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Eastern Conference Playoff Preview: Predictions on Rounds 1 and 2. Whose going to the Finals ?

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  • Demographic Shift wrote: View Post
    At the 5 minute mark of the 4th quarter of game 2 of the semi finals the Raptors laid down and died.
    It was a pitiful death.

    Not many will come to the funeral.

    I was wrong about this team. Very wrong.
    I thought that the Raps would come out the shoot like gorillas...instead we got a butterfly and puppy. No guts. None. Not a fucking soul challenged James. They just shrank from the moment. You can forgive a talent deficit but not this chicken shit response.

    Saynora ...

    Going to be watching hockey for the rest of the spring. Maybe longer.
    This might be one of the saddest posts I've read at RR.

    Comment


    • Damn
      Mamba Mentality

      Comment


      • (CP) Toronto May 4th 2018

        Obituary

        In apparent good health the Toronto Raptors died suddenly on Friday May 3rd 2018. The Raptors went into distress in the 3rd quarter of the second game of the semi finals and succumbed shortly thereafter at the 5 minute mark of the 4th quarter. The cause of death was determined to be an abject lack of character and courage causing cardiac infraction, a complete heart failure. The Raptors are survived by their legions of fans who deserved better. Much better.

        A Coroners inquiry that evening confirmed signs of internal decay which were not readily apparent visibly. Blood and toxicity scans on the corpse of the Raptors found several issues. The Lowry trips to the super bowl to Minnesota and to Houston to watch his favourite football team and his former college team instead of respecting his 30M commitment to his job were found to be symptoms of failing character and commitment. A condition known as the “Ibalka Effect” which is characterized by the inability to hit any open shot was found by the tox scan. Finally the report said irreparable damage to the Raptors heart was detected when Fred VanVleet challenged Lebron James after a cheap shot in game one only to be pulled away from standing up to the great man by Lowry and Derozan. The coroner said if the Raptors had demonstrated even an iota of moral courage and physically pushed back as a group at James for the cheap shot on their rookie guard their heart might have survived. Instead they took the "respect way out" and their heart was irreparably damaged.

        In a faux league where the word respect is thrown around like packages of ketchup at McDonalds the Toronto Raptors showed far to much to their opponents and absolutely nothing for themselves.

        Viewing is to be held at the Cleveland Ogden Funneral Home between the dates of Saturday May 5 and Monday May 7th.. The executor of the estate, Masai Ujiri, says in lieu of flowers donations the NBA draft process will be appreciated. Internment for the remains of what was once a healthy vibrant team will be creamated on or before July 2nd at the Wide Right Crematorium.
        Last edited by Demographic Shift; Fri May 4, 2018, 11:39 AM.
        There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
        - TGO

        Comment


        • Lol, great post, DS.

          Comment


          • Bravo, sir. Bravo.

            Comment


            • Nilanka wrote: View Post
              Lol, great post, DS.

              How did you not use one of these:



              "We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard

              Comment


              • S.R. wrote: View Post
                How did you not use one of these:



                That's what this team is missing. A groundskeeper willy.
                9 time first team all-RR, First Ballot Hall of Forum

                Comment


                • S.R. wrote: View Post
                  How did you not use one of these:
                  I choked under the pressure.

                  I need to post with pride.

                  Comment


                  • Last night hurt.
                    It hurts for many reasons.
                    It hurts because they looked like they gave up.
                    It hurts because Lebron is that good, and we frankly don't have anyone close to that calibre.
                    It hurts because I've been a raptors fan since day 1, and I will continue to be one even if we suck.
                    It hurts because this probably means big changes, and those years after vince sucked. You know the ones where there would already be pages deep in threads about possible trades, and pages about potential draft picks. Now we're used to talking about potential playoff match-ups.
                    It hurts because we are almost all complacent with what we got. Best regular season. First in the east. I would love to have a cyclical guy on TV, not another homer. Someone who would say "that wasn't good enough". "We can and deserve better". "The championship is possible, but not like this".
                    It hurts because I thought this year was different.



                    That being said I feel ok because, we are still super young.
                    We have Masai at the helm.
                    We have Canadian kids coming into the NBA like no other time, and eventually one or more will want to play for us.
                    We don't have the Teacher's Union owning the team anymore, and Bell and Rogers want a winning product on the floor, because winning means ratings and ratings mean $
                    I feel ok because I'm a Raptors Fan and there isn't anything more resilient than that!

                    Comment


                    • And so it ends… A season with so much promise winds up on the rocks one last time. This is the third run at it for the Casey, Derozan and Lowry triumvirate and its hard to see them all back next season. The best era in Raptors basketball, as currently constructed, is most likely coming to a close. Conventional wisdom is that it’s infinitely easier to replace one coach than to replace two or three of your best players but in this instance a little of both is required.

