Game #15 Toronto Raptors 104 (12-3) - Detroit Pistons 106 (7-6)

[Demographic Shift]

When DD wins championship, finals mvp, 2 time dpoy, 2 time mvp finalist and 1st team all nba, he might command the same excuse and leeway

Way she goes

[G__Deane]

Raps been blowing leads for a while though. Bench is not doing their thing.

Honestly people have to stop saying this.

Poeltl is traded, Siakam is starting, FVV and Wright and Miles have been injured and JV is new there. Fans have to stop thinking that the bench mob (or similar outcomes) are coming back. They aren't.

To be perfectly honest, the bench was starting to fail at the end of last season after performing at a ridiculous starter-saving rate for most of the year.

[DanH]

Honestly people have to stop saying this.

Poeltl is traded, Siakam is starting, FVV and Wright and Miles have been injured and JV is new there. Fans have to stop thinking that the bench mob (or similar outcomes) are coming back. They aren't.

To be perfectly honest, the bench was startign to fail at the end of last season after performing at a ridiculous starter-saving rate for most of the year.

The bench mob or similar outcomes could certainly come back (and better - as you note they faltered late last season). It would require guys getting healthy, moving Siakam back there, and putting Serge as the C instead of JV. But as things stand, unless we make those changes, no, those results aren't coming back.

[Truth Teller]

Is it me or do these ex coaches always end up winning against former teams. I remember Smitch was unbeatable against the Timberwolves and that was when they had KG in his prime.

[G__Deane]

The bench mob or similar outcomes could certainly come back (and better - as you note they faltered late last season). It would require guys getting healthy, moving Siakam back there, and putting Serge as the C instead of JV. But as things stand, unless we make those changes, no, those results aren't coming back.

I thought it went without saying that Siakam will not be moved back to the bench and Nurse's plan doesn't involve JV starting until if/when Serge falters or tires which I believe will happen eventually. Bench mob (or the results they garnered) is not coming back imo

[Demographic Shift]

Is it me or do these ex coaches always end up winning against former teams. I remember Smitch was unbeatable against the Timberwolves and that was when they had KG in his prime.

Yeah.. the Raps own the Timberwolves like the Tampa Bay Rays own the Blue Jays... .just one of those anomalies ...

[DanH]

I thought it went without saying that Siakam will not be moved back to the bench and Nurse's plan doesn't involve JV starting until if/when Serge falters or tires which I believe will happen eventually. Bench mob (or the results they garnered) is not coming back imo

It may go without saying. It shouldn't, but you are right, it may.

[S.R.]

Can't wait for this team to turn it around and start looking great again. I'm already pscyhed.

[KeonClark]

Can't wait for this team to turn it around and start looking great again. I'm already pscyhed.

That's tomorrow. Lucky charms for dinner.

[G__Deane]

4 games coming up on the road. Start with a win in Beantown and develop more cohesiveness as a team. Make this 4 game road trip like the last (western) 4 game road trip .... 4-0

[golden]

4 games coming up on the road. Start with a win in Beantown and develop more cohesiveness as a team. Make this 4 game road trip like the last (western) 4 game road trip .... 4-0

Either develop more cohesiveness or expect a cryptic Lowry soundbite incoming.

[inthepaint]

Lots of things being pointed out over the last few pages, but to me, there's one thing that stood about the past two losses:

Lowry & Green didn't make as many 3's as they did on the games we won. That's it.

Sounds trivial, but that's the one thing that was on on the W's and wasn't there on the L's. Not to say the rotation nuts & bolts stuff is not important, but really, if Lowry and Green were hitting as they were out of the gates the other stuff (like Kawhi ISO etc. probably wouldn't be getting as much talk).

The good thing is that both Lowry & Green are naturally excellent shooters, and that will come back

[white men can't jump]

Lots of things being pointed out over the last few pages, but to me, there's one thing that stood about the past two losses:

Lowry & Green didn't make as many 3's as they did on the games we won. That's it.

Sounds trivial, but that's the one thing that was on on the W's and wasn't there on the L's. Not to say the rotation nuts & bolts stuff is not important, but really, if Lowry and Green were hitting as they were out of the gates the other stuff (like Kawhi ISO etc. probably wouldn't be getting as much talk).

The good thing is that both Lowry & Green are naturally excellent shooters, and that will come back

This could all be connected. Those guys may be among our best shooters, but we have enough shooting to make up for a couple of poor nights from them. Notice how not much of anyone outside that starting unit has really found a consistent offensive rhythm. Between the terrible rotations/units, and what I will loosely call our "system", it seems like there is not a lot of chemistry on the court for fairly large stretches of games.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[ReubenJRD]

The bench mob or similar outcomes could certainly come back (and better - as you note they faltered late last season). It would require guys getting healthy, moving Siakam back there, and putting Serge as the C instead of JV. But as things stand, unless we make those changes, no, those results aren't coming back.

Which rides my point of staggering the minutes and the lineup. Nurse takes Kawhi or Kyle out fairly early into the first, then have one of them start the second surrounded by a bench unit. Kyle + bench has always been so effective, and it proved to be great in the very small sample size we did see of it in 15 games.

Nurse wants Kyle and Kawhi on the floor at all times together, it seems. I don't have the stats, but from watching, they aren't far from checking in and out from one another.

[Raptor Jesus]

Maybe someone's mentioned this already, but the most alarming thing I saw last night was towards the end, when they showed the Raptors huddle, and Nurse was trying to draw up a play, and Lowry wouldn't stfu. THAT is a legitimate problem.

Lowry is puppetmaster coach. 3 times he waved off Nurse and shouted him down.