Everything Valanciunas

[lewro]

I can slag any player on this team. They all have warts.

But I don't do it often, as opposed some, and to be honest I don't feel good doing so, as opposed to some.

As long as they wear a Raptor uniform I think of them somewhat like I think of my kids.

JMO.

Good post. Yes, I don't feel good about it either (except for bad Ross) but I am interested to argue how to possibly improve the team and trade is a possible route.

All your kids have warts? Jk

[Scraptor]

What do your eyes tell you?

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My eyes tell me that you will ignore evidence and respond with your opinion, as usual.

[Jangles]

Because It fits every other player on the team.

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Do we only have 1 strategy? Are we this rigid? I know it's Casey, but still...

[A.I]

Our Net rating is +7.3 with DeMar on the court and +17.3 with DeMar on the bench.

These numbers are noisy and don't give us conclusions that are as simple as they imply.

It is funny though how people are always on JV for his defense, yet Demar really isn't any better either, we just get to hide him with Lowry guarding opposing PGs and Carroll guarding the opposing teams' best players, although he really doesn't do a good job either.

[Jangles]

Because it worked?

Celtics were torching us from 3 in the first half.

Changed to the hedge, and yeah it didn't work that well at 1st with the Celtics making 2 more 3''s.. But once PPat subbed in for Pascal, the JV/PPat combo held the Celts without a make from 3. That's when the comeback started. Yeah, JV had trouble recovering a couple of times, but it seems Casey preferred giving up the occasional 2 points rather than 3 points.

That's fair. I suppose im speaking generally. JV is not quick enough to recover after a hard hedge (although his timing could improve). I think we've been seeing him do it far too much in recent games.

[JawsGT]

It is funny though how people are always on JV for his defense, yet Demar really isn't any better either, we just get to hide him with Lowry guarding opposing PGs and Carroll guarding the opposing teams' best players, although he really doesn't do a good job either.

This is true, but the other side of the coin is you can't "hide" a center on D and JV doesn't give us nearly as much on O as Demar does. Not that I'm advocating trading JV, I'm just saying. Also, Demar has taken alot on these forums for his defence, which to me looks much better this season than it ever has.

[Jangles]

Love your effort to switch this to a debate about Demar..... However, Demar isn't going anywhere and this is his team (like it or not). JV's playing style just doesn't fit with this team and his defence is HORRIBLE. So much so that he's not finishing games and has trouble with mediocre and elite teams.

So we get it.... you never liked Demar and he was the first guy you went to look at his stats to save JV. But it's pointless because this is Kyle and Demar's team. They are the ALL-STARS.... not JV.

Instead of trying to prove a useless point, let's try to see who actually fits with this team so that we can be better and maybe, just maybe, try to beat the Cavs.

You point to a stat which paints a poor picture of JV in order to tell us that he has been poor. Similar stats show that Demar has been worse than JV in that respect and now you jump on the poster making the comparison?

Look Demar has been generally fantastic this year and few will say otherwise. All I think that comparison should show is that those stats need more context.

[A.I]

That's fair. I suppose im speaking generally. JV is not quick enough to recover after a hard hedge (although his timing could improve). I think we've been seeing him do it far too much in recent games.

And thats on Casey. Sure you can hedge when Bebe and Patterson are on the floor, but it isn't difficult to change up your defense when JV is out there. Asking JV to hedge is like asking DJ to sit in the corner and shoot when he gets the ball, it doesn't work.

This is true, but the other side of the coin is you can't "hide" a center on D and JV doesn't give us nearly as much on O as Demar does. Not that I'm advocating trading JV, I'm just saying. Also, Demar has taken alot on these forums for his defence, which to me looks much better this season than it ever has.

Fair enough, thats exactly why Demar doesn't seem bad, he can stay hidden, but I agree he has improved since previous seasons.

[3inthekeon]

That's fair. I suppose im speaking generally. JV is not quick enough to recover after a hard hedge (although his timing could improve). I think we've been seeing him do it far too much in recent games.

Maybe my viewpoint is overly rosy, but maybe Casey thinks his timing will improve? Even when we were hedge heavy 2 years ago, JV only hedged 1.7% of the time. Casey didn't seem to trust him back then.

Someone implied earlier if slow foot Marc Gasol can play quality D why can't JV. Maybe 6-7 extra years experience?

[DanH]

Maybe my viewpoint is overly rosy, but maybe Casey thinks his timing will improve? Even when we were hedge heavy 2 years ago, JV only hedged 1.7% of the time. Casey didn't seem to trust him back then.

Someone implied earlier if slow foot Marc Gasol can play quality D why can't JV. Maybe 6-7 extra years experience?

100% agree with the experience thing. Still think even at peak timing JV will struggle in a hedge heavy defence, just as Gasol would.

[Jangles]

Having Conley & Allen on the perimeter also helps.

[Lupe]

It is funny though how people are always on JV for his defense, yet Demar really isn't any better either, we just get to hide him with Lowry guarding opposing PGs and Carroll guarding the opposing teams' best players, although he really doesn't do a good job either.

Because it is much easier to hide/help a slightly below average wing defender than it is to hide/help a slightly below average defensive big man. The former is not critical to your defense, especially if you have options to cover the more potent offensive players on the other team, however the center is typically the fulcrum of your defense, especially nowadays with pick and roll initiating so much action they are involved heavily in almost every single possession on that end of the floor.

DeMar's defense on the weakest wing player on other teams is not going to decide games lol, that is just a fact. However JV's inability to hedge effectively, recover, really do a good job of rim protecting against slashers will have a massive impact on team defense. That's just the reality.

I don't know any other place where people think that SGs and Cs have the same impact, or even remotely close to the same impact defensively.

[A.I]

Because it is much easier to hide/help a slightly below average wing defender than it is to hide/help a slightly below average defensive big man. The former is not critical to your defense, especially if you have options to cover the more potent offensive players on the other team, however the center is typically the fulcrum of your defense, especially nowadays with pick and roll initiating so much action they are involved heavily in almost every single possession on that end of the floor.

DeMar's defense on the weakest wing player on other teams is not going to decide games lol, that is just a fact. However JV's inability to hedge effectively, recover, really do a good job of rim protecting against slashers will have a massive impact on team defense. That's just the reality.

I don't know any other place where people think that SGs and Cs have the same impact, or even remotely close to the same impact defensively.

Never said they have the same impact, just stating something I noticed, but their impact depends on the teams they play, JV's defense obviously has far more of an impact, doesn't matter what team you play, you'll need to defend the paint/rebound, but there will be moments where teams get hot and starting making shots, that falls on the perimeter players to defend. Seen both happen quite a bit this season, JV not being able defend on P&Rs and players getting wide open shots on the perimeter.

[S.R.]

I don't know where the hyperbole about JV's defence being "awful" and "horrible" crept into this thread, but it's flat out wrong.

[3inthekeon]

100% agree with the experience thing. Still think even at peak timing JV will struggle in a hedge heavy defence, just as Gasol would.

I agree but it seems we're use hedging situationally rather than our primary scheme, so maybe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.