Everything Nick Nurse

[bertarapsfan]

Defensively, how do Achiuwa and Birch compare? No evidence to back it up, but I have this impression of Birch being "soft" on defense in comparison.

Eye test Birch is more solid on the glass, less likely to get bodied in the post and gambles less. Birch also isnt that good in the pick and roll. He just drops and drops and drops and leave the floater/ mid range wide open to the guard.

Precious can get backed down and has been rebounded over by guys with more length/ bigger arms. But he is really good at switching and can legitimately stay in front of guards on switches and force a tougher shot if they want to take them 1 on 1.

Precious seems more suited for the style we want to play, but birch is more solid/what we need from a center in crunch time when extra possessions are key

[Dr Hannibal Lecter]

Finally..he said it, what I've been preaching..since the season started. This team is soft, no desire to compete, uninspiring ,selfish, to much of I in the team, not enough of We as team. It's frustrating to watch, imagine if had to coach these little kids, grow up.
Also u got guys who are on the side lines with the little boo boos..not playing, bc they little pain, all these guys should be playing, there soft..I think that's what also Nurse was implying, just little digs at the team. Achiuwa soft, Byrch soft, sorry I love OG..this guy never plays full season, so yeah his soft. The roster is to young, the bench sucks, no veterans..I really think Nick really hates this roster, he really despise a lot of guys who don't buy in and don't play the raptors way or even don't want 2 play and suit up, even if your not 100 percent. No one is 100 percent in the nba, everyone plays hurt, but for some reason u got some of these guys who love to look pretty and love 2 collect money and stay on the sidelines.
Culture is changing and Nick sees that, so better get ahead this, before it gets to late.
This is on u Masai, time for you to step up and get some veteran and good quality bench players for coach Nurse, a lot lack of leadership in this group.
Go get a quality Center and a backup pg.

[KeonClark]

I tend to agree with the maniacal Dr. Lecter on this one. Raps are a soft team. We lost ibaka, Marc, Kyle, even swapping Norm for Trent. There's nobody I'd wanna take into a street fight with me. Nobody gets mad at opposing players. I prefer my team to have at least one enforcer and a few guys that get super greasy on the court. Fred gets a little greasy but I don't see it enough out of this roster.

The length and the talent is there but that IT hasn't emerged yet. That swagger.

[MixxAOR]

that's how he won damn near everywhere

[TrueTorontoFan]

[GOLDBLUM]

Just before that, Scottie jumped and did the same thing first, pointing at something — makes me wonder if Scottie saw the opportunity and Nick jumped in and took it.

Either way… think that’s my favourite play of the season to date.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Just before that, Scottie jumped and did the same thing first, pointing at something — makes me wonder if Scottie saw the opportunity and Nick jumped in and took it.

Either way… think that’s my favourite play of the season to date.

brilliant stuff

[A.I]

Just before that, Scottie jumped and did the same thing first, pointing at something — makes me wonder if Scottie saw the opportunity and Nick jumped in and took it.

Either way… think that’s my favourite play of the season to date.

If a rookie saw a play like that would get Gary open, his IQ might be higher than I thought...

Only player you really hear about is Lebron knowing opposing team's plays before they run it.

[GOLDBLUM]

If a rookie saw a play like that would get Gary open, his IQ might be higher than I thought...

Only player you really hear about is Lebron knowing opposing team's plays before they run it.

I'd have to see it again to be sure.. but when it was live I was like "what did Scottie just leap up and point at??" and then Nick looked like he registered that, jumped up right after him and pointed where Scottie was gesturing to. And I can't remember the last time I've seen Nick call a complex set like that during a live play in the dying moments with quite that much fervour.

Thing of beauty.

[TrueTorontoFan]

If a rookie saw a play like that would get Gary open, his IQ might be higher than I thought...

Only player you really hear about is Lebron knowing opposing team's plays before they run it.

I call him scottie quantum barnes for a reason

[DanH]

It was a good play but I don't know what Vooch was doing not coming out to the perimeter. Like, did the late switch by the Raps screw up some coverage for the Bulls? Was a wing supposed to switch out to Gary but got caught on the roll instead, and Vooch got caught in no man's land between the roll he was supposed to stop and the guard he ended up needing to stick to?

