Last second shot. Who ya got?

[Jclaw]

This piggybacks on a lot of what is percolating in raptor fandom this morning. Lots of frustration with the isolation of the last play but some sober realization that, in isolation (pun intended), that was a pretty good look. So, down one with ten or so seconds left, what would you call. A Miles three? Or is the trade off in percentages not worth it since we only need two points? A higher percentage JV P’n’R? Higher percentage but likely not utilized enough to deploy at that time. What would you have called?

A) Demar pull up jumper from the foul line
B) kick out to the corner for a (hopefully Miles) 3
C) pick and roll with JV
D) Lowry drive
E) find OG on a back cut
F) other (suggest away)

[Maury]

This piggybacks on a lot of what is percolating in raptor fandom this morning. Lots of frustration with the isolation of the last play but some sober realization that, in isolation (pun intended), that was a pretty good look. So, down one with ten or so seconds left, what would you call. A Miles three? Or is the trade off in percentages not worth it since we only need two points? A higher percentage JV P’n’R? Higher percentage but likely not utilized enough to deploy at that time. What would you have called?

A) Demar pull up jumper from the foul line
B) kick out to the corner for a (hopefully Miles) 3
C) pick and roll with JV
D) Lowry drive
E) find OG on a back cut
F) other (suggest away)

*if anyone is savvy enough to turn this into a working poll, I would appreciate it.

Honestly I didn’t mind the last shot. It would have been nice if we had gotten Demar off a couple screens or some kind of action off ball just to move the defence a bit but that’s the shot we want. The last 6 minutes is where we need to really see some changes or this culture change is all for naught. Why play one way for 42 minutes then play a totally different, self-recognized poor way for the remaining 6?

At the end of the day you have to trust your best player to make those kinds of shots and I do trust Demar to make a shot like that at a reasonable rate (no one will ever make them all).

I don’t want Kyle taking the shot because if it’s a jumper he’s probably being closely guarded and smothered and at his size that’s a no go. If it’s at the rim he’s probably getting blocked because he doesn’t have the size to finish over or around most rim protectors and/or he’ll get blocked from behind by a help defender.

[KeonClark]

I only had one problem with the play. JV should have been the offensive rebounder. The ball that caromed off the rim and bobbled by Ibaka would have likely been grabbed and put in by a competent 7 foot rebounder. In a situation like that you should always have your best rebounder in the game

[Maury]

If you can get OG on a back cut or kick out to a wide open shot then by all means but we’ve had the problem of the supporting guys not being able to hit big shots when we need them to.

[LJ2]

Honestly I didn’t mind the last shot. It would have been nice if we had gotten Demar off a couple screens or some kind of action off ball just to move the defence a bit but that’s the shot we want. The last 6 minutes is where we need to really see some changes or this culture change is all for naught. Why play one way for 42 minutes then play a totally different, self-recognized poor way for the remaining 6?

At the end of the day you have to trust your best player to make those kinds of shots and I do trust Demar to make a shot like that at a reasonable rate (no one will ever make them all).

I don’t want Kyle taking the shot because if it’s a jumper he’s probably being closely guarded and smothered and at his size that’s a no go. If it’s at the rim he’s probably getting blocked because he doesn’t have the size to finish over or around most rim protectors and/or he’ll get blocked from behind by a help defender.

Yeah, it's got to go to Demar to make or miss, but some movement and creativity would have been nice. Perhaps without a full shot clock they didn't want to risk not getting a shot up.

[Maury]

Yeah, it's got to go to Demar to make or miss, but some movement and creativity would have been nice. Perhaps without a full shot clock they didn't want to risk not getting a shot up.

Yup. The two biggest problems with the last possessions were the fact that FVV was on the floor and CJ or at least OG weren’t was frustrating, and JV should have been on the floor for rebounding purposes as mentioned by someone else earlier.

[Nilanka]

I chose a Lowry drive. It's less predictable than a DeMar ISO jumper, and he has options to kick it out if the defense reads the initial drive correctly.

That said, I'm ok with a DeMar jumper, if it's resulting from movement/motion/mismatch. The pounding the ball at the top of the circle for 15 seconds, has to stop.

[Rudy Bargnani]

I don't mind demar shooting. It seems like everyone else was just standing stationary for a potential kick out. Would like to see some movement without the basketball. Some people may refer to this as "a play" or "an offense" lol.

Last year we learned our role players need to be more involved so that they have confidence and a role to hit shots come playoff time. If the strategy is to stand still and shoot if demar passes to you won't set the team up for playoff success. The opposing D will double or swarm/trap Derozan and he'll kick it to someone with under 10 seconds left on the shot clock who will look shook and unable to create. If there is actually some cuts or screens happening so the other guys move around a bit I have no beefs at all with Derozan still going one-one.

[Deems]

I'd like a pick & roll with DeMar and JV with shooters surrounding him. More or less there's going to be a switch so either pull up for a jumper and if missed there's a high chance JV gets the board, or drive it on the bigger defender with the option of a kick out.

[KeonClark]

Again, JV should have been in. SCREEN, then roll to the bucket for the rebound. The last second play with the time for an offensive board is literally the one play where there is zero risk in having your big slow footed guy out there, and yet they went small ball to let fred and the gang stand and watch, and Ibaka fight by himself for the board. Puzzling.

[ebrian]

It's unfortunate that we were even in that position (tough break about Powell), but DeMar should have the last shot. He had a good look, just missed.

[DanH]

The poll is a bit of a false choice - hitting the roll man, finding a cutter or open three that's all dependent on what the defence does. Have to have a primary action first.

A DeMar-JV PnR with Lowry at the top of the arc and Ibaka/Miles in the corners would probably be the best initial set-up, so any denial of the DD screen play leads to a swing to Lowry for a PnR, whichever PnR gets successfully initiated puts JV rolling downhill to the basket either for the pass (if open) or the offensive board opportunity, and if covered it means a corner shooter is open. Worth trying a guard-guard screen first to screw up the defensive assignments before the PnR, if they have time for dummy motion first, and ideally have Ibaka or Miles set a screen for JV as he moves to initiate the primary PnR before popping to the corner, ideally with a paint-conscious big on them likely to sag on any drive action, or if they don't switch, hopefully giving the primary PnR a step on the defence.

[ogi]

I rewatched that play a few times. I thought maybe someone had pushed Ibaka resulting in that bumbled rebound but no. He just jumped in a slightly wrong direction. We essentially had three opportunities to hit a game winner. Some nights things just don't break your way.

[The Great One]

The correct answer here is A.

Come on guys lol. This is the NBA, not college basketball. You ALWAYS want your BEST player taking the last shot, usually in an iso.

The Raptors are not the only team who iso their best player in a potential game winning late second situation. EVERY freakin team does it. Y'all need to watch more games. Not just Raptors games.

DeRozan is clutch. He's proven it time and time again this year and the last couple of years. The shot that he missed yesterday? that was a good shot, he makes that in his sleep.

[KeonClark]

Can we talk about Delon Wright passing up 2 buzzer shots, one in semi make-able distance, when he also had CJ right beside him calling for the ball?

Inexcusable. If it's because hes worried about his %'s, then it's drankly alarming and says a lot about the team. I can't imagine any of those celtics guys hesitating to hoist a nothjng-to-lose long 3