                      Replacing a head coach is easy. Its done generally 10 times a season on average. Retreading the tires so to speak… but the Raps are fortunate that they can build from within opting to promote one of Nurse or Jerry Stackhouse to walk the sidelines. Its not that Dwane Casey is a bad coach. He’s not. But he is now associated with a team that just couldn’t get over the hump. Sometimes the baby does go out with the bathwater.

                      Replacing one or possibly both of Derozan and Lowry is not going to be easy but its now necessary to make a break with the past. I hear the cries. “Trade Ibalka”…. but in the cold light of day that’s pretty tough without having to tie a draft pick to him which Uriri will not do. In a salary cap league cheap talent is paramount. A more likely scenario if Serge has worn out his welcome is that a young and promising rotation player will have to be sacrificed to get something more than a “your problem player for mine” trade. And we are not talking Bebe or Norm here. We are talking Poeltl or Siakam or Wright. My gut says Serge stays unless the GM finds an idiot out there as he will be very reticent to give up on any of his younger players.

                      So who goes then? Lowry or Derozan . For me Lowry has thrown off the “you can’t perform in the playoffs” collar with his play in the Wizards series and against the NewLooks and he has value right now. Demar hasn’t changed the perceptions that he can be flummoxed in the post season and that is what makes his trade value pretty lean. It does make more sense to move Demar but there are few landing spots for him. The Knicks ? Perhaps the Clippers who can use some cache in SoCal with the Lakers looking to sign some marquee FA ? Would the Kings of Comedy in Excremento make a move to add a semi star ? Ujiri will not get value in return but that’s not the purpose of the deal.

                      The reality of the situation is that the winds of change are starting to blow down Bay street and one of the two most identifiable personalities in the last half decade of Raptors ball along with their coach are likely to have new mailing addresses next season.

                      The tipping point for what might have been was that absolute heart and character meltdown in game 2 of the semi’s. With everything to play for and to prove their legions of critics wrong… the Raps came up short…well short To use NBA speak.. its going to be an “intriguing” off season. I hope the moves are quick and decisive come late June and early July as the floor is now with the “I knew its” and the “I told you so’s”. As Brian Burke would say …the rats will have the run of the forum commentary for a while.

                      I told you so.
                      There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
                      - TGO

                      Comment


                      • Demographic Shift wrote: View Post
                        And so it ends… A season with so much promise winds up on the rocks one last time. This is the third run at it for the Casey, Derozan and Lowry triumvirate and its hard to see them all back next season. The best era in Raptors basketball, as currently constructed, is most likely coming to a close. Conventional wisdom is that it’s infinitely easier to replace one coach than to replace two or three of your best players but in this instance a little of both is required.

                        Replacing a head coach is easy. Its done generally 10 times a season on average. Retreading the tires so to speak… but the Raps are fortunate that they can build from within opting to promote one of Nurse or Jerry Stackhouse to walk the sidelines. Its not that Dwane Casey is a bad coach. He’s not. But he is now associated with a team that just couldn’t get over the hump. Sometimes the baby does go out with the bathwater.

                        Replacing one or possibly both of Derozan and Lowry is not going to be easy but its now necessary to make a break with the past. I hear the cries. “Trade Ibalka”…. but in the cold light of day that’s pretty tough without having to tie a draft pick to him which Uriri will not do. In a salary cap league cheap talent is paramount. A more likely scenario if Serge has worn out his welcome is that a young and promising rotation player will have to be sacrificed to get something more than a “your problem player for mine” trade. And we are not talking Bebe or Norm here. We are talking Poeltl or Siakam or Wright. My gut says Serge stays unless the GM finds an idiot out there as he will be very reticent to give up on any of his younger players.

                        So who goes then? Lowry or Derozan . For me Lowry has thrown off the “you can’t perform in the playoffs” collar with his play in the Wizards series and against the NewLooks and he has value right now. Demar hasn’t changed the perceptions that he can be flummoxed in the post season and that is what makes his trade value pretty lean. It does make more sense to move Demar but there are few landing spots for him. The Knicks ? Perhaps the Clippers who can use some cache in SoCal with the Lakers looking to sign some marquee FA ? Would the Kings of Comedy in Excremento make a move to add a semi star ? Ujiri will not get value in return but that’s not the purpose of the deal.

                        The reality of the situation is that the winds of change are starting to blow down Bay street and one of the two most identifiable personalities in the last half decade of Raptors ball along with their coach are likely to have new mailing addresses next season.

