Game #77: Toronto Raptors 106 - Cleveland Cavaliers 112

[golden]

When DD and Lowry draw multiple defenders, they don't move the ball nearly fast enough. Too much one-on-one and not enough of the snappy, whole team swinging the ball to open shots like we used to see.

At least there were flashes of the defence in this one, it kept the game respectable. All the offensive issues don't matter if they don't defend like they can.

It will take at least one more full season to beat those old habits out of them, if it can ever be done at all. Under pressure is when they are most likely to revert. Culture reset should have started 4 seasons ago..... we’d probably have more shooters on the roster to fit the system.

[GOLDBLUM]

It will take at least one more full season to beat those old habits out of them, if it can ever be done at all. Under pressure is when they are most likely to revert. Culture reset should have started 4 seasons ago..... we’d probably have more shooters on the roster to fit the system.

Demarre and PPat were supposed to be 3&D... but .... ya know... clang, clang, clang went the trolley.

[inthepaint]

What was most deflating for me on this L wasn't the threat to #1 seed or even the sheer dropoff in quality of play, it was how eerily similar this was to '16-'17:

--Playoff Lowry and Derozan show up
--Team is visually psychologically/energetically affected by playing the cavs
--Massive difference in firepower on open 3's between the 2 teams
--frustrated forced & ISO shots after weak defensive possessions.

The only silver lining here is that this seems more like an exception than the rule, and this feels very far from their ceiling/true potential right now. Find your energy and hunger again on the defensive end. Oh yeah, and Boston lost.

[golden]

Demarre and PPat were supposed to be 3&D... but .... ya know... clang, clang, clang went the trolley.

We’ll never know how they would have looked in a non Ride & Die offense.


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[DanH]

Meh. Casey was garbage in this one, Lowry was garbage, and that's all she wrote. Some promising signs, like OG's defence, JV's continued viability, DeMar scoring (gonna need to see those threes disappear in the playoffs unless it's end of the shot clock)... But a few bad stretches cost the game.

At least Boston lost too.

The important game is and always was going to be tomorrow night. Whether Boston or Toronto gained a game tonight or not. Tomorrow was always going to be crucial.

[Scraptor]

The important game is and always was going to be tomorrow night.

Standingswise maybe, but this game was a big psychological hurdle. To get wrecked by Jose Calderon is a pretty shitty note on which to head into another Cavs series.

At the end of the day, the playoffs are going to answer a very simple basketball philosophy question: can systems/continuity overcome superior talent?

I think we've seen proof time and time again that the answer is no, but here's hoping.

[golden]

Standingswise maybe, but this game was a big psychological hurdle. To get wrecked by Jose Calderon is a pretty shitty note on which to head into another Cavs series.

At the end of the day, the playoffs are going to answer a very simple basketball philosophy question: can systems/continuity overcome superior talent?

I think we've seen proof time and time again that the answer is no, but here's hoping.

Add coaching to that talent equation. Spurs beat Lebron, Wade and Bosh in their primes with systems. But they had Pop managing games. Casey is a great program builder but if you don’t have elite talent, then you must have elite game management and that’s Casey’s biggest weakness.


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[slaw]

Meh. Casey was garbage in this one, Lowry was garbage, and that's all she wrote. Some promising signs, like OG's defence, JV's continued viability, DeMar scoring (gonna need to see those threes disappear in the playoffs unless it's end of the shot clock)... But a few bad stretches cost the game.

At least Boston lost too.

The important game is and always was going to be tomorrow night. Whether Boston or Toronto gained a game tonight or not. Tomorrow was always going to be crucial.

Casey? Oh, this was on Lowry. Should have stayed and celebrated with his other team. I don't care where he goes on off days but if he's flying all over the country he better be ready to play. He clearly was tired out there. That looks really bad given the context of this game.

[GOLDBLUM]

As far as storylines go, I really hate that Calderon, who we let walk when we went with Kyle, can now enjoy burning us with the Cavs. 19 points tonight, season high. You can bet whenever he faces us, he's gonna get up to play. Hopefully Kyle wins the next round, when it really matters.

[Demographic Shift]

It would seem that I picked a great night to take the in the Jays live at the dome.
From the posts it looks like Casey is once again getting fired ...Lowry and DeRozan are to be sold into slavery in a garment factory in a remote part of China.

Raps are getting into the position they thrive the most in..being ragged on, overlooked and dismissed outright and that’s from the fan base. The high intellects like Shaq and Pierce will be on them as well. Can’t wait for April 14th...with the 12:30 start natch. as the Raps make fat man Shaq eat a few slices of crow pie.

Oh yeah..the Jays look waaaaaay better than I thought they would.

[rocwell]

Good for you. I got drunk and mistakenly put $500 on Blue Jays, TFC, Pacers +3,5(LOL), Dallas +8.5 parlay bet.

Who knew that drunk betting is a good thing.

Darren Collison is the man

[rocwell]

Lowry, asked if last night's trip had an impact on tonight's game: "I'm still a professional. I'm still coming out here to do my job. I just missed shots. Thats it. What I did last night was support my team, I got back here on time, I ain't miss nothing. I just missed some shots"

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 4, 2018

[GOLDBLUM]

Who knew that drunk betting is a good thing.

Darren Collison is the man

I don't bet at all, nor do I really understand it. Did you win 11,491.51 pounds tonight???

[Sonny]

What a pathetic performance. What else is there to say?

This team gets ridiculed on American sports TV everytime they talk about them. Lowry has a reputation of choking in the playoffs. Biggest game of the season against the Cavs and you play like that? This is why nobody respect this team.

I don't have a problem with Lowry going to San Antonio to watch Villanova play. But you better play your ass off against Cleveland. He was a complete non factor. Like he wasn't even there. 50 year old Jose Calderon completely dominated him. Lowry looked tired and disinterested.

Which begs me this question. What exactly is this guy's # 1 priority?

[Sonny]

Now Kyle Lowry is going to have to answer for going to his school's national championship game last night in San Antonio, before his Raptors played their most important game of the year tonight in Cleveland. Lowry: 2-11 and 1-6 from 3. Grand total of 5 pts. What's your priority?

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 4, 2018