#FireCasey

[Wild-ling#1]

Doesn't that clearly show our issue though? We rely on DeRozen and Lowry to create so much offense that they cant have off days. This crushed us in the second half of last season, when they started feeling the wear and tear of carrying the team. I think that the coach should take at least some of the blame for allowing and encouraging this.

How can you reach this conclusion? Casey has to give the "asset players" every opportunity to improve - either to help the team now or to prove their worth before the trade deadline/off season (hopefully both). In the following article, Blake Murphy gives a breakdown of how Bebe is - and isn't - ready to start (I should have read it before I posted that poll about Bebe starting

http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2015/...-extended-run/

As much as Casey might like to rest key players and give younger guys some "run"/ encouragement, the eastern conference just can't be taken for granted this season. And the injuries and chronic under-performance of starters and bench veterans we are seeing (Lowry, Joseph and Derozan aside, clearly) is just difficult to manage.

The Pacers demonstrate how one injury can devastate a team. And yet almost no one thought they would jump straight back into ECF contention with Paul George's return. I think many fans just assume that something can always be done when a player/team under-performs or adversity strikes. But it seems clear that it ain't always so ...

So sure, it's okay to scrutinize and discuss what Ujiri and Casey do. There are a lot of very smart guys contributing posts on this forum. But when things go wrong, there may just not be anyone to blame, I don't think.

[Axel]

How can you reach this conclusion? Casey has to give the "asset players" every opportunity to improve - either to help the team now or to prove their worth before the trade deadline/off season (hopefully both). In the following article, Blake Murphy gives a breakdown of how Bebe is - and isn't - ready to start (I should have read it before I posted that poll about Bebe starting

http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2015/...-extended-run/

As much as Casey might like to rest key players and give younger guys some "run"/ encouragement, the eastern conference just can't be taken for granted this season. And the injuries and chronic under-performance of starters and bench veterans we are seeing (Lowry, Joseph and Derozan aside, clearly) is just difficult to manage.

The Pacers demonstrate how one injury can devastate a team. And yet almost no one thought they would jump straight back into ECF contention with Paul George's return. I think many fans just assume that something can always be done when a player/team under-performs or adversity strikes. But it seems clear tht it ain't always so ...

So sure, it's okay to scrutinize and discuss what Ujiri and Casey do. There are a lot of very smart guys contributing posts on this forum. But when things go wrong, there may just not be anyone to blame, I don't think.

I don't quite follow the connection from DogeLover's comment regarding the lack of a balance scoring attack to giving young guys, like Bebe, some burn.

A balanced scoring attack would lean on the skills and production from many players to propel the team to victory. As it currently stands, and DogeLover's comment seems directed towards, we rely on 2 players to carry the load and if they struggle, the team isn't capable of picking up the slack by design. We address this by giving more opportunities to more players. This means incorporating Scola in the post (as both a scoring and passing option). It means using ball movement and screens to get our shooters (Carroll, Patterson, Ross) good open looks. None of those things involves throwing young guys onto the court before they are ready since the criticism is largely based around the lack of involvement by guys already in the rotation.

[Wild-ling#1]

I just wish Casey could have gone smaller tonight. Scola at Center was much too large, that's why we lost to one of shittiest teams in the NBA. Seriously, just look at the joke of a squad Denver played tonight. What happened to the rotations from last night? Casey's decision making is mind boggling. We should have steamrolled this team.

But his front-court (which was compromised before JV was injured) is ... fucked, right?

Patterson took three shots in 22 minutes. One basket. Scola is willing to shoot, but is slow and wasn't "hot" anyway. And Biz can't shoot. Meanwhile Bebe corralled one rebound in 15 minutes (after being very good at rebounding/shot-blocking vs Atlanta).

Dr. Frankenstein, on his best day, couldn't fix our front court. Which means the expectations of our coach are pretty bloody high.

[golden]

For lack of better place, sticking this here. From an SI article about the Wiz's struggles to adopt small ball.

"Any team can better space the floor by adding shooters. The trick is to build a roster that can leverage that space into effective and consistent offense. NBA defenses are too good (and now too practiced in defending small-ball-style teams) to make a possession as easy as drive and kick. The player on the receiving end of Wall’s passes has to be able to 1) fire off a shot quickly from a high release point, 2) swing the ball cleanly to an open man, or 3) put the ball on the floor to attack the closeout with a productive play."

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/12/03/fun...man-small-ball

This kind of my feeling; i.e., 1st option dribble drive with single kick-out pass (as a 2nd option) doesn't get shooters in rhythm against modern NBA defenses and athletes, even when the shooter appears wide open. Average shooters need more time to get ready these days. Mis-direction setting up open shots as a 1st option (ala Spurs, Hawks, Dubs,...) are better for shooters because they absolutely know when the pass is coming and are ready to shoot.

[Axel]

This kind of my feeling; i.e., 1st option dribble drive with single kick-out pass (as a 2nd option) doesn't get shooters in rhythm against modern NBA defenses and athletes, even when the shooter appears wide open. Average shooters need more time to get ready these days. Mis-direction setting up open shots as a 1st option (ala Spurs, Hawks, Dubs,...) are better for shooters because they absolutely know when the pass is coming and are ready to shoot.