                        The tipping point for what might have been was that absolute heart and character meltdown in game 2 of the semi’s. With everything to play for and to prove their legions of critics wrong… the Raps came up short…well short To use NBA speak.. its going to be an “intriguing” off season. I hope the moves are quick and decisive come late June and early July as the floor is now with the “I knew its” and the “I told you so’s”. As Brian Burke would say …the rats will have the run of the forum commentary for a while.

                        I told you so.
                        Bro are you giving up on the team. Cmon man, it's not over, it's still first to 4, not 3. What a fake fan. Raptors in 7!!!
                        "Stay steamy"

                        - Kobe

                        Comment


                        • hotfuzz wrote: View Post
                          Bro are you giving up on the team. Cmon man, it's not over, it's still first to 4, not 3. What a fake fan. Raptors in 7!!!
                          I'm calling it now, we lose game 4 and manage to win in 9.

                          Comment


                          • hotfuzz wrote: View Post
                            Bro are you giving up on the team. Cmon man, it's not over, it's still first to 4, not 3. What a fake fan. Raptors in 7!!!
                            Smh
                            Mamba Mentality

                            Comment


                            • Demographic Shift wrote: View Post
                              And so it ends… A season with so much promise winds up on the rocks one last time. This is the third run at it for the Casey, Derozan and Lowry triumvirate and its hard to see them all back next season. The best era in Raptors basketball, as currently constructed, is most likely coming to a close. Conventional wisdom is that it’s infinitely easier to replace one coach than to replace two or three of your best players but in this instance a little of both is required.

                              Replacing a head coach is easy. Its done generally 10 times a season on average. Retreading the tires so to speak… but the Raps are fortunate that they can build from within opting to promote one of Nurse or Jerry Stackhouse to walk the sidelines. Its not that Dwane Casey is a bad coach. He’s not. But he is now associated with a team that just couldn’t get over the hump. Sometimes the baby does go out with the bathwater.

                              Replacing one or possibly both of Derozan and Lowry is not going to be easy but its now necessary to make a break with the past. I hear the cries. “Trade Ibalka”…. but in the cold light of day that’s pretty tough without having to tie a draft pick to him which Uriri will not do. In a salary cap league cheap talent is paramount. A more likely scenario if Serge has worn out his welcome is that a young and promising rotation player will have to be sacrificed to get something more than a “your problem player for mine” trade. And we are not talking Bebe or Norm here. We are talking Poeltl or Siakam or Wright. My gut says Serge stays unless the GM finds an idiot out there as he will be very reticent to give up on any of his younger players.

                              So who goes then? Lowry or Derozan . For me Lowry has thrown off the “you can’t perform in the playoffs” collar with his play in the Wizards series and against the NewLooks and he has value right now. Demar hasn’t changed the perceptions that he can be flummoxed in the post season and that is what makes his trade value pretty lean. It does make more sense to move Demar but there are few landing spots for him. The Knicks ? Perhaps the Clippers who can use some cache in SoCal with the Lakers looking to sign some marquee FA ? Would the Kings of Comedy in Excremento make a move to add a semi star ? Ujiri will not get value in return but that’s not the purpose of the deal.

                              The reality of the situation is that the winds of change are starting to blow down Bay street and one of the two most identifiable personalities in the last half decade of Raptors ball along with their coach are likely to have new mailing addresses next season.

                              The tipping point for what might have been was that absolute heart and character meltdown in game 2 of the semi’s. With everything to play for and to prove their legions of critics wrong… the Raps came up short…well short To use NBA speak.. its going to be an “intriguing” off season. I hope the moves are quick and decisive come late June and early July as the floor is now with the “I knew its” and the “I told you so’s”. As Brian Burke would say …the rats will have the run of the forum commentary for a while.

                              I told you so.
                              And so it begins....

                              Dwane Casey it seems has been on the gallows for each of his seven seasons in Raptorland and this May it finally was his time.

                              He brought in and cemented into the organization a professional rhythm and cadence that it had never seen before under a long list of WTF hires (Kevin O'Neill, Butch Carter, an already checked out Lenny Wilkins and the very forgettable Darrell Walker). In seven years he brought the organization as far as he could. It was time for a change after that disheartening loss in the semis when so much more was expected.

                              There is much culpability to be shared in that epic bedshitting ...

                              To me its more than an even bet that one of or both of Caseys guys .. KL or DD ... also move on. Starting new means you do have to take some of your most treasured possessions out of the house. To me anyway its much longer odds but it is also possible that Ujiri hedges his bet and brings the band back intact to see if a different approach in the playoffs gets the team to the finals. If he does that... every kilopascal of pressure then lands firmly and squarely on backs of KL and DD to get to the team to the finals.

                              The winds of change are blowing harder down Bay street.
                              There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
                              - TGO

                              Comment

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