PRESEASON GAME 1: Portland Trail Blazers @ Toronto Raptors in Vancity - Sat Sept 29th, 7pm ET

[rocwell]

Wilson Chandler has a left hamstring strain and will not return. #sixers

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) September 28, 2018

[KeonClark]

Thank all the powers that be. Raptors NBA basketball tomorrow night. TSGR.

Solo pumped for this season.

no puffer this is not a solo mission. We are all pumped right with you

[Puffer]

Thank all the powers that be. Raptors NBA basketball tomorrow night. TSGR.

Solo pumped for this season.

[Cody73]

Let"s go. I am pumped. How i've missed basketball, and we got kawhi leonard baby!

[S.R.]

How do we know hes starting?

Might be a good 6th man

I'm sorry I'm bored and my post quality is dropping by the minute

Heard he doesn't like talking to the media, let's trade him.

#Can'tLetItGo
#TimeToMoveOn

[KeonClark]

mfw I see Kawhi in the starting lineup graphic tomorrow night:

How do we know hes starting?

Might be a good 6th man

I'm sorry I'm bored and my post quality is dropping by the minute

[S.R.]

Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor. Still hasn’t sunk in. Maybe when I see him play tomorrow.

mfw I see Kawhi in the starting lineup graphic tomorrow night:

[A.I]

Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor. Still hasn’t sunk in. Maybe when I see him play tomorrow.

[Raptor Jesus]

TSN2, mentioned above

[KeonClark]

Does anyone know if this game is on sportsnet or tsn?

[ReubenJRD]

I don't have any inside info, just a guess. I think we'll likely see a few different starting lineups during the preseason. Nurse strikes me as a tinkerer.

The belief is Green will start, but Nurse will likely play with different starting lineups for pre-season, esp. between Green/Ibaka/Anunoby.

[white men can't jump]

Hmmmm....his prime days in OKC were at C though. Can't see Nurse wanting both JV and Serge in the post. Serge and JV in separate line-up's?

What? He played almost entirely at PF in basically his whole career, including in OKC.

Problem is now he doesn't move as well, and he was never a very high IQ player so he would rely on his athleticism to cover up mistakes. This makes it hard to play him at PF defensively for long stretches.

Offensively, the post has always been a fairly small part of his game, and in general he's not a guy who creates. He needs to catch the ball in finishing situations. However, he still has the size and enough spring to simply get a shot over his man in the post a fair amount. In his peak years in OKC, he was being assisted on well over 70% of his 2pt FGs (lowest % was 74.1% in his best years). A physical decline could help explain that too, if he could more easily slash through the lane without needing to dribble before going up for a dunk/layup. Basically they could be looking to limit his "in-between" game by trying limit the times he has to catch/handle the ball from the perimeter. That's when he tends to get himself into the most trouble.

[KeonClark]

It can also be used to house your toothbrush and ear medicine.

$19.99...I just ordered one

[KeonClark]

Hmmmm....his prime days in OKC were at C though. Can't see Nurse wanting both JV and Serge in the post. Serge and JV in separate line-up's?

I think as danh has been harping, a lot of Serge at backup 5

[LJ2]

That quote I take about Ibaka is interesting...seems coach nurse wants him returning to the rim on offense more this year, defying trends but harkening back to his prime days in okc. "I guarantee my % will be higher this year" also certainly implies he has a mandate to take shots near the rim

Hmmmm....his prime days in OKC were at C though. Can't see Nurse wanting both JV and Serge in the post. Serge and JV in separate line-up's?