#FireCasey

[golden]

CoJo and Lowry are also logging heavy minutes together. So we have only 2 PGs in the rotation and they play together a fair bit. Using Delon Wright to spell Lowry makes a lot of sense since he could play next to CoJo while CoJo runs a PnR heavy unit with JV/Bebe/Scola. Wright offers size and defence (less of a liability) and would help bring him up to speed. Considering he was considered a more "NBA ready" prospect, the idea of burying him on the bench or in Mississaugua makes little sense when Lowry is taking on such a heavy role.

Totally down with Wright getting some NBA minutes that aren't garbage time, that would also help Lowry. Even just 5 minutes a game at the right spots could give Lowry/CoJo a longer break and re-enter the game fresher - so it helps winning.

But, I highly doubt that Casey will risk playing a rookie PG (albeit NBA ready, per Casey) at the expense of a few wins in a contract year.

[Axel]

Totally down with Wright getting some NBA minutes that aren't garbage time, that would also help Lowry. Even just 5 minutes a game at the right spots could give Lowry/CoJo a longer break and re-enter the game fresher - so it helps winning.

But, I highly doubt that Casey will risk playing a rookie PG (albeit NBA ready, per Casey) at the expense of a few wins in a contract year.

5 mins a night should not impact our W/L record in the least.

[raptors999]

Yup. All the other guys on the list are lazy loafers ....Curry and Westbrook hardly look awake half the time - embarrassing!

Alot of guys with higher usage can do it with minutes off-ball and shooting. Takes less of a toll and some don't play both sides as hard as Lowry. Even Demar doesn't play both sides.

[yabadabayolo]

But here's the thing that also scares me.



Were winning games with Casey's strategies. We're 7-3 against the top 12 in the NBA. We held it close against the best team in the league twice. And we've won games while down 2 starters.


Is it possible to consider this squad a contender after all, even with Casey's shenanigans? I think that it's Greer and Kalamian who are really having a good impact here. Casey made not be a great coach, but we have a good staff around him. Maybe Casey needs to trust in his assistant's more.

You can't blame the man for ALL of the teams problems and then still not give him credit when the team is doing well smh.

I hate him as much as the next guy, but at least give him credit where it's due. He's not a complete cancer
Ike some of you people make him sound like

[LJ2]

CoJo and Lowry are also logging heavy minutes together. So we have only 2 PGs in the rotation and they play together a fair bit. Using Delon Wright to spell Lowry makes a lot of sense since he could play next to CoJo while CoJo runs a PnR heavy unit with JV/Bebe/Scola. Wright offers size and defence (less of a liability) and would help bring him up to speed. Considering he was considered a more "NBA ready" prospect, the idea of burying him on the bench or in Mississaugua makes little sense when Lowry is taking on such a heavy role.

That's what I had heard to when we drafted him, but ooof, seeing him in real life he looks like a string bean, and not even in that wirey strong way that people describe skinny people. He needs to put on not just muscled but functional strength to play in the NBA.

[Wild-ling#1]

CoJo and Lowry are also logging heavy minutes together. So we have only 2 PGs in the rotation and they play together a fair bit. Using Delon Wright to spell Lowry makes a lot of sense since he could play next to CoJo while CoJo runs a PnR heavy unit with JV/Bebe/Scola. Wright offers size and defence (less of a liability) and would help bring him up to speed. Considering he was considered a more "NBA ready" prospect, the idea of burying him on the bench or in Mississaugua makes little sense when Lowry is taking on such a heavy role.

can't believe this didn't occur to me - but yeah, quite a few of Lowry's minutes, especially in the hectic late-game scenarios, have CoJo bringing the ball up and sacrificing his body for buckets. Helpful.

Maybe we'll see some Delon in March, after he's gotten a crash-course on all things NBA and Raptors. Might be counter-intuitive - but as a non-teenager, who stayed in college to get his degree, he might be able to really soak up the tutelage and come in as a knowing and responsible guy. Maybe they could get him in on the "ball-movement" revolution, too. But with Delon being more a "D" guy and not yet an accomplished outside shooter, there seems a lot of overlap with CoJo.