[GOLDBLUM]

It was a good play but I don't know what Vooch was doing not coming out to the perimeter. Like, did the late switch by the Raps screw up some coverage for the Bulls? Was a wing supposed to switch out to Gary but got caught on the roll instead, and Vooch got caught in no man's land between the roll he was supposed to stop and the guard he ended up needing to stick to?

Lavine was checking Gary, but then if you freeze it at the 10 second mark, looks like Lavine saw Dosunmu run into the screen and clearly didn't think he'd be able to get over it fast enough, so Lavine peels off Gary to make sure Fred can't get an open three or hope a driving lane, and Lavine's assuming the D will switch. And as you said Dan, Vuc is strictly thinking about the pick & roll. Meanwhile Dosumnu's understandably tight on Fred with tunnel vision. He and Lavine both converge on one side of the court on Fred... meanwhile Vuc didn't wanna give up the paint. Leaving Gary wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide open. And Fred makes a beautiful, cross-body heave pass, dead on the money to Gary (which I think takes a lot more skill than it might appear) and by that time --- YA DEAD.

Re Vooch not coming out to the perimeter at the end... It reminds me just a bit of that play where Scottie didn't get up to defend on... it was Jimmy Butler right? And we lost ... and I know Scottie took a lot of heat (so to speak) for that, as he should've, but at the end of the day, similarly, (and I imagine this was in Scottie's head in that split second), a challenge like that one, as with Vooch tonight, is nothing more than a bit of a formality cause they got you BEAT. Vuc knew he wasn't making it out to contest that shot. ......As the Simpsons meme goes:



One other point -- I feel like Vuc didn't switch because his brain, as conditioned for life, says "I AM THE CENTER." He's the paint protection, and the anchor, and in that split second, it was too late. That's another reason that this positionless 6'9 party we got going on has the potential to be so advantageous... everybody on our squad KNOWS full well, switch switch switch switch switch and don't assume anything. Or that's the idea anyway. Exciting possibilities, and they've been showing it on D as of late and then some.


Ultimately though, that play-call simply put the D in a blender and it was just a g.d. thing of beauty.
(I think I may be this over the moon just cause so many times we don't call an actual play at the end of games, and resort to iso... and we know how that virtually always turns out.)

PROGRESS.

I hope the guys (Nick included) bottle this feeling cause THIS is how to close out a game. Together.

(I watched that whole play pausing it second by second and it's really a delight to watch develop. Highly recommend.)

[golden]

It was a good play but I don't know what Vooch was doing not coming out to the perimeter. Like, did the late switch by the Raps screw up some coverage for the Bulls? Was a wing supposed to switch out to Gary but got caught on the roll instead, and Vooch got caught in no man's land between the roll he was supposed to stop and the guard he ended up needing to stick to?

Yep. I watched the Bulls broadcast and a reporter asked Billy Donovan about the Trent play. He said it was just a blown coverage. He said the Raps ran the same play twice earlier in the game and they defended it well. Not sure why everybody is going ape-shit, gaga over this play, other than the fact that we're so relieved that it wasn't the usual OG ISO when the players are left to their own devices.

[Jclaw]

I'd have to see it again to be sure.. but when it was live I was like "what did Scottie just leap up and point at??" and then Nick looked like he registered that, jumped up right after him and pointed where Scottie was gesturing to. And I can't remember the last time I've seen Nick call a complex set like that during a live play in the dying moments with quite that much fervour.

Thing of beauty.

Amazing pick up. Just watched it again. After the turnover, Nick motions Fred to pull the ball back out. Then Nick looks down the bench (presumably at an assistant coach) and that's when Scottie motions the play. Nick puts it in to action. Scottie is watching the play the whole time and as soon as the pass goes to Gary he stands up in anticipation. If that's the case, smart kid.

[slaw]

Yep. I watched the Bulls broadcast and a reporter asked Billy Donovan about the Trent play. He said it was just a blown coverage. He said the Raps ran the same play twice earlier in the game and they defended it well. Not sure why everybody is going ape-shit, gaga over this play, other than the fact that we're so relieved that it wasn't the usual OG ISO when the players are left to their own devices.

That's exactly why eveyrone is excited about it. This team's EOG execution has ranged from below average to putrid since the title year. The fact they managed to get not only a good look but the hottest player on the team wide open at his favorite spot is nothing short of a miracle. Praise Jebus.