GAME #2: Boston Celtics 101- Toronto Raptors 113 (2-0)

[007]

I'm very impressed that the Lakers managed to build a team with bad three-point shooting AND a weak frontcourt. Like, what's the point of playing small if you can't shoot?

[jacobdr4]

Glad I was up to witness the Sauce Castillo breakout party.

[The Great One]

I would bet that OG starts tomorrow

He's injured.

[tDotted]

He's injured.

He'll be fine, he's a big boy

[Hotshot]

He'll be fine, he's a big boy

Just a black eye. Would love it if he is able to sport some cool looking googles.

Delon Wright and OG Anunoby both practiced today, although Wright wasn't a full participant. Sounds like Anunoby should be fine. He also worked out in a tank-top and pants.

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) October 18, 2018

[Cody73]

Get OG some STAT shades..... and yeesh, Joey..... what happened in here?

[Scraptor]

Wtf kind of examples are this? Literally none of those teams were champions and many not even real contenders. So not really proving me wrong here at all.

The only example there that almost works is Thompson, but the Cavs actually did play him heavy minutes in the only Finals where they beat GSW.

*Sorry, didn't realize my previous post left out the word "winner" or "championship team". That's what I was trying to think of since last night.

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Name a championship team that had an offensive-oriented center who was a liability on defense.

Look, most of us here love JV. But he's just not suited for defending on the perimeter, and that's what happens these days in some games. Borrego played Nic freaking Batum at center to get the Hornets to come back from 20 down the other night. PJ Tucker is being used as small ball center in Houston. LeBron and even Kuzma in LA.

I agree that we should be trying to force the other team to match up to our plan instead of the other way around. But I also don't think Nurse is an idiot. Nor do I think Masai--who tried to deal JV for a long time--is an idiot.

The NBA has been undergoing a structural change for the past five years.... Doesn't make JV obsolete, but also doesn't mean his offensive efficiency can be used as the main reason to keep him out there, not without context. Guys like Embiid, Porzingis, maybe now Myles Turner and Jarrett Allen, these guys are providing elite rim protection while also being able to stretch the floor on offense.

JV does neither of those two things particularly well. He's getting better, but isn't there yet. It hasn't mattered too much in our playoff runs in the garbage east, but against elite teams like the Warriors and Rockets he will probably get cut to ribbons. So I don't mind Nurse looking forward and considering what those series might look like.

[KHD]

lol are we pretending that ibaka was actually good?

he had maybe 3 good defensive plays. the price of which was having no rebounding presence and slowing our offence to an iso-laden crawl.

[Puffer]

lol are we pretending that ibaka was actually good?

he had maybe 3 good defensive plays. the price of which was having no rebounding presence and slowing our offence to an iso-laden crawl.

Not going to get into the JV/Ibaka discussion, but with Kawhi and Green on the floor the rebounding looked kind of helter skelter. I think it will take a few games for guys to sort out how they will need to "gang rebound" the way Nurse wants them to. As has been said numberous times, it's game one. Revisit after game 15 or 20.

[Machine]

IT'S GAME DAY BABYYYYYYYY

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[planetmars]

Ibaka plays like your typical role player. He'll have some good games, and some bad ones. He'll be inconsistent through out the year. It's just the way it is unfortunately.

I prefer JV over Serge.. but some thoughts:

1) Nurse actually likes Serge more.
2) Serge is on display in case a trade pops up (say Jimmy Butler for example)
3) It's an ego play. Serge is the 3rd highest paid player on our team.. so he wants to give Serge more minutes.
4) Nurse is all about the match up early on.. not so much in dictating it, but allowing the natural match up to unfold.


With Boston.. unless Baynes starts (and I doubt he will).. I suspect it'll be Serge getting the start tonight.. and get more minutes than JV again.

And if Dwight Howard continues to sit out by Saturday I could see Serge again getting more minutes. The first game where I could see JV actually getting more playing time would be Oct 24 against KAT or definitely by Oct 26 against DeAndre Jordan.

[white men can't jump]

JV is not a liability on D. Our D was fine with him on the floor. It was not better with Serge.

If we're going to keep a big man on the floor, it should be our best big. If Nurse wants to go small, then he should just go small.

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[DanH]

I could definitely see Serge continuing to get more minutes than JV. Very possible.

The team will be worse off for it, in every matchup, IMO. But I guess we'll see over the next while. I'm hoping we at least get to see JV get some chances against those lineups we assume will be problematic for him so we can prove that out at least.

[DanH]

JV is not a liability on D. Our D was fine with him on the floor. It was not better with Serge.

If we're going to keep a big man on the floor, it should be our best big. If Nurse wants to go small, then he should just go small.

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The defensive numbers were in fact mildly better with Serge in the game (104 vs 98 DRTG), though most of his minutes coming against the Cavs bench muddies the water a bit.

I won't quote the ORTG difference, it's UGLY.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

I think Ibaka needs to play more with Kawhi and Kyle and JV needs to play more with the bench unit. Ibaka was almost acting as the primary scorer on the bench unit. I'd much rather JV have that role while Ibaka acts as more of a role player with the starters.