Raptors @ Pacers Wednesday June..err, January 23rd on TSN at 7:00 (and other times elsewhere in the world)

[Jclaw]

That win was for Terrence.

We may be in the dog days of the season. Attention is slipping as nobody, including myself, noticed the last game thread date was for June. Keon, you're exempt.

And you proved you actually read the post..which I rarely do for the game thread opener

Hopefully that's some foreshadowing of some June basketball for our Raps. But back to the matter at hand...the Indiana Pacers. So many ways to approach this. Maybe...

....nah, he's not playing

Maybe...

hmmmmm...not playing either

The well is running a bit dry here. Let's just say that the competition is getting stronger by the game. The Pacers have outpaced (see what I did there?) our last few opponents winning 7 of their last 10. Oladipo is back from injury and playing well. But the trouble could be with the bigs as Indy plays large with both Thad and Miles starting with Sabonis ready to jump off the bench. We have a big rotation of Pascal and Serge...and maybe Moose depending on your impression from the Kings game. But, when times are tough, and it looks like we might be bullied around by their front court, fear not...

STRETCHHHH pic.twitter.com/GWqKNxm6QZ

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 23, 2019

WE'VE GOT THE BOUCHE!!!!!!!

Go Raps!

[007]

Can’t lose with the Bouch

[DogeLover1234]

Keep the Ws coming!

Unrelated: havent followed Poeltl all year but the debate was always Sabonis or Poeltl, whats it look like now? I know Sabonis has had a great year, but I struggle to see him ever being more than a decent starter.

[GOLDBLUM]

The Klaw may be resting ... but the Jclaw never sleeps.

[inthepaint]

I think for this one our beloved non-dunking Centre moose can give some more of his minutes to the Butcher. The kid is hungry.

[G__Deane]

Pacers are a quality opponent and will be a tough out in the post season. Good test for the Raps without Kawhi again, lets go!

[G__Deane]

Raps are tied for most consecutive home wins in franchise history. Opportunity to beat it is against .... the Buck.

[DanH]

This will be tough with both Kawhi and OG out, limiting our options on Oladipo. JV also often kills the Pacers. And with a back to back... This is about as scheduled as a loss gets all things considered. So I look forward to celebrating the Lowry-led victory.

The one good thing is we snuck out a win against them the first game without Ibaka or JV, and you'd think Monroe on their frontcourt is a bigger issue than being a little more limited in our defensive options on Vic. And maybe they learn from that game, where both Monroe and Boucher were massive negatives (-9 and -7) and the small ball won the game. Ibaka holding the fort down better than Monroe and going small with the bench, along with the usual "the team is amazing with Lowry when Leonard rests" and they've got a real shot to take this one even with the B2B effect. Last time out it was almost the same, with Ibaka there, and we blew them out, though they didn't have Turner.

[Demographic Shift]

I think for this one our beloved non-dunking Centre moose can give some more of his minutes to the Butcher. The kid is hungry.

Its tough watching Monroe struggle offensively in stretches out there and its harder watching him go the bench with his pride bruised with the stark realization he can't do what he once did with ease. I know he was signed as insurance... but just like insurance doesn't cover everything neither can Monroe. He is a solid big body to counter some of the bigger C's the Raps are seeing. If he can Rebound and just make a few FT's for a couple more weeks he will have done what he can do.

The Silver lining is that Boucher is getting some run to show what he has in an audition as a potential back up 3rd C going forward....He is everything Bebe wasn't in terms of BB IQ and a high intensity motor. He wants to play and doesn't seem to pick up an injury a month. He isn't afraid to take shots and he mucks it up inside on the offensive glass. He can finish on lobs from Kyle..

JV can't get back fast enough for me. Those trademark bone rattling screens, good finisher in close and top tier defensive rebounding will only make this team more formidable than it already is. The Raps depth has held them in good stead as he works his way back to the lineup. It can't come fast enough.

[G__Deane]

Last 10 games in order of the East standings:
Bucks 8-2
Raptors 8-2
Pacers 7-3
76ers 7-3
Celtics 7-3
Even the Nets are 8-2

This is a dogfight .... hopefully they can pull this out because even with Kawhi, Harden (just 5-5 in their last 10) is up next....

[KeonClark]

I was a big moose honk before the season..figured hed be productive if called upon in short spurts..and for a short spurt, he was.. but the moose has hit his wall. I see now why hes an endangered species in the nba..

Would really like an update on our lovable Lithuanian lighting..his absence is becoming increasingly noticeable..

[golden]

Last 10 games in order of the East standings:
Bucks 8-2
Raptors 8-2
Pacers 7-3
76ers 7-3
Celtics 7-3
Even the Nets are 8-2

This is a dogfight .... hopefully they can pull this out because even with Kawhi, Harden (just 5-5 in their last 10) is up next....

The once sad-sack Atlantic (aka Titanic) Division is easily the toughest division in the NBA. Just our damn luck.

And speaking of luck.... how is the 2017-18 NBA Coach-Of-The-Year's team doing?

[slaw]

And speaking of luck.... how is the 2017-18 NBA Coach-Of-The-Year's team doing?

Let it go already....

[G__Deane]

The once sad-sack Atlantic (aka Titanic) Division is easily the toughest division in the NBA. Just our damn luck.

And speaking of luck.... how is the 2017-18 NBA Coach-Of-The-Year's team doing?

9th in the conference @ 20-26, out of the post season as of now and 3-7 in their last 10.
Casey just thankful he's got a long term deal for $$$

I don't see how the Raptors could have done any better to this point with Kawhi and Casey at the helm. Maybe JV would not have been injured because Case wouldn't have been playing him much lol

Just kidding kids, I think JV is actually logging less minutes under Nurse

[golden]

9th in the conference @ 20-26, out of the post season as of now and 3-7 in their last 10.
Casey just thankful he's got a long term deal for $$$

Yeah, getting canned was painful in the moment. But when Casey looks back in his rocking chair, 20 years from now, he'll realize that the timing was the best possible thing that could have happened to him. He should be eternally grateful to Masai, because it's now becoming more obvious that we could have had a replacement coach like Nate McMillan, Mike Brown, etc... and achieved the same (or maybe better) results during the Casey era. He should have been gone after the Wiz sweep.