Everything Dwane Casey

[KeonClark]

Yup, none of that will make as big of a bottom line impact as DeRozan's usage rate and inefficiency. To take a stop forward we need to either get DeMar out of the lineup, or get a coach that will take the ball out of his hands.

Otherwise, it doesn't matter who else is on the court watching DeRozan miss shots, they're still missed shots.

Maybe the season win total can climb slightly higher, but no way is any team with DeMar DeRozan as its usage leader making the finals. Ever.

It's possible DeMar improves and/or changes his game, but the odds are against it, by a wide margin.

I'm gonna have to go ahead and agree with those last 2 paragraphs especially

[Axel]

Ross and Scola get to the line less and turn it over less.

True, forgot about those in the usage calculations.

[Gambino]

Uh, sure, but him getting a post up and drawing a foul should count too, yeah? And him getting the ball on the roll and screwing up and traveling should count too yeah? Those are opportunities to score that end in ways other than a FGA. And usage captures those opportunities.

I don't really agree, was just guessing at the reasoning.

[Gambino]

The team actually could win a title with DeRozan as the usage leader. Usage leader =/= best player. See 2004 Pistons again, Billups was the best player and crunch time go-to-guy but 3rd in usage. I envision something like that happening with JV and DeRozan being the usage leaders but Lowry taking over in crunch time.

[KeonClark]

The team actually could win a title with DeRozan as the usage leader. Usage leader =/= best player. See 2004 Pistons again, Billups was the best player and crunch time go-to-guy but 3rd in usage. I envision something like that happening with JV and DeRozan being the usage leaders but Lowry taking over in crunch time.

I'm assuming rip followed by Sheed?

[Gambino]

I'm assuming rip followed by Sheed?

Yeah, actually I'm wrong though. I was going off memory. Rip was 1st that was right at 25.7%. But Billups was at 23.5% and Sheed 23.2%.

But either way the point is really the same.

[Barolt]

The team actually could win a title with DeRozan as the usage leader. Usage leader =/= best player. See 2004 Pistons again, Billups was the best player and crunch time go-to-guy but 3rd in usage. I envision something like that happening with JV and DeRozan being the usage leaders but Lowry taking over in crunch time.

You keep citing the 2004 Pistons, without admitting what a massive outlier they are.

That's the only team in 30 years to win a title without a past, present or future MVP.

[Chr1s1anL]

I guess we can take that poll down now lol

[KeonClark]

Yeah, actually I'm wrong though. I was going off memory. Rip was 1st that was right at 25.7%. But Billups was at 23.5% and Sheed 23.2%.

But either way the point is really the same.

Yeah we really need our Sheed. Really want Ibaka. He's not Sheed offensively obvs but he's really well rounded and we don't need him to be Sheed offensively, because jv needs usage too whereas big Ben didn't.

[KeonClark]

You keep citing the 2004 Pistons, without admitting what a massive outlier they are.

That's the only team in 30 years to win a title without a past, present or future MVP.

So tell me your wonderful ideas on acquiring a past present or future mvp

[Gambino]

You keep citing the 2004 Pistons, without admitting what a massive outlier they are.

That's the only team in 30 years to win a title without a past, present or future MVP.

Well, the reality is we are going to need to be an outlier to win the title anyway.

Idk if people realize this but every NBA final since 91 (with the exception of '94, and that's only cause MJ wasn't playing) has had at least one of Jordan, Duncan, LeBron, Kobe or Shaq in it. That's 5 players representing 26 consecutive finals.

So there's nothing wrong with looking at teams that were able to buck the trend and seeing how we can maybe set ourselves up similarly to win.

[Demographic Shift]

The same staff that said keeping Lowry's minutes down was priority as they increased his minutes.

The skepticism between what is said and what is done is well founded.

Both the GM and Head Coach have mused in public that its time for JV to take a larger role given his age, contract and performance in the playoffs. But .. if you sense a conspiracy ....

We will find out with surety in about 6 or 7 months.

[Axel]

Both the GM and Head Coach have mused in public that its time for JV to take a larger role given his age, contract and performance in the playoffs. But .. if you sense a conspiracy ....

We will find out with surety in about 6 or 7 months.

Lol conspiracy? No, just pointing out that what Casey says and what Casey does haven't always been in line.

You could even take it to Masai last season who said that Casey would be measured on improving on losing to the Nets in 7, then kept him despite the clear failure against the Wiz.

Masai also said last summer about JV being used more which didn't really seem to happen.

So skepticism is absolutely warranted.

[S.R.]

Obvious other place for continued improvement is for DeRozan to continue to build in the direction established this past regular season, AND to bring that to the playoffs. A normal Lowry in the playoffs would be nice, too. The other young guys are improving, JV, healthy Carroll's potential, top 10 pick... If the team stays healthy and continues to develop, they could push for 60 wins in the East next year.

A big plus is they had to reset the defence this past season and the offence was underdeveloped. Well the defence was much better than the year before, with the same coach and (probably) same core there should be some continuity advantage - continue to build on the defence and put a lot of work into developing the offensive system/playbook.

[Atothe]

I think Dwane Casey without DeRozan can be better