Game 22: Toronto Raptors at Memphis Grizzlies - Tuesday November 27th 8pm ET SN1

[Scraptor]

PROJECTED STARTERS











AT











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NOTES:
-Kawhi earned his first career tech against the Heat. Don't make him angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
-The Grizzlies just lost at home to the Knicks lol
-Jaren Jackson Jr did have 7 blocks and 4 threes so let's not let him be the unexpected x-factor for this one
-Gasol has been playing like a man possessed and as of this writing leads the NBA In real plus minus (warning: small sample size)
-Fortunately we have Kyle at number 6, in the top 10 as usual. Pascal is at 13. In the whole NBA. Eat your heart out Draymond Green.
-Unsurprisingly with Conley back the Grit and Grind era has resumed, Grizz are last in pace with the 3rd best defense in the NBA

[golden]

[DanH]

Fun stats: the Raptors are developing a rhythm over the past three games. Versus the Wizards and Hawks the Raptors posted the exact same defensive rating in the two consecutive games - 105.9. And then in the next pair of consecutive games (Wizards, Heat) the Raptors posted the exact same offensive rating (122.5). Weird.

This game starts an 11 game gauntlet of brutal schedule. 7 road games to 4 home games, and only two home games in a row once (ie only one game with no travel immediately preceding it). Loads of travel including a 4 game west coast road trip to end the 11 game stretch (the hard kind of west coast trip - LAC, GSW on a B2B, POR, DEN). Using my game prediction model, of those 11 games, there are 8 predicted wins (>50% chance to win) and 3 predicted losses (<50% chance), but 5 of those wins and all of the losses are essentially coin tosses (40-60% chance to win), meaning this could go very well or very sideways very fast. Only a few games early in this stretch (@ CLE, vs PHI, @ BKN) are projected as likely wins (>60%). Overall the projected record for these 11 games is 6-5. That's the worst projected record of any 11 game stretch this entire season. This is officially as hard as it gets. Good luck, Scraptor.

Over the holiday break the schedule gets real nice (from the 19th of Dec to the 22nd of Jan there is only ONE projected loss in 17 games, and a projected record of 12-5), but before then we've got to tackle this monstrosity of an 11 game stretch.

[LJ2]

On the positive side, it looks like everyone except Norm should be available for this tough stretch and FVV is starting to play a bit better which will be huge for the second unit. If CJ can start leveling out to where most predicted he should be this season then we're looking good and ready to make some "real" noise.

[rocwell]

[MixxAOR]

Money well spent.

[rocwell]

Money well spent.

Not Wizards though

[Demographic Shift]

Jeez I hope they win by at least 50.

If not.. there will be complaints on:

- missed coverages on defensive switches that leads to a basket that would bring Memphis to within 11 of the lead

- giving up a 20 point leads and turning them into 10 point leads (cuz the other guys don't try to win )

- playing too much isolation basketball with the intent of getting in reps for a top 3 in the league player to practice under game conditions which plays will be used to win or tie games late when they are needed and that can be executed with a great degree of confidence because of all the work that was put in during the season.


Should be fun to watch the Raps take on a pretty good opponent on the road who plays a different style of basketball ...

[S.R.]

Memphis playing great defence, will be a good test for Toronto's offence. Gasol's having a throwback season but Toronto should be able to pull him out of the lane whenever they spread the floor.

Memphis also a poor rebounding team, worse than Toronto. Attack the glass.

[LJ2]

Must win game?

[3inthekeon]

Props to MLSE. I remember a few years back some posters were adamant MLSE was too cheap to go into the tax.

[SkywalkerAC]

Good early season test.

[3inthekeon]

Not Wizards though

Heat not looking too good either.

[LJ2]

Heat not looking too good either.

If I recall correctly the Heat turned it on in the second half of last season. I keep thinking Wiz will turn it around every year, and they pleasantly prove me wrong every year.

[Demographic Shift]

If I recall correctly the Heat turned it on in the second half of last season. I keep thinking Wiz will turn it around every year, and they pleasantly prove me wrong every year.

And tonight the Whizzies draw the desperate for a win and pretty good Houston Rockets .... Still the Whiz are only a couple three games back in the loss column for the 8th slot.. but the expectations that go along with the best backcourt in the east (sarcasm dripping from every syllable of that phrase) and that payroll demand a lot more than that....

The NHL has whacked 4 coaches and a GM so far....I know Leonsis hates to spend money to pay GMs and Coaches not to.. but the heat in DC is intense.... When they lose tonight ... its got to be very close to either making a significant roster move or one of or both of Grunfeld and Brooks being dismissed.