Game #25: Toronto Raptors 91 - Los Angeles Clippers 96

[DanH]

I've notice the past few games that opposition teams are getting back quickly in transition against our bench unit, especially bigs who are guarding Pascal. Seems like they've scouted us and know that the Raps game plan this year is to push the ball quickly in transition, even after opposition makes. We're probably losing a few easy buckets by the bench mob that we were getting earlier in the season.

That said. FVV & Lowry sucked. 0 fer everything from 3 by your PGs is almost a sure loss in the NBA these days. JV was a monster and Ibaka is bringing more energy these days. So much for JV & Ibaka can't play together. Norm.... wtf?

Yeah, scouting is a real effect for groups like our bench, full of young guys. Teams are figuring them out.

I understand taking a default position of using all-bench units for most games to preserve players' minutes. But in games like last night, where the team was in a relatively tight game and the bench had already crapped the bed in the 1st half, why would we not tighten up the bench rotation for the 2nd half, leave a star out there?

[consmap]

Dwane Casey calling out JV post-game for the Milos 3 is just a complete joke. Kyle made a bad switch, didn't recover at all, and somehow expects the big to be out there after stopping the roll. Idiot.

Anyways, at least the starting bigs played pretty well today (although I could do with a few less Ibaka contested jumpers, yikes). It's night and day with Valanciunas when he's confident vs. when he's not. The back-down dribble is where it seems most noticeable, tonight he was quick with the ball. He needs to figure out how to get mentally locked in like that consistently.

You gotta be kidding me

[mjt20mik]

It's almost as if Jonas only gets himself hyped vs. the "marquee" centre matchups (i.e. Jordon, Cousins, Drummond, etc.).

Its because he knows he will get playing time lol.

[planetmars]

I hate losing to bad teams as well but the only reason we lost was because Kyle had a bad game. If he could hit just one or two of those missed threes, we would have won. Wouldn't have mattered if JV was playing or not.. and even if he was playing at the end there we'd still lose. A lot of those offensive rebounds were rim shots that had a bad bounce. DJ was in position to tap it back and keep position.

JV might have helped but I doubt it would have really mattered.

The worst two possessions in the 4th though were the after timeout out of bounds play by either FVV or KL (couldn't tell who did it, and there was no replay) at about the 3min mark when LAC tied it up on free throws. The other was DD's out of bounce off a block? from Rivers I think.. not much complaining from the Raps but I swear that should have been the Raps ball again.

I was watching on mute so maybe it was an offensive foul? Either way those two possessions were brutal.


Oh well.. on to the next.

[G__Deane]

Dwane Casey calling out JV post-game for the Milos 3 is just a complete joke. Kyle made a bad switch, didn't recover at all, and somehow expects the big to be out there after stopping the roll. Idiot.

Anyways, at least the starting bigs played pretty well today (although I could do with a few less Ibaka contested jumpers, yikes). It's night and day with Valanciunas when he's confident vs. when he's not. The back-down dribble is where it seems most noticeable, tonight he was quick with the ball. He needs to figure out how to get mentally locked in like that consistently.

It's like Casey just flat out has it on for Jonas. Is it a color thing???

Even when they are winning, why are Casey's substitutions and rotations so consistently weak?

[mjt20mik]

I get you are not gonna win them all, but its frustrating when your coach screws things up.

Casey did a good job against the loss vs NYK when our players didn't want to play. But today, if they aren't performing, you keep your hot hands in the game. Baffles me that CJ and JV weren't in there.

[tDotted]

The FVV closing problem is a real problem (or at least, the team has a real problem closing games). Even in wins we've been bleeding points in the clutch this year. FVV is part of that (though not all of it). Another part is relying on Serge at C to close too much. The "spacing" Casey talks about going after late in games just translates to "no screeners for the guards." And the offence (and player/ball movement) DIES in the clutch because of it, plus the lack of offensive rebounding to help bail the team out after misses (team is second-to-last in OREB% in the clutch, and 25th in TS%, and 2nd-to-last in AST% as well).

