Everything Derozan

[Just Is]

Perhaps you remember it being at half court ... which I guess it technically also is. Haha

That's what it was.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Nothing wrong with your top dogs trying to take over a game when it's needed. Sucks when it's not needed and they try to do that, but that is what number 1 options do.

I disagree with the bolded sentiment. A team's best players should lead, make their teammates better, and do whatever is necessary to help the team win. Taking over a game by playing hero-ball is absolutely not what number 1 options should do, especially when they're not very effective doing so.

Looking more specifically at last night's game, I was actually urging DeRozan to be more aggressive and demand the ball, as he was one of the few bright spots in the first half. On the other hand, Lowry should have been benched, at he's the team's #1 (or at least co-#1) option. It's been a long time since I've screamed "pass the f***ing ball" so much at the TV during the Raptors game - it was frustrating seeing them devolve into such selfish play, only to watch Casey leave his guys out there without any repercussions.

[Barolt]

I disagree with the bolded sentiment. A team's best players should lead, make their teammates better, and do whatever is necessary to help the team win. Taking over a game by playing hero-ball is absolutely not what number 1 options should do, especially when they're not very effective doing so.

Looking more specifically at last night's game, I was actually urging DeRozan to be more aggressive and demand the ball, as he was one of the few bright spots in the first half. On the other hand, Lowry should have been benched, at he's the team's #1 (or at least co-#1) option. It's been a long time since I've screamed "pass the f***ing ball" so much at the TV during the Raptors game - it was frustrating seeing them devolve into such selfish play, only to watch Casey leave his guys out there without any repercussions.

Hey, Casey pulled everyone except DeMar and Lowry for selfish play. Everyone else got benched at some point or another last night, just not those 2.

[Primer]

I'm just going to pretend that game never happened. As long as it's not the start of a losing streak I will chalk it up as a fluke. On to the next one.

[LJ2]

I disagree with the bolded sentiment. A team's best players should lead, make their teammates better, and do whatever is necessary to help the team win. Taking over a game by playing hero-ball is absolutely not what number 1 options should do, especially when they're not very effective doing so.

Looking more specifically at last night's game, I was actually urging DeRozan to be more aggressive and demand the ball, as he was one of the few bright spots in the first half. On the other hand, Lowry should have been benched, at he's the team's #1 (or at least co-#1) option. It's been a long time since I've screamed "pass the f***ing ball" so much at the TV during the Raptors game - it was frustrating seeing them devolve into such selfish play, only to watch Casey leave his guys out there without any repercussions.

I feel like the bolded contradicts what you are saying. A number 1 option isn't just a number 1 option when you want them to be. It's a mentality that those player(s) carry with them all the time.

[Snooch]

Good thing he doesn't do everything himself then! Nor does he try to.
Will Smith was damn good though, and did you see his teammates? I can't blame their coach.

Who does a baseball throw from the 3-point line?! Lol

But we do know of Casey has a tendency to go "hell or highwater" with certain players ... so not sure how you can think that Demar is just going Rogue and Casey is fuming at his lack of passing and facilitating..

lol.

No I think the common ground lies somewhere in between

I think when going gets tough casey looks to demar and lowry to be the ones to get something going for the team out on the court, but to Demar and Lowry that means "Me time" as opposed to taking a stand on defense, setting up adn running some set plays, get the ball swinging etc.

Casey gives them a long leash, and they take full advantage,.

[Barolt]

I feel like the bolded contradicts what you are saying. A number 1 option isn't just a number 1 option when you want them to be. It's a mentality that those player(s) carry with them all the time.

'Do whatever is necessary to help the team win' includes playing defense and getting your teammates involved. Not just getting yours on the offensive end.

[S.R.]

I think Casey benches young guys who he's still trying to teach and just lets vets play how they play. Generally.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I feel like the bolded contradicts what you are saying. A number 1 option isn't just a number 1 option when you want them to be. It's a mentality that those player(s) carry with them all the time.

Being the number 1 option means all those things l listed. You'll notice that selfish hero-ball was not on my list.

Riding a hot hand is one thing, but forcing a selfish 1-on-5 game (like Lowry did last night) is not what a number 1 option should do - ever. He should have been benched.

