Everything Round 1: Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks

[Superjudge]

The team that closed out milwaukee, blowing 30 pt lead, will get swept by the cavs. soft

10 ply

[Nilanka]

Ridiculous that it's not obvious to everyone in that locker room, most of all the coaching staff. You have a whole regular season to work on this shit. It's night and day. When they move the ball they have a good looking offence. When they don't, they don't.

I hate seeing the ball walked up the court. It almost always results in a possession with minimal ball movement.

It's the Raptors' "prevent offense" that lets leads slip away. Where killing 20 seconds of game clock is given priority over hunting for a good shot.

[S.R.]

The team that closed out milwaukee, blowing 30 pt lead, will get swept by the cavs. soft

10 ply

The team that almost blew a 30 point 3rd quarter lead on the road will get swept by the team that almost blew an 18 point 4th quarter lead at home?

If the argument is that one of these teams is shaky, a series vs. the 2016-17 Cavaliers is probably the wrong series to present that argument.

[MoscowRussia]

I have a few thoughts on Lowry, who is a great player.

1. He's banged up again in the postseason, and his 3 pt shot was way off in Game 6. Unfortunately this has become a consistent trend for a guy who throws his body around all year. Lowry is going to be banged up in the playoffs.
2. In the playoffs against a strong defender like Brogdon and with shot blockers in the lane, the only shot he can get consistently is those hair trigger 3's. This is the problem with being the smallest guy on your team. Lowry's insane drive and competitiveness compensates for that in the regular season with hustle plays, charges drawn, crashing into the floor all the time - but in the playoffs other guys match that intensity + output and that edge evaporates, they also defend you much tighter and now there's no room to get a jump shot off and there are 2-3 defenders waiting when you drive to the rim. Now you're just a smaller guy who has no way to create shots. This is why the NBA (and any sport) loves guys with physical tools that give them an automatic edge (like Giannis). DeMar uses his size and strength to continue to score against locked in defences, Lowry just can't do that, he can't physically impose himself.
3. Lowry can will himself to insane and amazing games in the playoffs, but they're irregular. He can't elevate his game night in and night out for a full series or the entire postseason, like great best-players-on-the-team do. See point #2 above for reasons why. It's just not a level of output he can sustain game after game.
4. He does, at times, seem to get rattled by the moment, which really surprises me. He is such a strong competitor with such a drive to win, I wouldn't think this would affect him, but it does. He is the point guard running the offence - we can blame Casey when collapses like Game 6 happen, but where is Lowry in those moments? In those moments your best player and your PG should be able to take control. Often it seems to be the opposite, Lowry contributes to the jitters in the playoffs.

It pains me to type this, I love Lowry. He's going to have at least a couple of huge games against Cleveland, and they won't be able to defend him like the Bucks did. Hope he's healthy.

Well. IT manages to score a lot being much smaller guy, so Lowry's production and evrything is a product of Casey's system not less than his style of play.

[S.R.]

Well. IT manages to score a lot being much smaller guy, so Lowry's production and evrything is a product of Casey's system not less than his style of play.

What. You can't blame everything on Casey. Chris Paul is a better defender - also Casey's fault? Curry is a better shooter - also Casey's fault? Probably Casey's fault that Lowry isn't 8 inches taller.

IT is a much better shot creator than Lowry, Lowry is still a better overall player. I would rather have Lowry, personally.