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MixxAOR wrote: View PostBoston always figure it out somehow. And their luck is endless. No more predictions for me.
They'll be more than fine.Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
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Just to go on the record before the first game I'm picking Celtics to win the first seed but Raptors to beat them in the playoffs. I think the Pacers might be number three....not Philly. This Raptor team (if we have average or better luck with injuries) should be the best ever and should be much better constructed for the playoffs. The defensive potential is limitless and while I agree that we don't have many pure scorers I think we'll almost always have more possessions and will shoot at a higher percentage than last year. Why I think the Celtics might get more points in the regular season is that Nurse will be tinkering and Stevens won't have to as much. We should all (me included of course) not get too upset if there is the odd frustrating loss before Nurse figures out that JV needs to start and play 28 minutes.
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Mitch P wrote: View PostJust to go on the record before the first game I'm picking Celtics to win the first seed but Raptors to beat them in the playoffs. I think the Pacers might be number three....not Philly. This Raptor team (if we have average or better luck with injuries) should be the best ever and should be much better constructed for the playoffs. The defensive potential is limitless and while I agree that we don't have many pure scorers I think we'll almost always have more possessions and will shoot at a higher percentage than last year. Why I think the Celtics might get more points in the regular season is that Nurse will be tinkering and Stevens won't have to as much. We should all (me included of course) not get too upset if there is the odd frustrating loss before Nurse figures out that JV needs to start and play 28 minutes.
Hopefully they're just peaking towards the end of the season. They'll also be very good in the meantime, but won't be fully firing on all cylinders here for a little while.
Agreed that for the first time ever we might see the best version of a Raptors team in the playoffs."We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard
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S.R. wrote: View PostI think we should also not underestimate how long it might take to get a new best player really in sync with the rest of the squad. It doesn't happen in a couple weeks.
Hopefully they're just peaking towards the end of the season. They'll also be very good in the meantime, but won't be fully firing on all cylinders here for a little while.
Agreed that for the first time ever we might see the best version of a Raptors team in the playoffs.
Leonard and Green will be fine. They have been playing this game since they turned 5 or 6. There isn’t all that much that they haven’t seen.
Lowry will start a bit slow then throw it into gear a few games in just like last year and the year before that.
FVV and Siakam and Wright and OG have been at it all summer.
Miles and Powell look like they will be better than last year. JV looks lighter and fitter than he has looked in a couple years.
Serge is going to be this year’s whipping boy.
By and large they are good to go on opening night. It’s Finals..conference and league ..or bust this year. There will be speed bumps along the way to be sure and there will be times they roll over teams and leave them as roadkill.
But it’s the playoffs when the measuring stick comes out for this version of the Raptors.
And you have to like their chances.Last edited by Demographic Shift; Sat Oct 13, 2018, 08:19 AM.There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
- TGO
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I think the Raptors can't avoid winning more games this year than last. Even with Nurse tinkering. He can do his experimenting strategically; against teams that the Raptors should reasonably beat, and use his most reliable lineups against conference competitors for first seed.
The Raptors want to be able to rest players when and as able towards the end of the season and give their developing players reps in something other than garbage time. They should be able to do both and still get the first seed.
Call me wildly optimistic.Last edited by Puffer; Sun Oct 14, 2018, 07:12 AM.
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3inthekeon wrote: View PostESPN with their "Expert" predictions.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...nce-nba-champs
15 picking Boston, Raptors next with 5 and Philly 2. However what exactly are these "experts" expert at? Broad range, most are storytellers who write about the human aspect of the game, but only superficial nuts and bolts knowledge.
Although there's a few who I have no clue who/what they are, there's only 3 of those "experts" whose opinions I actually respect : Marks, Pelton and Schmitz. And unsurprisingly those are 3 of the 5 who are picking the Raptors to win the East.Last edited by G__Deane; Sat Oct 13, 2018, 09:56 AM.
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G__Deane wrote: View PostPicking the Celtics is the easy and safe pick for the US media/writers. If the Raps win the East, it will be because the Celtics screwed up in X ways or injuries, not that the Raps are better. That's the easy safe low hanging narrative. And don't forget the other advantage that the Celtics will carry into the post season.....the referess and the NBA desire to see the Celts in the finals
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Mitch P wrote: View PostI think we all grew tired of beating this drum throughout last season but no doubt it is going to happen again; ignored or grossly underestimated by the US media. Unfortunately the collapse against the Cavs last spring gave them justification. Already I've heard a number of offhand comments by broadcasters talking up the Celtics and Sixers without even a mention of Toronto. As many here have stated; this is the same team that won 59 games; but with another year of experience for a bunch of kids plus a two way superstar replacing a star. Logic alone suggests that they should at least COMPETE with Boston....no? I'm not going to let it bother me this year; just enjoy the wins as they roll in.
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slaw wrote: View PostI still don't understand why anyone cares what the US sports media thinks.
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LJ2 wrote: View PostReally? I mean the US controls sports media ...for the NBA anyways. Pretty obvious why it should bother us that we go ignored. The alternate would be to pay attentions to a bunch of guys who primarily watched hockey growing up.
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slaw wrote: View PostWhy pay attention to any of them? Very, very few are experts. Most are just loud mouth pundits talking amongst themselves. You can get all the summary content and news you need through a hundred different places and there is plenty of intelligent basketball commentary out there that touches on Raps-related stuff.9 time first team all-RR, First Ballot Hall of Forum
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