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  • Is It Too Early...

    ...to determine what kind of a team the Raptors are?

    Mixed results so far. Obviously doing well, but some disappointing letdowns against teams that they should have beaten.

    Some questions:
    1. Who is Miles? Gunner or not. He slimmed down, came into the season with more energy and "spring in his step" according to the talking heads, and apparently lost his shot. Does he revert to the mean or is he turning into an anchor?
    2. Can JV learn to standup straight when a guard is at the foul line shooting a jump shot? He is constantly bent forward at the waist presenting a 6 foot barrier to shoot over, pretty much guaranteeing 2 points for the other team.
    3. Does Delon have another gear for his decision making? It is painful to watch him at the top of the 3 pt arc trying to decide what to do next on offense. Does Nurse have ANY set plays that Delon can run so he can stop trying to figure it out on his own?
    4. When is Kawhi going to be healthy? Or do we have to get used to him playing 60% of the games in the regular schedule?
    5. Does Nurse have any sep plays for Kawhi, or does he have just make shit up after getting a pass? Looks a lot like he is using the Derozan playbook lately.
    6. Is Nurse experimenting or grasping at straws? So far the rotation and substitutions appear to be problematical, at best. I understand there have been injuries, but has Nurse decided it's more important to experiment than win games, since the Raptors have been maintaining a good position in the standings?
    7. Will the real Fred VanVleet please standup? Who is occupying FVV's body. The guy from the Chicago game or the walking dead who appeared in multiple games in this early part of the season?
    8. Is Lowry really having a good time? I have listened to zero post game interviews with Lowry and have no inside knowledge so I am all ears. He should be having the time of his life; but where the hell has his shot gone?
    9. How can a team be good and still have this many unforced turnovers????? Somebody help me out.


    Having said all that, I believe that they are a shoo in for the NBA finals, but that is based on faith, not performance to this date. I will happily listen to any positive evidence that they can make it to the big dance.

  • #2
    Yes.

    Comment


    • #3
      GOLDBLUM wrote: View Post
      Yes.
      I thought so.

      Comment


      • #4
        It is indeed way too early. But:

        1) Miles is who he always was. His shooting stroke will return, he will remain a net negative overall because of his porous defence, which is fine in a bench gunner who may see his minutes shrink or disappear come the playoffs (unless Nurse pulls a Casey and uses him to defend the opposition's best post scorer).

        2) I don't know whether JV can learn to stand up straight or if it would make any difference. If we're talking free throw line, that's 15 feet out, and opponents are shooting 36% from 15-19 feet with JV on the floor this year (2nd lowest rate on the team). At 10-14 feet, it's the opposite (opponents shooting 46%). Serge has the opposite splits - opponents shooting 46% from 15-19 and 34% from 10-14. Both players allow exactly the same proportion of shots from the two ranges. So... no idea.

        3) Give Delon a screener who can pop for a jump shot and give him a clean lane to work with, then we can see what he's capable of.

        4) Kawhi already appears to be healthy. Caution is the name of the game. I'd gladly never play him on a back to back for the rest of his career here. Frankly we should be giving other vets similar nights off.

        5) There is a particularly effective play they run where the ball starts with Lowry at the top of the arc, he hits Kawhi coming up from the elbow towards the top of the arc, Lowry clears out his man (either by faking a screen for Kawhi and slipping, or by using JV as a screener to dive into the lane and cut back out to the corner), and Kawhi continues to hit a screen JV sets (after clearing Kyle) at the top of the arc with his defender already trailing. We broke that one out several times in the first 3 Qs of the Detroit game before we stopped running any semblance of offence in the 4th. You can see the tail end of a few at the 0:11, 0:24, 5:06 and 5:51 marks in the video below. Sadly not much of the set-up as it's a highlights pack.



        6) I expect the former. I don't like some of the experiments he's doing (and, notably, not doing), but hard to claim he's grasping at straws until we see how this shakes out over the course of the season. If he's still rolling the same rotation in January I'll be concerned that he's not really trying stuff so much as doubling down on pre-conceptions.

        7) Fred will be fine. Get him more off the ball, let Wright create some offence, and give them both a C who better fits that bench style (and, ideally, Pascal back), and everything should be rosy.

        8) His shooting to start the year was never going to last and his slump now won't either. As for the having fun bit, who's to say?

        9) The Raps are middle of the pack in turnovers (18th). But they are 3rd in TS% when they do shoot the ball, and above average in offensive rebounding to give them extra chances to do so. Given that they are incorporating new lineups and new faces and a new coach, I'd expect the turnover rate to drop as the season goes on, further increasing the potency of their offence (already 3rd in the league). Fewer turnovers should help the defence too (7th right now).
        twitter.com/dhackett1565

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        • #5
          It’s not that early but when you’ve got half the roster taking breaks every other game, injuries, and the coaching staff treating games like summer practices it’s hard to draw a lot of conclusions. You can’t continue to be this casual and expect consistency and efficiency on both ends of the floor but it hasn’t really bit them yet - Detroit aside.

