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

[Zak24gege]

I'm actually a bit surprised Kawhi is wired like this. He seems to love the sport and sitting is not playing. Maybe he doesn't love the sport as much as we think he does or should?

Think of it this way. Kyle is signed for next year, mgmt doesn't have to bend over and take whatever to keep Kyle happy OTOH, Kawhi is a FA and mgmt will do everything and anything to make sure Kawhi is happy, content and willing to stay in Toronto. Load Management has nothing to do with basketball, injuries, overwork etc. It's just a part of trying to re-sign Kawhi. I wish the lame and tame Toronto media would call-out Masai on this.

[007]

I wish Kawhi and his load the best of luck in this strenuous time

[MixxAOR]

Think of it this way. Kyle is signed for next year, mgmt doesn't have to bend over and take whatever to keep Kyle happy OTOH, Kawhi is a FA and mgmt will do everything and anything to make sure Kawhi is happy, content and willing to stay in Toronto. Load Management has nothing to do with basketball, injuries, overwork etc. It's just a part of trying to re-sign Kawhi. I wish the lame and tame Toronto media would call-out Masai on this.

Why? you want to keep Kawhi right? This is not the player you can flex on. He forced his way out of one team he can do it again.

[golden]

Think of it this way. Kyle is signed for next year, mgmt doesn't have to bend over and take whatever to keep Kyle happy OTOH, Kawhi is a FA and mgmt will do everything and anything to make sure Kawhi is happy, content and willing to stay in Toronto. Load Management has nothing to do with basketball, injuries, overwork etc. It's just a part of trying to re-sign Kawhi. I wish the lame and tame Toronto media would call-out Masai on this.

Masai is going to create medical drama around Kawhi's load management with 20 games left in the season. lol.

Masai says without this medical drama there would be no chance Kawhi is in Toronto. He's still in San Antonio. It's why the Raptors had a chance to get what Ujiri calls a top-5 player.

— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) July 20, 2018

[inthepaint]

Think of it this way. Kyle is signed for next year, mgmt doesn't have to bend over and take whatever to keep Kyle happy OTOH, Kawhi is a FA and mgmt will do everything and anything to make sure Kawhi is happy, content and willing to stay in Toronto. Load Management has nothing to do with basketball, injuries, overwork etc. It's just a part of trying to re-sign Kawhi. I wish the lame and tame Toronto media would call-out Masai on this.

The media can't "call out Masai on this" because they don't know that if this is indeed what's happening (resting him just for the sake of being on his good side so he will re-sign). We do't know that either. Unlike us though, the media needs to verify something as fact before contemplating the implications of said fact. Media soap opera drama is precisely why the Spurs lost him.

Right now, a balance needs to be found between (A) keeping him 100% for the playoffs, (B) achieving chemistry for the playoffs (C) making him feel safe with the way his heath is being managed (which is what the Spurs failed to do), so we can say we did what we could to have him stay. The sweet spot between these 3 will be different depending on who you ask, but for me personally the main issue is team chemistry on the court. If they manage to develop it without compromising A and C, then I'm good with it.

[JimiCliff]

Kyle did not miss a whole year because of an injury.

This is the key right here. I'm sure everyone involved - Raptors management and Kawhi himself - would prefer that he be playing every game. What's going on is not the ideal scenario for anyone involved.

Us on the outside have no idea about the details of his quad injury, but my guess is that it hasn't 100% cleared up, and so everyone's being extremely cautious.

[Demographic Shift]

Austin Rivers is shredding the Celtics defence... Austin Rivers !! I know there is a lot of ball to go.. but wow....the Clitlics are mailing this one in so far....

And adding salt to an open wound... Gordon Hayward.. the 30M$ man is stinking the joint out.. again

This is a third drink on a sunday thought celebrating Mrs Shifts visit all day on Sunday to her moms... would anyone trade Kyle for Jaylen Brown straight up ?

[S.R.]

To the bold, Mark Cuban was fined for admitting that the Mavericks were tanking a couple years ago.

Tanking to me is simply "not trying to win - or hoping for a loss". So I do think there is a distinction.
I don't think the Wizards are in that camp - Ariza is a significant upgrade over Oubre, and has significant market value. They could have traded him and Beal and started the tank.
I don't think Miami has ever been in that camp. Utah has never really done it. I don't even really put Memphis in that camp either, even though they traded Gasol. Several other teams as well.

The Knicks, however, are 100% in that camp. Sitting Kanter when he was healthy. Giving heavy minutes to shitty players. Playing shit players over good players, and saying you're "giving your young guys minutes". Trading good players for crap players. Those are signs of a tank in my opinion.

I might be misquoting him, but I believe Cuban is anti-tanking in general, that one year their season was shot and he figured they may as well lose games down the stretch for lottery balls. That's sort of tanking? Not in the sense it has now of a multiyear plan to overhaul a roster.

[3inthekeon]

I might be misquoting him, but I believe Cuban is anti-tanking in general, that one year their season was shot and he figured they may as well lose games down the stretch for lottery balls. That's sort of tanking? Not in the sense it has now of a multiyear plan to overhaul a roster.

Yeah, that wasn't a pre-planned in the summer tank. Cuban should have called it a late season pivot.

[Demographic Shift]

Boston vs Lakers next Saturday night goes the promo on ESPN/ABC.... as the Celts fall behind by 20 something in the 2nd q.

Perhaps Due South should be the tagline...

[BadDinosaur]

Waah, Clippers drop 82 points in the first half on the Knicks. Basically doubling them up... they could go for the NBA record in a game.

[GOLDBLUM]

It's just a part of trying to re-sign Kawhi. I wish the lame and tame Toronto media would call-out Masai on this.

You sound like Sarah Palin, or a Trump voter, both in words and content. (...with apologies.)

I can't believe people are still complaining about this.

Raptors Republic and the push for 60 wins.

Remember this one from last year??



A lot of good that did.

Chemistry's not gonna change that drastically depending on whether Kawhi plays all the games or two thirds of them the rest of the way. If we show up (healthy) in the playoffs, it'll either be there and gel or it won't. After the way we utterly destroyed Boston the other night when they so desperately needed a win I would've hoped some of the insecurities around here would've been ever so slightly assuaged.

If any of you complainers were managing this team Kawhi would for sure be gone next year.
I'm thankful we've got the best management in basketball making the decisions and not y'all.

[bertarapsfan]

Gasol and Lin starting

[Jclaw]

Can we just hold of our Kawhi complaints until he takes a game off for load management in the playoffs? He likely (but not certainly) had a terrible injury last year that he is still coming back from. Would Portland have done this with Brandon Roy if they thought it would preserve him?

[Hotshot]

Boston vs Lakers next Saturday night goes the promo on ESPN/ABC.... as the Celts fall behind by 20 something in the 2nd q.

Perhaps Due South should be the tagline...

So happy seeing both the Lakers and Celtics losing, the media darlings believed their own hype and now paying the price. It will be great if Boston stays there in 5th spot and not get home court advantage in the playoffs and for the Lakers not to make it to the playoffs.