So ... showcasing?

[Mess]

Did we forget about last years second half and playoffs Lowry? The fact that it's so recent should make us worry about Kyle being worked too hard in the first 2 months of the season.

I don't know. There's being worried it and then there's being certain that the exact same thing will happen again.

Lowry can play the inside out game

Its not his natural instinct...but the skills are easily there

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

I think it would take some heavy persuasion to convince Lowry to change the way he's been playing (or to play fewer minutes). Especially if the Raps take a step backwards in the short term. I don't think he'll be able to just pass the ball in and stand around for a spot up three the whole game. He's always going to be aggressive. Basically on offense, he's a combo guard if there ever was one.

[Snooch]

I don't know. There's being worried it and then there's being certain that the exact same thing will happen again.



I think it would take some heavy persuasion to convince Lowry to change the way he's been playing (or to play fewer minutes). Especially if the Raps take a step backwards in the short term. I don't think he'll be able to just pass the ball in and stand around for a spot up three the whole game. He's always going to be aggressive. Basically on offense, he's a combo guard if there ever was one.

of course he is going to be aggressive.

He needs to be.

But Westbrook is aggressive and averages 10 assists per game.

I want lowry to be aggressive in Pick and Roll, and keep it and drive alot, but I want the pick setter to recieve tha ball more times than he does now. Screen and Rolls, Screen and Pops.

[golden]

can't believe this didn't occur to me - but yeah, quite a few of Lowry's minutes, especially in the hectic late-game scenarios, have CoJo bringing the ball up and sacrificing his body for buckets. Helpful.

Maybe we'll see some Delon in March, after he's gotten a crash-course on all things NBA and Raptors. Might be counter-intuitive - but as a non-teenager, who stayed in college to get his degree, he might be able to really soak up the tutelage and come in as a knowing and responsible guy. Maybe they could get him in on the "ball-movement" revolution, too. But with Delon being more a "D" guy and not yet an accomplished outside shooter, there seems a lot of overlap with CoJo.

So ... showcasing?

According to Casey, in-preseason, the idea IS to bring in Wright to at least take some of the defensive load off Lowry. So maybe we're going to see D-Wright sometime soon. Seems like the plan could/should be to play Lowry and D-Wright together, which could free up CoJo to run the point without Lowry for longer stretches (possibly with DD).

We need to get Axel behind the bench. LOL.

“I thought it hurt us somewhat last year when we had two small guards in when you are going against six-six or six-seven guards” Casey said. “But with Cory’s size and Delon’s size I think that is a huge plus for us.
“Kyle can go hide and rest on offence a little bit, if there is such a thing for him.”

“He has seen it all and on top of that being the brother of an NBA player, he’s heard and seen it all,” Casey said. “He has been around NBA players so he’s not in shock and awe of other NBA guys. This is not overwhelming to him. His temperament is unbelievable.” “He is ahead of the game by being four years older and having Dorell as his brother and being around NBA players all this time.”

http://www.thestar.com/sports/raptor...-a-leg-up.html

[Axel]

can't believe this didn't occur to me - but yeah, quite a few of Lowry's minutes, especially in the hectic late-game scenarios, have CoJo bringing the ball up and sacrificing his body for buckets. Helpful.

Maybe we'll see some Delon in March, after he's gotten a crash-course on all things NBA and Raptors. Might be counter-intuitive - but as a non-teenager, who stayed in college to get his degree, he might be able to really soak up the tutelage and come in as a knowing and responsible guy. Maybe they could get him in on the "ball-movement" revolution, too. But with Delon being more a "D" guy and not yet an accomplished outside shooter, there seems a lot of overlap with CoJo.

So ... showcasing?

According to Casey, in-preseason, the idea IS to bring in Wright to at least take some of the defensive load off Lowry. So maybe we're going to see D-Wright sometime soon. Seems like the plan could/should be to play Lowry and D-Wright together, which could free up CoJo to run the point without Lowry for longer stretches (possibly with DD).