          Personally, I’m not thrilled with how they are approaching things but we will see if it pays off as the season goes along.

          Comment


          • #6
            It is early.. the concern I have is more about how we will match up against "good" teams (ie, playoff caliber teams). We were great last year, but there was that one stat that kind of showed how vulnerable the team really was.. and that was DRTG against the best of the best. Raptors were terrible. And we can see how bad our defense was against Washington and then Cleveland. We got exposed.


            Raptors have had a baby poop soft schedule this year. Toughest teams so far were Boston (twice), Milwaukee, Philly (pre Butler though), and I guess Utah (but they were/are struggling at the time). Utah was a great win but more so because it was a schedule loss, and they won handily.

            Raptors are 3-2. You could throw in Minny I guess to make the 4-2, as Minny was a playoff caliber team at least last year.

            But either way, that's not a good sign. Raptors are really good at beating really bad teams. That's Casey ball in a nut shell. What they are not good at is beating teams that they might play in the playoffs. And that part worries me more than anything else.

            GS is the next big test.. and I really hope they have Curry and Green back for that one. We need them healthy to see how we really match up against good/elite teams.

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            • #7
              planetmars wrote: View Post
              It is early.. the concern I have is more about how we will match up against "good" teams (ie, playoff caliber teams). We were great last year, but there was that one stat that kind of showed how vulnerable the team really was.. and that was DRTG against the best of the best. Raptors were terrible. And we can see how bad our defense was against Washington and then Cleveland. We got exposed.


              Raptors have had a baby poop soft schedule this year. Toughest teams so far were Boston (twice), Milwaukee, Philly (pre Butler though), and I guess Utah (but they were/are struggling at the time). Utah was a great win but more so because it was a schedule loss, and they won handily.

              Raptors are 3-2. You could throw in Minny I guess to make the 4-2, as Minny was a playoff caliber team at least last year.

              But either way, that's not a good sign. Raptors are really good at beating really bad teams. That's Casey ball in a nut shell. What they are not good at is beating teams that they might play in the playoffs. And that part worries me more than anything else.

              GS is the next big test.. and I really hope they have Curry and Green back for that one. We need them healthy to see how we really match up against good/elite teams.
              That's what I was saying in the other thread. If we don't show this season that we can beat the better teams in both the East and the West our fait might end up the same as last playoffs. We haven't beat anyone good so far and that's a bit worrisome. But it is still early and we have been injured and pretty nonchalant to me in how we approach games. We also have new guys that still need to get more comfortable and new lineups we're trying. So I'll give it time.
              I relish negativity and disappointment. It is not healthy. Somebody buy me a pony.

              Comment


              • #8
                It's far too early in the season to get a good test of this team vs an established team like GS. Toronto needs a lot more reps before they'll be up to potential.

                "We're just winning on talent" is a common criticism here now. We'll, that's exactly what happens when you have a brand new 1A guy who just missed a year of basketball, 3/5 of a new starting lineup, and a new coach. We want them to play like a well oiled contender? That takes time. A lot of it.
                "We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard

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                • #9
                  #5 (Leonard being used as DeRozan more often, hopefully not as a method to convince him this is 'his team' so he re-signs) and #6 (inconsistent lineups and substitutions being great for flexibility, but bad for building unit chemistry) are the issues I'm most concerned about.

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                  • #10
                    It is too early to judge this team, but having said that I don't see the type of progress I thought I would see this many games into the season. Kawhi still seems to be playing a separate game from the rest of the team. When he sits they get everyone involved and play together. When Kawhi plays there is a lot more standing around and watching.

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                    • #11
                      Thats the one thing that stands out to me, kawhi is basically playing very similarly to derozan on offence. The pull up 3s are the only real difference, amd of course kawhi tends to be more efficient. I'm not really sure what i may have expected, and it really shouldnt be a big deal. Every team needs a go to guy that can get his own shot in isolation or the PnR, amd we know we have a guy that won't shrink under the limelight. Plus he plays great D. Maybe i thought he'd be a better playmaker, but i have a feeling he is still trying to get himself going and get acclimated to the team given how little he played last year and mandatory rest days this year. FVV hasnt been as good ad expected, but pascal has been an unreal surprise, and who would have thought serge would play so well? Overall, im not concerned about the team, we are really good and only likely to get better.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        League wide kind of a strange start to the season. Raptors aren't the only top level team showing inconsistency. The injuries, even though mostly to bench players, have been an issue. It's made the Raptors whom we thought were so deep look a lot less so; especially when FVV and Delon haven't been as good as we'd expected. I think the team is going to get much better if they can get healthy and when (if?) the offence becomes a little more structured. Kawhi was the go to guy in San Antonio for the last couple of years before he got injured and did run a lot of Demar like iso. It isn't my favourite type of basketball but it's certainly great to have a guy who can usually score at will if he isn't doubled. The bench doesn't seem to have it quite figured out yet but I also expect that to get better. I'm hoping the Bulls game was a start. I still think we win 60 and make the Finals.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Puffer wrote: View Post
                          ...to determine what kind of a team the Raptors are?

