Game #11: New Orleans Pelicans 118 - Toronto Raptors 122

[S.R.]

lol bebe: 1 min, 1 reb, 3 pf, 2 pts, +4.

Sweet! If Bebe played a full 48, they'd win by 192. If he could stay on the floor, that is. He would foul out 2 minutes into the game. Damn, so much potential.

[KeonClark]

lol bebe: 1 min, 1 reb, 3 pf, 2 pts, +4.

This is so bebe: unreliable and inconsistent, but the PER and win share and per 36 are great!

[tDotted]

Didn't watch the game but seeing Holiday with 30+ again is hilarious. Lowry cannot PGs at all anymore, man

[KeonClark]

Didn't watch the game but seeing Holiday with 30+ again is hilarious. Lowry cannot PGs at all anymore, man

It wasn't a lowry getting torched thing. He was roasting everybody.

[tDotted]

It wasn't a lowry getting torched thing. He was roasting everybody.

Damn.

I don't think Jrue gets enough credit as a Raptor killer. Feel like he's always lighting us up

[white men can't jump]

It wasn't a lowry getting torched thing. He was roasting everybody.

Yeah, he was too big for Lowry and too strong for Wright.

Another issue with FVV. Casey played him probably thinking he'd mostly match up against Nelson. Nelson ended up playing well, and we struggled to get good matchups against Holiday as well. Would much rather see Wright's length on Nelson and trying more Powell on Holiday.

[slaw]

Yeah, Casey is still frustrating. Rotations are unnecessarily complicated at the moment. Preseason is long done and you're 10 games into the season. Battles have been won. Bebe should be benched and FVV should be benched. Siakam earned his spot as the 10th man if anyone did, and even if we play 10 guys the all bench lineups are not necessary.

Nice to see Ibaka have a great game. Couldn't have come at a better time. JV and Poeltl frustrated the fuck out of Cousins, which pretty much always neutralizes him. I swear when Poeltl came in Cousins thought he could be lazy and bait him into stupid shit like he was Bebe. No luck, Boogie!

If the rotations were cleaner and we didn't get caught watching in transition a few times, this could have been a much easier win.

Yeah, I agree that now 10 in it is time to tighten the screws a little on the rotation and get FVV and Bebe out. Not saying you can't play those guys ever but not every night. As you write, it is simply too complicated to manage that many players for 48 game after game and it creates weird lineups.

[magoon]

Take FVV and Bebe out of rotation and roll with 10. Make it simple.

I understand the reasoning for keeping Bebe in the rotation - it's both showcasing him for a trade and it lets Casey divide the 5 minutes between three centers so they can all play much harder, which is necessary because the team as a whole isn't particularly strong at rebounding and he needs his centers to box out like monsters.

FVV should be playing maybe six or seven minutes per night tops, and that's mostly to cut down Kyle's minutes, which really is a thing that needs to happen.

[white men can't jump]

I understand the reasoning for keeping Bebe in the rotation - it's both showcasing him for a trade and it lets Casey divide the 5 minutes between three centers so they can all play much harder, which is necessary because the team as a whole isn't particularly strong at rebounding and he needs his centers to box out like monsters.

FVV should be playing maybe six or seven minutes per night tops, and that's mostly to cut down Kyle's minutes, which really is a thing that needs to happen.

I understand the desire to limit Lowry's minutes, but we can still do it having to play FVV every night. He played 13 minutes tonight, and so did Wright. Powell played 18, and OG played 14. Most, if not all of FVV's minutes could have gone to those guys and we'd probably have been better off.

I mean, I don't want to make a big thing when we won and had a pretty good game. I just think now is about time to tidy it up in the rotation.

And if we're trying to showcase Bebe, it's probably backfiring.

[white men can't jump]

Yeah, I agree that now 10 in it is time to tighten the screws a little on the rotation and get FVV and Bebe out. Not saying you can't play those guys ever but not every night. As you write, it is simply too complicated to manage that many players for 48 game after game and it creates weird lineups.

And again, I don't think the decisions are hard as guys have won their minutes. It's not a tough choice at all.

[Demographic Shift]

When is Thomas back? Not prepared to write them off unless he's not available this season

I was on the same glide path..wait till Thomas gets on the floor..
but, there’s always a but
the Cavs problems sure look to be centred on defence and while IT may boost the offence he isn’t going to help that problem....they’re 5 up and 7 down...Lebron will drag these guys to the playoffs...but the lack of defense makes the Cavs vulnerable for the first time in 4 years....

Will they be rash enough to trade the Brooklyn 1st for help on the defensive end of the floor ?

[golden]

I was on the same glide path..wait till Thomas gets on the floor..
but, there’s always a but
the Cavs problems sure look to be centred on defence and while IT may boost the offence he isn’t going to help that problem....they’re 5 up and 7 down...Lebron will drag these guys to the playoffs...but the lack of defense makes the Cavs vulnerable for the first time in 4 years....

Meh. Cavs had the same mindset last year, especially heading into the playoffs.... forget about defense and just try to outscore teams. Biggest problem seems to be lack of spacing and 3pt shooting at the PG spot, which IT should help tremendously. Veteran teams usually find a way to crank up the defensive intensity in the playoffs, especially with the days off between games.

[JimiCliff]

Yeah, Casey is still frustrating. Rotations are unnecessarily complicated at the moment.

He has a chronic inability to go with the best rotation. It's as if he understands, consciously or unconsciously, what the best rotation is, but he has a contrarianism inside him that won't let him use it.

[G__Deane]

Hey, the Raptors won last night right?
Friday and Saturday off to prepare. I was nervous that they'd blow the opportunity before having to head into Boston to play the 10-2 Celtics and then on to Houston to play the currently 9-3 Rockets with James Harden and finally, a rematch with the Pelicans in New Orleans. A decent losing streak was a distinct possibility.
After that brutal 6 game road trip, the schedule maker sure wasn't kind to the Raptors to throw them back on the road so soon and against such tough competition.
Taking 1 of next three might be the best we can hope for, 2 of three would have to be considered a great success imo. Beat Boston and the rest is gravy ....

[Puffer]

Hey, the Raptors won last night right?
Friday and Saturday off to prepare...Beat Boston and the rest is gravy ....

Yes. Glad they get a couple of days to game plan and work on their D. A little too sloppy. Maybe Casey pays attention to the video and plays a little more OG, a little less VV. I don't dislike Fred, but I think he's a player that you pick your spots with, if everyone is healthy. And Beebe... again, a situational player. It would be great if he could get his focus. But I expect he is what he is. Having said that, Derozan is the shining example of "never say never." That old dog has learned a few new tricks. My apologies to DD for doubting him.