Everything Round 1: Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks

[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.

[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.]

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.

[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.

[Superjudge]

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

10 ply

[S.R.]

I love what NP did this series, but DD was amazing. In game 6 he got blocked many times, but he was not hesitant to drive to the basket, and his dunk over 4 Bucks players was nothing but unbelievable, the Bucks commentators could even say anything on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtXDktGV-Xw

Haha, that is great.

[RaptorsVictim]

I love what NP did this series, but DD was amazing. In game 6 he got blocked many times, but he was not hesitant to drive to the basket, and his dunk over 4 Bucks players was nothing but unbelievable, the Bucks commentators could even say anything on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtXDktGV-Xw

[koncept]

honestly its derozan for getting it all going, but a close 2nd is Ibaka. all the blocks, deflections, presence helped us in that first round. secondly there were games like game 4 where anyone but derozan looked timid and afraid to shoot -- even lowry kept passing half open looks. Ibaka got those shots and kept jacking em, he went 4-16 but the shot clocks would've run out without him. LED BY EXAMPLE.

[big boi]

I think the key to the Raptors' offensive strength is reacting to the defence. Throughout most of the regular season, their simple attack style led to great opportunities without much ball movement. That same attack style (in particular, the potency of their weapons within that style), could get them good looks now - except defences are loading up on those actions. The upside is, the Raptors offensive pieces are so good that teams have to sell out their coverages to stop it - like, for example, the Bucks hedging hard and doubling on every pick and roll. And that means that if the Raptors can properly recognize a defence that's selling out, they can break it with ball movement. Ball movement that generally does not actually help their offence that much if at all when defences play them straight up. The key is recognition, and discipline to not settle for difficult looks.

They failed that test last year - it took an otherworldly performance from JV on the boards to save them against Indy, and they were tooth and nail to get past a decimated Miami team. They failed it as well in the early part of the Bucks series, but for two and a half games, they looked good before turtling in the second half of game 6, settling into their default sets, trying to win the one-action attack. They woke up at the end of the game and moved the ball, cutting right through that aggressive defence, thank goodness, and hopefully that is lesson learned.

Yep. Demar is good enough to get his mid range shot off almost whenever he wants - certainly against single coverage. And Lowry is of course a very good scorer too. But we know (should have known) going in to the playoffs, against better players, better defences, and teams having up to 7 games to focus on one team and with time for adjustments that scoring with an iso focused offence would be frustrated by our opponent.

I'm biased of course. I like an offence where the ball and the players move. Aesthetically but I also think it is a very efficient way to play. And it's repeatable once good habits are built. And it's harder to defend against.

But regardless of why we might have felt it was a good idea to run DD and KL in to the teeth of the opposing defence time and time again during the regular season, I don't think that will bare a lot of fruit against the Cavs. And we just don't need to play that way. When we just had JV as a 3rd scoring alternative (not including Ross off the bench) then perhaps I could understand running iso after iso and the ball not moving (I still didn't). But now we have Ibaka too. We have PJ who can hit a corner 3. We have Norm. We also have 2Pat and Carroll who can hit an open shot when on their game. Joseph too. Obviously those guys have had their struggles, but we have more offensive weapons than in (off)seasons past. We have more depth too. Let's at least play the right way. Move the ball - hit the open guy. If our guys miss open shots throughout the whole series then that's another thing, and we'd need to address that in the off season, but I'd at least like to see us try against the Cavs. We can do it. I've seen it. But then we revert. I think the only chance we have is if we move the ball against the Cavs, with DD and KL trusting their teammates. We'll need to play some D too - DD and KL will need to stand up and be accounted for on that end of the court too. I'm looking forward to it.

[DanH]

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 think the key to the Raptors' offensive strength is reacting to the defence. Throughout most of the regular season, their simple attack style led to great opportunities without much ball movement. That same attack style (in particular, the potency of their weapons within that style), could get them good looks now - except defences are loading up on those actions. The upside is, the Raptors offensive pieces are so good that teams have to sell out their coverages to stop it - like, for example, the Bucks hedging hard and doubling on every pick and roll. And that means that if the Raptors can properly recognize a defence that's selling out, they can break it with ball movement. Ball movement that generally does not actually help their offence that much if at all when defences play them straight up. The key is recognition, and discipline to not settle for difficult looks.

They failed that test last year - it took an otherworldly performance from JV on the boards to save them against Indy, and they were tooth and nail to get past a decimated Miami team. They failed it as well in the early part of the Bucks series, but for two and a half games, they looked good before turtling in the second half of game 6, settling into their default sets, trying to win the one-action attack. They woke up at the end of the game and moved the ball, cutting right through that aggressive defence, thank goodness, and hopefully that is lesson learned.

[big boi]

Half the team in their postgames admitted they built the lead moving the ball, lost it by holding it, won by moving it. Really hope that game finally pounds that lesson into their heads.

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.

[big boi]

They chose Ibaka over Harden....we are now seeing they had 3 MVP players....thats insane.

I totally get that neither Harden and to lesser extent Russ were at that level but everybody was hyped that they were supposed to be the next young dynasty. They had already played in a championship....crazy to think that even before Harden was a Rocket, the Thunder made a Finals. I have no idea how management can let go of that and cant imagine how tough that feels as a OKC fan. Look at us with VC n TMac, now imagine even better players lol

Anyways not our problem but I just think they have done a much better job surrounding young, elite talent with veterans and a coach to guide them like Fox, Horry, Fisher, Phil etc did with Kobe and Shaq. I realize they couldnt likely get a coach (not GM lol) like Phil but a college coach and no vets...come on OKC, thats not how you build a championship team.

I feel for Seattle fans too. Supersonics were a good franchise and that is a much bigger market. And they had Durant and Westbrook.

[Bendit]

Has to be DD.

Especially the closeout game I believe he reached another rung...closing out a game (and series) in the playoffs with his team on the ropes. I think he has finally understood how much more difficult it is in the playoffs...the physicality and the utter disregard to blow the whistle by the refs. He is one strong dude... physically and mentally now.

[enlightenment]

DEMAR DEROZAN DISRESPECTFUL DUNK INDEX SCORE pic.twitter.com/gpSwZ2OXf8

— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) April 28, 2017

They rates the Backstory of the dunk 10/15... Considering we just coughed up a 25 point lead and this dunk was the DAGGER to end the Bucks season, Id say the Backstory for a dunk cannot get any better... 15/15. This dunk was 80 percent disrespectful.

[JawsGT]

so where does derozan rank on the list of all time greatest in game dunkers?