Raptors players who have played at least 6 minutes of clutch time this season:
Lowry 31 MP: -14.1 net rating
DD 31 MP: -14.1 net rating
Ibaka 30 MP: -10.5 net rating
FVV 15 MP: -15.3 net rating
OG 13 MP: -10.4 net rating
JV 8 MP: +7.6 net rating
Wright 7 MP: -73 net rating

The extra guard looks are NOT working down the stretch this year. The small ball look is not working down the stretch this year. It needs to be more of a matchup decision, not an every night small look.

But FVV has the worst net rating among the heavily used closers, and to my eye that's not a coincidence. He's been really good as a backup PG, particularly when in those always-successful star+bench units. He's been fine on his own against benches. But we should really be playing 5 of our best 6-7 players in the clutch, depending on matchup, and FVV does not fit that criterion. He's our third string PG. A very good 3rd string PG. But that's all.

Thank you. I knew I wasn't going crazy.

Either JV or CJ should be closing. CJ gives you an extra offensive outlet while JV gives you a shot at an offensive rebound.

[KHD]

It's like Casey just flat out has it on for Jonas. Is it a color thing???

Even when they are winning, why are Casey's substitutions and rotations so consistently weak?

no, dude wtf.

[tDotted]

The worst two possessions in the 4th though were the after timeout out of bounds play by either FVV or KL (couldn't tell who did it, and there was no replay) at about the 3min mark when LAC tied it up on free throws. The other was DD's out of bounce off a block? from Rivers I think.. not much complaining from the Raps but I swear that should have been the Raps ball again.

I was watching on mute so maybe it was an offensive foul? Either way those two possessions were brutal.

#1 Lowry turned it over trying to give a simple bounce pass to FVV on the wing

#2 DeRozan expected a bail out foul call and didn't get it. When they replayed that bit, it was clear the ball was completely off of him.

[KeonClark]

Still pissed about the final 3 minutes. What happened to "if jv is dominating on both ends he'll stay on the court"?? He was completely owning jordan! Casey killed the only advantage we had going. I mean, if he's not trusted for the final 2 or 3 min, why is he trusted in the 6 or 7 before that? He's playing crucial minutes, best player on the court and then bam, we gotta get him outta there??

And so you take the nights best player out of the game, and you've still got derozan on the court who always seems to try rise up in late game situations and take the ball, what do we do? Stand and watch ibaka take back to back posessions of ugly clunky jumpers from the elbow. Miss, miss, ball game. (Or if that wasn't ball game, the crucial offensive rebounds he gave up late sure were.)

That's close to a half dozen games this year that should have been won if not for moronic late game management and decision making. Very frustrating.

[MixxAOR]

It's like Casey just flat out has it on for Jonas. Is it a color thing???

Even when they are winning, why are Casey's substitutions and rotations so consistently weak?

These are kind of thoughts you keep to yourself

[DanH]

Its because he knows he will get playing time lol.

"Knows." LOL.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

3 keys for me in the last 3 minutes...

1. JV was dominating, owning the glass, and defending Jordan. Taking him out was foolish.

2. FVV had no business being on the court. I hated the closing lineup with Joseph last year, and FVV is not even near Joseph defensively. Another big wing that can defend, rebound and shoot 3's would have been a much better fit (ie: CJ or OG).

3. DeRozan and especially Ibaka were completely out of gas. I know they are core players, but they've been playing huge minutes and should not have been on the court. Ibaka's shot selection was terrible and he had no legs under his shot. They both should have been on the bench, though at least DeRozan could still be a decoy offensively.

Hard not to put this game on Casey... it was there for the taking.

[Nilanka]

The two-PG lineup was supposed to be a once-in-a-while, desperation move to throw a wrench into the opposition's schemes. It's now turned into Casey's preferred closing lineup.

[KeonClark]

The two-PG lineup was supposed to be a once-in-a-while, desperation move to throw a wrench into the opposition's schemes. It's now turned into Casey's preferred closing lineup.

Yep. The "big 3", van vleet, and anyone not named Valanciunas