Everything (2016-2017) Regular Season Game Threads

[special1]

That DeMar isn't this one

To say "that Demar isn't this is one", is a cop-out in my opinion. I mean we can say that about any player after they show improvement. I prefer to say that Demar wasn't a finished product and the scary part is that he still may not be.

[Lupe]

You know it's not impossible for DeRozan to have actually taken a significant leap. I don't think the Jordan-esque play is sustainable, but he might've actually gotten a lot better. It's not unprecedented even at this age, Steph Curry went from an all-star in 2013-14 to basically prime LeBron/Jordan level play last year.

[rocwell]

I'm gonna watch tonights game while high.. should be fun

Yup.... That didn't end well

[Scraptor]

To say "that Demar isn't this is one", is a cop-out in my opinion. I mean we can say that about any player after they show improvement. I prefer to say that Demar wasn't a finished product and the scary part is that he still may not be.

Yeah I agree. So many Raps fans shit on DeMar relentlessly without accepting what he did well. It's much more honest to just say you were wrong.

Hell if he keeps this up I will admit to being wrong too. My stance has always been that he'd be a good second or third option on a playoff team, not the lead guy. But he looks like a lead guy this year.

[Scraptor]

Anyways, great game. Have to give props to Casey too for managing this without Val. Impressive.

Our resilience was especially notable. A couple years ago we would have been guaranteed a fourth quarter collapse. But now that we're good we don't panic, we know how to close the game out. It's an awesome feeling.

I think OKC will get better as the season goes on... Westbrook can carry them but they're still trying to figure out how to use Oladipo and Sabonis. It's great that they've been able to absorb the loss of KD as well as they have.

[DanH]

Guys hit shots for sure. Thing that impressed me the most was the lobs and back door cuts. Seems most suited to our guard play. Do you think jv fits that style?
Imo this was the best I've seen the raps this yr. Like to watch this every game.

Of course JV fits that style. JV has been fitting that style for 4 years now with limited usage and still posting 16 and 11 per 36 for his career on crazy efficiency, while the team posts top 5 efficiencies the past two seasons. JV is exactly what you need in a system like this. BeBe did a great job presenting a threat on the roll that sucked in the defence and gave our guards room to play - JV does the same thing, just better and in a greater variety of ways (BeBe's one trick would eventually get scouted out if he was starting full time and we'd see his effectiveness drop). BeBe's passing is really nice, though, and hopefully JV can improve in that area, because we did see a few possessions where a pass from the roller started a nice swing play. We also saw a bunch of nice swing plays we usually don't that had nothing to do with BeBe, so maybe it was just a good night for passing (OKC defensive scheme over-helping maybe?) but I'd still like to see JV improve there.

BeBe is actually a great fit as the backup C for JV - he brings a different enough game (more lob-focused rolls, more blocked shots, not so much with guarding bigger players, scoring outside of 2 feet or getting rebounds) to provide a spark while having enough similar traits (lower usage, high efficiency, good threat on the roll) to maintain the same system for bench units. His length and activity defensively are reminiscent (not identical but similar) to what Biz provided last year, so it suggests he'd be a good fit into those bench units.

[DanH]

To say "that Demar isn't this is one", is a cop-out in my opinion. I mean we can say that about any player after they show improvement. I prefer to say that Demar wasn't a finished product and the scary part is that he still may not be.

Both sides have a point here. Absolutely DeMar has exceeded anything I ever expected for him (and I'm saying this based off of last year, not this short sample of hot shooting - even without the crazy performance this season he was already a very good player last regular season), and anyone who saw that coming deserves big kudos.

But let's not conflate all the arguments into ones about his potential. Many were, but many were about his performance at the time, which some people insisted was acceptable (even great) and some insisted otherwise. Those arguments cannot be proven one way or the other by his improvement now. That said, I'm glad we aren't having those discussions anymore, as he has addressed many of the weaknesses he has been criticized for in the past.

If DeMar can find a way to provide something defensively, we might never have another DeMar argument on here.

[DanH]

So, Lowry's minutes are starting to concern me. There's no reason for them to be so high. Top used lineups without Lowry this season (whenever "bench" is in there it is PP+Ross+CoJo):

DD+Poeltl+bench: +27 RTG
CoJo+starters: +22 RTG
DD+JV+bench: +45 RTG

All small samples, but still, it's not like the team has been struggling when he sits. And for the biggest sample: Lowry has been off the court for 64 minutes so far - in those 64 minutes, the team has a +13 RTG, the best off-court rating of anyone on the team.

Meanwhile, 64 minutes of rest through 7 games means 9 minutes per game off the court. That's crazy. Give the man a break. I'd like him to survive until the playoffs. It's not like he's being used less and carrying an easier load - he's right at 25% usage again.