                          Mixed results so far. Obviously doing well, but some disappointing letdowns against teams that they should have beaten.

                          Some questions:
                          1. Who is Miles? Gunner or not. He slimmed down, came into the season with more energy and "spring in his step" according to the talking heads, and apparently lost his shot. Does he revert to the mean or is he turning into an anchor?
                          If there are plays that will lead to him being open in the corner 3, he can help big time. If not, pretty much a reach-in foul machine with no much on the offensive end.

                          2. Can JV learn to standup straight when a guard is at the foul line shooting a jump shot? He is constantly bent forward at the waist presenting a 6 foot barrier to shoot over, pretty much guaranteeing 2 points for the other team.
                          He grew up with porous perimeter defence. So he hedges by trying to scare the guard, but keep his ass near the big. Ends up a lot of times not guarding either effectively. Should start to change now but won't be overnight
                          3. Does Delon have another gear for his decision making? It is painful to watch him at the top of the 3 pt arc trying to decide what to do next on offense. Does Nurse have ANY set plays that Delon can run so he can stop trying to figure it out on his own?
                          Delon will be alright. Much like FVV, he's struggled with an offence that seems to have fewer screens and more ISO, even though there's more spacing on the court. Still defending well
                          4. When is Kawhi going to be healthy? Or do we have to get used to him playing 60% of the games in the regular schedule?
                          After the All-star break
                          5. Does Nurse have any sep plays for Kawhi, or does he have just make shit up after getting a pass? Looks a lot like he is using the Derozan playbook lately. He does, but Looks like he's giving Kawhi the freedom to settle on the team by doing what he (Kawhi) wants first, learning who he is a player more/his best spots, then will incorporate plays to enhance that
                          6. Is Nurse experimenting or grasping at straws? So far the rotation and substitutions appear to be problematical, at best. I understand there have been injuries, but has Nurse decided it's more important to experiment than win games, since the Raptors have been maintaining a good position in the standings? I think he's neither experimenting (things look pretty constant aside from changes due to injuries), nor grasping at straws (because he's got a lot of options). But injuries have left him scrambling a bit, especially on that Boston game
                          7. Will the real Fred VanVleet please standup? Who is occupying FVV's body. The guy from the Chicago game or the walking dead who appeared in multiple games in this early part of the season? See Delon Wright above
                          8. Is Lowry really having a good time? I have listened to zero post game interviews with Lowry and have no inside knowledge so I am all ears. He should be having the time of his life; but where the hell has his shot gone? Lowry is loving every minute, we're on top right now. He's used to his shot coming and going and I bet he's fine. However, he won't have a lot of patience with Nurse if the offence doesn't maintain some of the healthier feel it had last year, especially when there's more space on the floor now.
                          9. How can a team be good and still have this many unforced turnovers????? Somebody help me out.
                          Trying to be too cute with passes. We've got good ball handlers and passers, even in the frontcourt. That will go away

                          Having said all that, I believe that they are a shoo in for the NBA finals, but that is based on faith, not performance to this date. I will happily listen to any positive evidence that they can make it to the big dance.
                          .
                          Last edited by inthepaint; Tue Nov 20, 2018, 04:42 AM.

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                          • #14
                            Mitch P wrote: View Post
                            League wide kind of a strange start to the season. Raptors aren't the only top level team showing inconsistency. The injuries, even though mostly to bench players, have been an issue. It's made the Raptors whom we thought were so deep look a lot less so; especially when FVV and Delon haven't been as good as we'd expected. I think the team is going to get much better if they can get healthy and when (if?) the offence becomes a little more structured. Kawhi was the go to guy in San Antonio for the last couple of years before he got injured and did run a lot of Demar like iso. It isn't my favourite type of basketball but it's certainly great to have a guy who can usually score at will if he isn't doubled. The bench doesn't seem to have it quite figured out yet but I also expect that to get better. I'm hoping the Bulls game was a start. I still think we win 60 and make the Finals.
                            All those high draft picks going to the likes of the Kings, Magic, Dallas et al have made formerly not so tough wins into ..well..tough games. The only pieces of cotton candy on the schedule these days are the Suns..and until they get Dunn and Markkanen back ....the Bulls ...and ......the Knicks who are down a unicorn.
                            There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
                            - TGO

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                            • #15
                              inthepaint wrote: View Post
                              .
                              Great comments ITP.

                              I agree that most of the problems will shake out. I expect that to happen over the next 20 games as the team finds a bit of a groove. You could make a case for it being lucky that the injury bug has bitten the Raptors during a soft spot in the schedule. Hopefully things balance out with a healthy team when they play tougher opponents.

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