We need to get Axel behind the bench. LOL.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/raptor...-a-leg-up.html

I don't know if I would go for the Delon/Lowry pairing yet, cause if the point is for Lowry to get a reduced burden, playing him with a rookie with questionable outside shooting isn't likely to accomplish that (if anything, those minutes would be more Lowry heavy than Lowry's usual pairings with DD and CoJo).

But instead of CoJo/Lowry for so long, bring CoJo/Wright for 5 mins. That way CoJo can run the show (PnR heavy with a big) and Wright can be the secondary ball handler and slowly be integrated more and more (baby steps to bring him along). This way, come March, we could have 3 guys capable of running the offence, which would be important to have in case of injury/foul trouble.

Plus Wright offers good size and defence, so he could eventually take some of the more physically demanding matchups when he's paired with KL/CoJo, to help spare both of them from additional wear.

But if the plan is for Delon to play a role in March, he needs to get minutes in Dec/Jan. He's currently ranked 45th in rookie total minutes played. Considering he was more ready than many prospects, that isn't very high. I'd like to him be a small part of the rotation by New Year's. This has long been an issue with Casey, he doesn't give much opportunity until the guy is needed, but I'd rather give the guy some time so that he is ready when needed.

Wright should play 5 minutes per game a few times per week and then play 30+ in Missassagua at least once per week. Even if Wright only played in home games with the Raps (to reduce travel with 905s) for a while would be good. A PG needs to log both minutes and minutes with the guys he'd be playing with. Chemistry for a PG (knowing your teammates tendencies and preferences) makes passing easier and reduces turnovers. If I know that Bebe likes to catch the ball up high but that Scola likes the waist high bounce pass, then overall better for the team. That can only be learned by playing together though, so balance between 905s and Raps is important for Delon.

[Barolt]

The other factor that hasn't seen much mention here is between last year and this year, last year we put away the division relatively early because our division was really weak(minus a late run by the Celtics). This year the Knicks are better, and the Celtics are really good. That means we'll probably be in a division race later in the season and if Lowry slows down late in the season it could have a much bigger effect. If we lose the division to the Celtics, which is totally plausible, we could end up with an awful first round matchup when we have a team that hasn't performed in the playoffs.

[Axel]

We need to get Axel behind the bench. LOL.

You make it happen, but I won't give up my mod status. Don't want any #FireAxel threads popping up after we lose a game.

[raptors999]

The other factor that hasn't seen much mention here is between last year and this year, last year we put away the division relatively early because our division was really weak(minus a late run by the Celtics). This year the Knicks are better, and the Celtics are really good. That means we'll probably be in a division race later in the season and if Lowry slows down late in the season it could have a much bigger effect. If we lose the division to the Celtics, which is totally plausible, we could end up with an awful first round matchup when we have a team that hasn't performed in the playoffs.

Right now Celtics are more of a playoff team than the Raptors. With that roster they are 4th in DRtg. Meanwhile with "his guys" Casey is 12th in defense.

[Mess]

The other factor that hasn't seen much mention here is between last year and this year, last year we put away the division relatively early because our division was really weak(minus a late run by the Celtics). This year the Knicks are better, and the Celtics are really good. That means we'll probably be in a division race later in the season and if Lowry slows down late in the season it could have a much bigger effect. If we lose the division to the Celtics, which is totally plausible, we could end up with an awful first round matchup when we have a team that hasn't performed in the playoffs.

Or we could lose the division to the Celtics and be #3 seed with the Celtics #2.


The parity is pretty crazy right now anyway. There has to be separation at some point. But still, pick a team currently in the top 8 that would be a big underdog against the Raps in the 1st round. (same goes for everyone other team - no real favourites except a healthy Cleveland team and maybe a healthy Bulls squad).

[golden]

Right now Celtics are more of a playoff team than the Raptors. With that roster they are 4th in DRtg. Meanwhile with "his guys" Casey is 12th in defense.

That blows me away. Celtics basically have a D-League all-star team and their best player is 5 foot nothing. smh.