Game #64 Raptors (46-17) @ Pistons (29-31); Sunday Mar. 3rd at 6pm EDT on TSN4

[GOLDBLUM]

Well, I could talk about the all bench lineup, or how hot the pistons have been lately and how good Blake, andre and reggie can be when the moon is just right..

Instead I'll just say we can definitively put this loss on Kawhi. Some people think it's a good call to have your best player sit out when hes perfectly healthy. I myself find it bizarre. Never heard of something like this before, sitting so many games as a precaution.

I really hope we're not being taken for a ride. Watch Kawhi go somewhere else and play 80 games next year. Always the suckas. We the north.

How you know he’s perfectly healthy?

[G__Deane]

man...wish Kawhi could've played. Who would be guarding him? Kennard or Wellington? god damn that would've been easy 40 for Kawhi

Not that Casey needed it, but do you think more teams get up for playing the Raps when they make the decision that they don't need him to beat your team? It's kind of an insult when it;s not a back to back and he takes the "easy" teams off .... easy teams that have beaten the Raptors twice recently

[Mitchell Duong]

Fans should all stop going to games for load management. Save some load in our wallets. Its insulting. Everyones sweating it out and cooking for the big party and kawhis saying keep cooking and call me when the tables set. Not cool.

You joke (maybe), but a break isn't a bad idea. I watched the second quarter and a bit of the second half, and it just felt like a waste of time game. I do hate watching the Pistons and Blake though.

I hate the all bench lineups, but I'm guessing the bench is going to stink in the playoffs too, and we'll be glad the guys who can actually play don't get overextended in these games. I don't really like to see Lowry getting close to 40 minutes in some of these games as it is.

We've basically got the second seed sown up. I think that is what the team wants, where they get Indy or Philly in the second round. With all that in mind. Take some time off and call it load management.

[Joey]

How you know he’s perfectly healthy?

This. Are people seriously turning on Kawhi exactly like the Spurs did? Did you not see him limping most of the game, and injure his shoulder (a shoulder he has previously torn I believe), against Portland?

If he leaves, I'm blaming you guys. :P Lol

[LJ2]

This. Are people seriously turning on Kawhi exactly like the Spurs did? Did you not see him limping most of the game, and injure his shoulder (a shoulder he has previously torn I believe), against Portland?

If he leaves, I'm blaming you guys. :P Lol

Do you really think that if he was really injured he would be playing a game here or a game there? No, he would be off for a month or whatever to fully heal before getting back on the court. This schedule seems more random than anything else which is the frustrating part. And the last minute notice of his playing status just adds to the frustration fans are having with him.

Masai better start marketing the Raptors as a team that gives their stars these special load management schedules, in hopes of attracting other elite players.

[DanH]

Do you really think that if he was really injured he would be playing a game here or a game there? No, he would be off for a month or whatever to fully heal before getting back on the court. This schedule seems more random than anything else which is the frustrating part. And the last minute notice of his playing status just adds to the frustration fans are having with him.

Masai better start marketing the Raptors as a team that gives their stars these special load management schedules, in hopes of attracting other elite players.

Are you not aware of NBA players? Fred VanVleet has been hurt in a half dozen different ways all season and was playing through it. Heck, the story around FVV's surgery was that at least it would give him time off to recover from those other minor issues. Lowry plays through crap all the time. They shouldn't - they should rest more. But they don't. Kawhi is a different sort - he learned from a pretty bad experience last year to play it cautious, especially with games that don't matter, so when he's got those little bumps and bruises that everyone has and the team gives him a chance to rest, he takes it.

Kawhi could sit for the rest of the regular season if he wanted to. Obviously the team would prefer he play most of the games so that they can build some chemistry with the rotation, and obviously I'd imagine the fans would prefer to see him play more often rather than not at all.

[A.I]

Game #64 Raptors (46-17) @ Pistons (29-31); Sunday Mar. 3rd at 6pm EDT on TSN4

Do you really think that if he was really injured he would be playing a game here or a game there? No, he would be off for a month or whatever to fully heal before getting back on the court. This schedule seems more random than anything else which is the frustrating part. And the last minute notice of his playing status just adds to the frustration fans are having with him.

Masai better start marketing the Raptors as a team that gives their stars these special load management schedules, in hopes of attracting other elite players.

Because players always sit out to get fully healthy. Just ask Kyle.

People can speculate and make assumptions all they want, but I’ll trust the team doctors and the front office over fans saying Kawhi is perfectly healthy.

Kawhi said it himself, regular season is practice for him and he’ll be ready in the Playoffs. If he sits out for load management then, then we can start worrying. Do his teammates have a problem with him sitting? We don’t know, and based on how the team has played recently, I’d say it isn’t an issue.

[hotfuzz]

JV definitely has played better than Gasol so far.

Delon has played better than Lin

We made moves for the sake of making moves... we didnt get better...