My favourite example (from 2013 playoffs)

Bonner pretends to join Tiago Splitter on a double drag screen in transition for Manu Ginobili. The Grizzlies don't have any help defenders stationed to Ginobili's right because they are assuming he will drive left into the double screen.



Ginobili does go left as the Grizzlies expect, but as it turns out, Bonner is not joining the screen. He actually ends up running through the play and spotting up on the right side, where no Grizzlies defender is located.



The Grizzlies therefore have nobody to step out on Bonner on the right wing. The Spurs' sharp-shooter will nail this shot eight times out of 10 if you give it to him.





Greater breakdown of how the Spurs used misdirection and disguises to beat a very good Grizzlies defence.
http://www.sbnation.com/2013/5/20/43...2013-breakdown

[A.I]

Spurs in the 2013 Playoffs, especially Finals was the definition of ball movement.

[Wild-ling#1]

My favourite example (from 2013 playoffs)

Bonner pretends to join Tiago Splitter on a double drag screen in transition for Manu Ginobili. The Grizzlies don't have any help defenders stationed to Ginobili's right because they are assuming he will drive left into the double screen.

Interesting.

[Axel]

Spurs in the 2013 Playoffs, especially Finals was the definition of ball movement.

They also used a lot of pick and roll variations, making it hard for the defence to predict. Keep the defence guess (and reactionary) can mean the difference between an open look and a contested one.

[golden]

They also used a lot of pick and roll variations, making it hard for the defence to predict. Keep the defence guess (and reactionary) can mean the difference between an open look and a contested one.

Honestly, I think a large number of complaints about the Raps offense under Casey simply come down to just mixing it up a little and being less predictable with adjustments. Q:> Is that Casey's fault or is Lowry calling the shots?

[raptors999]

"Everybody" is an overstatement.

As for Bebe, I thought he was altering and blocking shots very well against Atlanta. Not tonight. And his screens were a bit sloppier (they were great yesterday, I thought - better than JV's).

And Bebe had ONE rebound in 15 minutes (And they were getting too many second-chance points). So he got yanked for Biz ... cause we couldn't just trade buckets at the end ...

As for the rest, you can't win with ONLY DeMar shooting well (and Joseph kicking in reasonably well - high efficiency on 15 pts.). Not with the rest shooting badly (or hardly at all - Patterson). No starting center, off night for our (great) PG and 4, a hobbling 3 and a dismal bench.

That's pretty much "end of story", isn't it? Hard to "coach" your way out of all that misery, I think.

But I'm with Primer: Come the morn, how will DeRozan be blamed?

Every commentator on the other team notices odd things, misplays, poor substitions, just general lack of game management. To say 'every' one of the 29 other play by play broadcaster has openly scratched their heads isn't exaggeration over the 5 years

[Axel]

Honestly, I think a large number of complaints about the Raps offense under Casey simply come down to just mixing it up a little and being less predictable with adjustments. Q:> Is that Casey's fault or is Lowry calling the shots?

Can't see how it is Lowry when all the sets without him are just as bad.

Makes me wonder more about Lowry's comments "I respect him as a man" - maybe Lowry sees it but is too determined to play good soldier with his coach clashing history.

[raptors999]

Agree with much of what you are saying but I think you have to account for more than just a coaches knowledge base or simply how good they are with x's and o's. I think being able to manage your locker room and keeping players happy and playing hard is a skill as well. Mike Brown was able to do that in Clevland, but I'm not so sure Brett Brown has any clue how to handle the stars of this league.

Casey is by no means a great x's and o's coach but he gets the best out of his players. Certainly Kyle's career has reached new levels, DeMar too is playing as well as he's ever played, old man Scola playing great, Cojo being given ample opportunity, not to mention players that have left that had good years under Casey. And the team overall is slowly incorporating more of a team offence.

I realize wins/loses don't mean as much in the regular season, but you aren't going to make the post season without it right? You can't fault coach Bud for Atlanta playing great in the regular season and then getting destroyed by Clevland in the playoffs.

Guys having great year is a reflection of bad coaching. Lou should never have been given so much freedom. Most good coaches clash with player hence they are the Coach. Phil often clashed with Kobe because Kobe wants every shot in the fourth and PJax has to be the one to stop it. Similar to Derozan and KL, they will always want to be the "hero" the coach needs to be one to stop it even if it causes friction.

[Just Is]

Can't see how it is Lowry when all the sets without him are just as bad.

Makes me wonder more about Lowry's comments "I respect him as a man" - maybe Lowry sees it but is too determined to play good soldier with his coach clashing history.

I'll be honest; that's exactly how I took it.

[S.R.]

Raptors' #26 DefRtg from last year has turned into the #10 DefRtg so far this year. Who gets the credit?

[tDotted]

Raptors' #26 DefRtg from last year has turned into the #10 DefRtg so far this year. Who gets the credit?

Andy Greer.

#FireCasey