Game #15 Toronto Raptors 104 (12-3) - Detroit Pistons 106 (7-6)

[GOLDBLUM]

Isiah Thomas (the hall of famer) during halftime speaking some sense/truth about the KD/Draymond moment from last night.

Breaking down the tape, saying Draymond read the situation well and tried to make the right play, but bobbled it.

Meanwhile, Durant who wants to be in conversation as the best in the game, could see as plainly as anyone else that Draymond made a mistake, and that what a great leader, a best player in the game should do in that moment, is go to that player and uplift them and help him move past it. Instead, he acted like a baby and a diva (baby/diva is my paraphrasing- not his exact words.)

Anyway, total lack of leadership there on KD. Hopefully they won’t learn from this. ha. Hopefully it’s indicative of greater fractures and we’ll be ready to strike come the last games of the year.

[The Great One]

What in the world....? lmao

"prospect guru"

I believe Allonzo Trier is better than Luka Doncic and Allonzo went undrafted. That’s why my second round comments I stand by. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like Luka I just know they’re other players that are better or equally capable to produce the same if not more. #Yoda.

— Rashad Phillips (@RP3natural) November 12, 2018

[Truth Teller]

What in the world....? lmao

"prospect guru"

I believe Allonzo Trier is better than Luka Doncic and Allonzo went undrafted. That’s why my second round comments I stand by. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like Luka I just know they’re other players that are better or equally capable to produce the same if not more. #Yoda.

— Rashad Phillips (@RP3natural) November 12, 2018

Pretty cocky person. I guess typical american, where you hype yourself up and then buy into your own hype.

He's completely wrong too given Luka is younger and has a completely different skill set. Everyone trying to be like Skip Bayless.

[Truth Teller]

Isiah Thomas (the hall of famer) during halftime speaking some sense/truth about the KD/Draymond moment from last night.

Breaking down the tape, saying Draymond read the situation well and tried to make the right play, but bobbled it.

Meanwhile, Durant who wants to be in conversation as the best in the game, could see as plainly as anyone else that Draymond made a mistake, and that what a great leader, a best player in the game should do in that moment, is go to that player and uplift them and help him move past it. Instead, he acted like a baby and a diva (baby/diva is my paraphrasing- not his exact words.)

Anyway, total lack of leadership there on KD. Hopefully they won’t learn from this. ha. Hopefully it’s indicative of greater fractures and we’ll be ready to strike come the last games of the year.

We are all hoping it breaks them apart. Honestly I think KD is getting fed up with the narrative that he had to bandwagon the Warriors to win rings.

[Mitch P]

Literally nobody is saying fultz is hurt youre just yelling at clouds. No need to shake joey by the collar for answers.

The problem, yet again: mental. M-e-n-t-a-l. Did you see that janky free throw? That is the defenition of the yips.

Totally agree. Yips can happen in any sport where there is performance anxiety. It can even happen to musicians. I'm a golfer and have seen guys who swing perfectly on the practice range but look completely different once the game starts and practically hit it sideways. It happens to archers, target shooters, curlers.....usually actions that aren't reflex or spontaneous. In baseball it happens with throwing (a star pitcher Steve Blass suddenly couldn't throw a strike and ended up retiring) rather than hitting. There is no injury to a shoulder that would result in that form. That is yips. He might have to switch shooting hands.....that can actually work, it might get better but odds are that it will remain at least a sporadic problem. Given the importance of shooting to the point guard position I would seriously question Fultz's future. I wouldn't trade Delon or FVV for him at this point. Maybe Brown.

[sanyo]

Quinn Cook is such a good player but will always been blocked by Curry.