Are you for real. The trade has rejuvenated Kyle lowry. It was worth it for that alone. Gasol makes things so much easier for Kyle.

[DanH]

Are you for real. The trade has rejuvenated Kyle lowry. It was worth it for that alone. Gasol makes things so much easier for Kyle.

To be fair, JV was the guy who made things easy for Lowry before his injury, and his long absence played a large role in Lowry's struggles since the early portion of the season. That issue might have fixed itself.

The trade hasn't paid off just yet. But there are signs it still could. Gasol needs to be used better, and has shown early signs of being the bridge to make Lowry and Leonard work together as effectively as possible.

[GLF]

Are you for real. The trade has rejuvenated Kyle lowry. It was worth it for that alone. Gasol makes things so much easier for Kyle.

That the part people aren't taking in. Gasol elevates Kyle's game. When it comes to Serge and JV Kyle had to elevate theirs. For once Kyle isn't the one who has to do it all in terms of helping others along. He finally has someone who helps him. Well JV helped Kyle as well because of his amazing screen setting but you know what I mean.

[Rudy Bargnani]

Are you for real. The trade has rejuvenated Kyle lowry. It was worth it for that alone. Gasol makes things so much easier for Kyle.

Agreed...AND I would also suggest Masai ran the trade by Kawhi before pulling the trigger. If the trade increases Kawhis chances of staying by 5% it’s also worthwhile. Demonstrating the team is committed to winning and surrounding him with talent is very important.

[golden]

Because players always sit out to get fully healthy. Just ask Kyle.

People can speculate and make assumptions all they want, but I’ll trust the team doctors and the front office over fans saying Kawhi is perfectly healthy.

Kawhi said it himself, regular season is practice for him and he’ll be ready in the Playoffs. If he sits out for load management then, then we can start worrying. Do his teammates have a problem with him sitting? We don’t know, and based on how the team has played recently, I’d say it isn’t an issue.

Yep. It's amazing how short memories people have. Let's recap the events: (1) Embarassing playoff sweep exit yet again, (2) Fans: please don't run this shit back again. (3) Casey & DeMar out, (4) Former Finals MVP in.

Bucks are playing regular season balls-out, so we're entrenched in the 2nd spot. So with only a month and a bit left, it's all about getting everyone to the post-season healthy and figuring out rotations & combinations. The only legitimate issue Nurse & Kawhi's teammates would/should have with load management is the opportunity to build chemistry & good habits with Kawhi in regular season games (aka. practice).

No guarantees that Kawhi doesn't get injured in the first playoff game (which would be the most Raptor thing ever), but since we've come this far, I'll take better-safe-than-sorry approach.

[golden]

To be fair, JV was the guy who made things easy for Lowry before his injury, and his long absence played a large role in Lowry's struggles since the early portion of the season. That issue might have fixed itself.

The trade hasn't paid off just yet. But there are signs it still could. Gasol needs to be used better, and has shown early signs of being the bridge to make Lowry and Leonard work together as effectively as possible.

That's why I was so confused/annoyed when Nurse started Lin and made him a primary ball-handler, even over Lowry at times. That's the whole point of Gasol and Nurse makes him a finisher (which he sucks at). Let Lin develop bench chemistry with Ibaka & OG and start Powell and move Danny to SF. Or just slot OG into Kawhi's spot - which eventually happened, but was too late to make up for the starting lineup gaffe. Nurse just loves him some PGs, though.

[planetmars]

It would have been nice to have Kawhi of course.. we probably would have won. But again.. if Kawhi was wired to want to play every game.. than he'd still be a Spur.

Would you rather have DeMar for 80+ games + playoffs? or Kawhi for 60+ games + playoffs?

I know which one I'd take. Even if we lost every game Kawhi sat. Give me the 3rd or 4th seed with a healthy Kawhi over a 1st seed with a healthy DeMar. We've seen the latter play out before and it always ended brutally.

[DanH]

That's why I was so confused/annoyed when Nurse started Lin and made him a primary ball-handler, even over Lowry at times. That's the whole point of Gasol and Nurse makes him a finisher (which he sucks at). Let Lin develop bench chemistry with Ibaka & OG and start Powell and move Danny to SF. Or just slot OG into Kawhi's spot - which eventually happened, but was too late to make up for the starting lineup gaffe. Nurse just loves him some PGs, though.

Lin starting was completely mindboggling. Nurse made some sort of statement that he wanted to use him as the spot starter because he usually does with FVV. Try to follow that logic. The bench struggles with lack of ball handling because FVV works best as an off-ball threat. Meanwhile, FVV has success with the starters, whether starting at PG or SG (ie for Lowry or Leonard), because of those exact strengths and ideal role. So the team goes out and adds Lin to play beside FVV, because he has wildly different strengths and ideal role - he can create in PnR and score inside and drive and kick, and isn't so much a spot up shooter. And so you plug Lin into FVV's spot starting role and expect good things to happen?