed only 4 assists, an assist rate of 3.8%, far lower than everyone else on the team with at least 30 drives). That's effectively an ORTG of 71. In contrast, DeMarre has taken 55 threes classified as either tightly or very tightly contested - and has hit 33% of them, good for an ORTG of about 98.

PJ Tucker this season (with the Raps) is shooting 28% from the field on drives this year. He has not gotten the same luck with the refs bailing him out, and he's generated 12 points on 21 drives (that he didn't pass out of - and on his 7 passes out of drives he managed only 1 assist, an assist rate of 3.6%, even lower than Carroll's). That's effectively an ORTG of 57. In contrast, PJ has taken 24 threes classified as either tightly or very tightly contested - and has hit 25% of them, good for an ORTG of about 75.

Or, better yet, if they find themselves covered, rather than choosing either option, they should just give the ball to literally anyone else. But if there is a little voice in their head telling them to drive the ball, they are better off just jacking that thing up there from distance, no matter what the defence is doing.

There is a little voice telling them to drive the ball, it rhymes with Blaine Stacey.

[DanH]

Take us straight to the playoffs and run the table for the rest of the season. I like the standings watch. Maybe you could add the bottom 4 beside it as that's the other lesser race we're watching.

I started with the bottom 4 in there, but then I felt like I had to keep the teams in contention for the 8 spot in there as well, so it was like 11 teams and got pretty cumbersome.

Plus I'm personally not concerned with who we play in round 1 so much as in round 2. If the team loses to any of the bottom 4, it will be because they played so far below their capacility that they'd be able to lose to any of the bottom 4.

I like that running the table idea though.

[KeonClark]

Running the table would still give us a very real chance of passing cleveland and finishing 2nd tbh.

[planetmars]

Running the table would still give us a very real chance of passing cleveland and finishing 2nd tbh.

Going into the playoffs on a hot streak would be nice.. having to play the Cavs in round 2 - not so much.

[KeonClark]

Going into the playoffs on a hot streak would be nice.. having to play the Cavs in round 2 - not so much.

Would you rather have the play the cavs in round 2 with game 7 at home or round 3 on the road? If it's an either or I'd take the home court, gotta play em sometime

[Raptorsnz]

I hope Powell snaps out of his funk, he's been playing terribly every 2nd quarter recently. Some of it is because he's the main offensive option, but he goes into iso, bulldozing driving mode a lot which leads to charges. But then he usually settles down by the 4th quarter and plays fine. Maybe Casey was right when earlier this year he only played Powell late in games.

[planetmars]

Would you rather have the play the cavs in round 2 with game 7 at home or round 3 on the road? If it's an either or I'd take the home court, gotta play em sometime

Yeah home court would be great.. but Lebron doesn't need that advantage. Would rather see them in round 3. That way we get to extend our season and there is a better chance the Lebrons end up more banged up.

[DanH]

I hope Powell snaps out of his funk, he's been playing terribly every 2nd quarter recently. Some of it is because he's the main offensive option, but he goes into iso, bulldozing driving mode a lot which leads to charges. But then he usually settles down by the 4th quarter and plays fine. Maybe Casey was right when earlier this year he only played Powell late in games.

If Casey would put even a single reliable offensive player out there with the bench Powell would probably have an easier time of it.

With the Ibaka-at-C lineup working so well as a closing lineup with DeRozan doing the scoring, the team should really explore giving JV the reins to those bench units to bolster the scoring a bit while DD sits, at least until Lowry is back (and probably after as well, letting Ibaka play C for the DD bench units).

[S.R.]

Yeah home court would be great.. but Lebron doesn't need that advantage. Would rather see them in round 3. That way we get to extend our season and there is a better chance the Lebrons end up more banged up.

Lebron may not need it but the Raptors do and need every variable to go their way to beat the Cavs. Toronto won two out three at the ACC last ECF.

I'd rather face the Cavs in round 2 with home court than in round 3 without. Interesting thought, I have no idea how Cleveland's going to finish the season here. ESPN reporting they'll continue to focus on resting guys.

[planetmars]

Let's just hope the Cavs slip to 4th.. and we play the Wizards in round 2 with home court advantage

[A.I]

Let's just hope the Cavs slip to 4th.. and we play the Wizards in round 2 with home court advantage

Or lets hope Wizards take first, Cavs drop to 4th and we play the Celtics in the second round