[GOLDBLUM]

Totally agree. Yips can happen in any sport where there is performance anxiety. It can even happen to musicians. I'm a golfer and have seen guys who swing perfectly on the practice range but look completely different once the game starts and practically hit it sideways. It happens to archers, target shooters, curlers.....usually actions that aren't reflex or spontaneous. In baseball it happens with throwing (a star pitcher Steve Blass suddenly couldn't throw a strike and ended up retiring) rather than hitting. There is no injury to a shoulder that would result in that form. That is yips. He might have to switch shooting hands.....that can actually work, it might get better but odds are that it will remain at least a sporadic problem. Given the importance of shooting to the point guard position I would seriously question Fultz's future. I wouldn't trade Delon or FVV for him at this point. Maybe Brown.

Maybe Brown. Yikes. Lol

[GOLDBLUM]

We are all hoping it breaks them apart. Honestly I think KD is getting fed up with the narrative that he had to bandwagon the Warriors to win rings.

I also hope that Kawhi sees this and thinks something to the tune of “damn, there’s a lot of drama in this league... I should stay here where there’s no question about a positive culture.” Masai having worked so hard to draft high character guys is just a perfect scenario for a situation like this. In a league with so much diva BS (far more than any of the NFL, NHL, MLB, in my opinion) why should Kawhi risk rolling the dice that he’d wind up in a situation less pleasant than this.

It may get cold here... but the culture stays warm.

[GOLDBLUM]

Watching the replay of the 905 game.... Terrance Jones in the starting lineup for the Erie Bayhawks... ha.
Remember how much talk there was on our boards about wanting to trade for him only a few short years ago.
Think he was in China last year?

[Scraptor]

I also hope that Kawhi sees this and thinks something to the tune of “damn, there’s a lot of drama in this league... I should stay here where there’s no question about a positive culture.” Masai having worked so hard to draft high character guys is just a perfect scenario for a situation like this. In a league with so much diva BS (far more than any of the NFL, NHL, MLB, in my opinion) why should Kawhi risk rolling the dice that he’d wind up in a situation less pleasant than this.

It may get cold here... but the culture stays warm.

I hope he comes to regard OG as his little brother and they form a defensive MJ-Pippen wing tandem that will terrify the league for years to come.

[DanH]

Wouldn't this be a good game to start Ibaka + JV?

Sure. So too last game.

[Cross]

Uh he did start it by benching JV for like every fourth quarter and playing Serge at C. This whole forum was outraged by it (including me).

It went on for like two years and DanH and others argued extensively this summer that JV should still be starting next to Serge. Nurse was considered much smarter than Casey and would give much more playing time to JV than Casey did.

Instead Nurse is continuing a trend that Casey started. I'll fully admit that I was wrong about Casey's decision back then but he was right, and he doesn't come off as trying to brag about it in the actual quote.

Well, it was wrong back 2 years ago because of personnel used and lineups played. And remains so.

And no, Nurse isn't continuing the same trend - he's chosen not to have one of KL's on the floor any time given so far (hope this will end soon). So he must have someone else out there, who can carry bench unit on his back. And Nurse gave that role card to JV. That's OK, as Serge can't do that. You can put JV instead of Serge and starters as unit will still thrive, though JV as person will likely see his numbers drop. At the same time bench will struggle mightily with Serge being the point of attack.
The problem is, as DanH already pointed out, bad fit of ball handlers/centers. The issue is magnified by CJ playing worst stretch possible, Delon being injured and FVV forcing his own play out of comfort zone. As soon as CJ, Delon and FVV are back to old selves things will get better inevitably. But I still prefer one of KL's leading bench unit and JV being secondary option.

[Nilanka]

There might be potential for some lingering discord here. Durant is super, super petty.

Totally agree. I was just highlighting how shallow Woj's "coverage" was. I expected a much deeper dive from someone of his reputation.

[G__Deane]

I hope he comes to regard OG as his little brother and they form a defensive MJ-Pippen wing tandem that will terrify the league for years to come.

Well, we already know that if OG asks Kawhi a question, he answers him....so there's that

[golden]

Reggie Bullock for the Gerald Henderson award.

Didn't see the E'Twaun Moore Podium Game coming.