DeRozan and Lowry have both been much better this season, when it comes to playing a team game. However, the hero-ball has cropped up at times, including last night and the last 6 minutes of the Detroit game, when they almost blew a 20 point lead. Against Detroit, they stopped playing the team-first ball that built the lead and started playing selfishly, while counting on the refs to bail them out; it nearly cost the Raptors the game.

Being the #1 option does not equate to playing selfishly. Being the #1 option is about leading the team; sometimes that means being the go-to guy for scoring, while other times that means making the players around you better and contributing in other ways.

[JWash]

I think Casey benches young guys who he's still trying to teach and just lets vets play how they play. Generally.

The guy has been here for almost 5 seasons now... how do people not know this.

[JWash]

I don't see what's wrong with what DeRozan did last night. He took about the same number of shots per 36 that he normally does. How is it such a big crime to start looking to score when nobody else is really producing offensively?

Edit: For the record his assist percentage last night (40%) was almost double what it normally is. This is starting to get to a point I'd like to call "over-criticizing" also known as "nit-picking". How do you see the Raptors get blown out of the water by a lottery team, DeRozan (and Ross kind of) being the only players that shot well and your #1 complaint about the game is that DeRozan was looking for his too much?

[LJ2]

'Do whatever is necessary to help the team win' includes playing defense and getting your teammates involved. Not just getting yours on the offensive end.

I agree with that being the case in the regular flow of the game and eluded to that in my original post. However, as was the case yesterday the majority of the team was playing poorly. Missing easy shots, blowing easy lay up's, not guarding anyone...in those situations your top players are going to try to take over the game. And I don't have a problem with them trying to force the issue when everyone around them is having a bad game.

[Barolt]

I don't see what's wrong with what DeRozan did last night. He took about the same number of shots per 36 that he normally does. How is it such a big crime to start looking to score when nobody else is really producing offensively?

There's two types of players in the NBA.

Guys who can create shots, and guys who need other guys creating shots for them. If the guys who can create shots are only creating their own, the other guys will never 'really produce offensively'. That's not only on DeMar, it's on CoJo, Lowry and Casey as well.

Also, my bigger problem with DeMar's game was his awful defensive game last night. Something that's happened in each of our last 3 losses.(He was pretty bad on that end in the Cavs and Bulls losses in January)

[JWash]

There's two types of players in the NBA.

Guys who can create shots, and guys who need other guys creating shots for them. If the guys who can create shots are only creating their own, the other guys will never 'really produce offensively'. That's not only on DeMar, it's on CoJo, Lowry and Casey as well.

Also, my bigger problem with DeMar's game was his awful defensive game last night. Something that's happened in each of our last 3 losses.(He was pretty bad on that end in the Cavs and Bulls losses in January)

Then criticize that... since it actually makes some sense, unlike blaming a guy for being the lone bright spot offensively. However everyone not just DeMar played poor defense yesterday. And I think a lot of it had to do with Casey and co. not prepping them properly for the game (which Casey even admitted to in the post-game presser).

[LJ2]

Being the number 1 option means all those things l listed. You'll notice that selfish hero-ball was not on my list.

Riding a hot hand is one thing, but forcing a selfish 1-on-5 game (like Lowry did last night) is not what a number 1 option should do - ever. He should have been benched.

DeRozan and Lowry have both been much better this season, when it comes to playing a team game. However, the hero-ball has cropped up at times, including last night and the last 6 minutes of the Detroit game, when they almost blew a 20 point lead. Against Detroit, they stopped playing the team-first ball that built the lead and started playing selfishly, while counting on the refs to bail them out; it nearly cost the Raptors the game.

Being the #1 option does not equate to playing selfishly. Being the #1 option is about leading the team; sometimes that means being the go-to guy for scoring, while other times that means making the players around you better and contributing in other ways.

But what you refer to as "selfish hero-ball" is the same thing as doing what is necessary to help your team win when in a situation like yesterdays game where nobody was playing well except DeMar. It's the mentality of every top player on a team that they are the best player on the floor and can take over a game. Lowry is always going to believe that the next shot is going in. There is no way to switch that mentality off.

I completely agree that he should have diferred because he was having a bad shooting night and that he could have put more effort into defense. But again, when the team is playing badly he will always feel like he can dig them out of any hole.