Even looking at on-court ratings for the team, the bench players have been great, and Lowry has been... OK so far.

Best on-court ratings on the team (SSS warning, it's only been 7 games and many of these guys haven't played every game):
BeBe: +24 RTG
Powell: +14 RTG
Patterson: +11 RTG
DeRozan: +8 RTG
JV: +7 RTG
Ross: +7 RTG

A pile of bench players, and DD (who has been amazing) and JV (who has been solid as ever). The bench is strong, let's take advantage of that and give Lowry a breather.

[Chr1s1anL]

This was by far the raptors best all around game. Last two games without JV we've crack the 20 assist. Should we take anything away from? Peoltl and Bebe are better passers than JV.

Personally, I don't care. A lot of you cry about the low assist numbers on here so..

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[Demographic Shift]

Quite the pendulum outcome from the last game where putting them on ice floes and pushing them off to Frobisher bay was an option.

The depth on this years edition is impressive.

They actually now have the most feared element in sports....speed to make teams worry. Watching both Bebe and Pascal run the floor instead of Scola gives the slower pace raps a change of pace akin to an Estrada change up. They can run.

Casey is giving minutes to just about everyone due to injury and it will pay off if injuries pop up during the 82 game grind and they will. It means the guys going in for players who are hurt will have a good idea of what to do and how to do it.

Watching the oft injured Bebe run the floor and actually catch passes in tight in the paint , gather and dunk will make us not pine for Biz as much. He can alter shots on the defensive end gives a small ball C option the raps could employ.

Bebe..Ppat..DD...norm/Ross/CoJo and kyle could be a set we see more often than not in stretches. Tape those ankles Bebe.
Unreal depth at guard and they are really really good..Kyle..DD...CoJo...norm..Ross... good to very good at the 5 ....good on the wing and stretch 4.

Litmus test coming on Friday vs a so far impressive Charlotte team.

[KeonClark]

This was by far the raptors best all around game. Last two games without JV we've crack the 20 assist. Should we take anything away from? Peoltl and Bebe are better passers than JV.

Personally, I don't care. A lot of you cry about the low assist numbers on here so..

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What? Poeltl and bebe combined for 1 whole assist...

We had assists because guys were actually hitting spot up jumpers, and lobs at the rim. Your passive aggressive pot shots at valanciunas are weird

[hotfuzz]

This was by far the raptors best all around game. Last two games without JV we've crack the 20 assist. Should we take anything away from? Peoltl and Bebe are better passers than JV.

Personally, I don't care. A lot of you cry about the low assist numbers on here so..

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And this is why no one here likes you. Your constant shots at jv.

[Scraptor]

What? Poeltl and bebe combined for 1 whole assist...

We had assists because guys were actually hitting spot up jumpers, and lobs at the rim. Your passive aggressive pot shots at valanciunas are weird

Trump won the US election while Jonas was out. Should we take anything from that? Did Jonas's injury make America great again?!?!

[hotfuzz]

So, Lowry's minutes are starting to concern me. There's no reason for them to be so high. Top used lineups without Lowry this season (whenever "bench" is in there it is PP+Ross+CoJo):

DD+Poeltl+bench: +27 RTG
CoJo+starters: +22 RTG
DD+JV+bench: +45 RTG

All small samples, but still, it's not like the team has been struggling when he sits. And for the biggest sample: Lowry has been off the court for 64 minutes so far - in those 64 minutes, the team has a +13 RTG, the best off-court rating of anyone on the team.

Meanwhile, 64 minutes of rest through 7 games means 9 minutes per game off the court. That's crazy. Give the man a break. I'd like him to survive until the playoffs. It's not like he's being used less and carrying an easier load - he's right at 25% usage again.

Even looking at on-court ratings for the team, the bench players have been great, and Lowry has been... OK so far.

Best on-court ratings on the team (SSS warning, it's only been 7 games and many of these guys haven't played every game):
BeBe: +24 RTG
Powell: +14 RTG
Patterson: +11 RTG
DeRozan: +8 RTG
JV: +7 RTG
Ross: +7 RTG

A pile of bench players, and DD (who has been amazing) and JV (who has been solid as ever). The bench is strong, let's take advantage of that and give Lowry a breather.

Isn't he leading the NBA in minutes later so far, out somewhere close to it. So much for lowering his workload and reducing his minutes.

[Jangles]

Trump won the US election while Jonas was out. Should we take anything from that? Did Jonas's injury make America great again?!?!

Thank god we never sent any rapists to the US.... Otherwise we'd be looking at an 80 foot wall across our border and a bill for said wall.