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

[LJ2]

That's not even logical. If Casey "knew" that JV & Serge was a bad combination, why would you be starting every single game at a disadvantage, by design?

I don't think what Nurse is doing works with DeMar in place of Kawhi though. Kawhi is/was our leading rebounder and he and DG are a force on perimeter D.

[KeonClark]

bring him home

Home = kardashianville

[KeonClark]

Melo as CJ Miles replacement? lmao

We have the leagues best record. Stop suggesting absolute tools to come join us lol

[Mack North]

GOLDBLUM has the best Game Threads. Here we come 34+ game win streak!

[Truth Teller]

Other than Bucks game, the team plays well when hes not player or subbed out.

Offense also looks less stagnant.

[The Great One]

Pound that fuckin rock tonight.

[Scraptor]

That's not even logical. If Casey "knew" that JV & Serge was a bad combination, why would you be starting every single game at a disadvantage, by design?

1. Because Masai was actively trying to trade JV for about two years, and sending him to the bench would have cratered what was left of his value. Masai seems to have abandoned that goal now that he made other big moves.

2. Casey is certainly aware of the fanbase's love of JV via media questioning. He had defended JV's benchings so many times there were articles about JV's role and playing time. Given JV's salary and status he chose not to create an even bigger distraction by sending JV to the bench. Now that Nurse has a clean slate he didn't have to worry about the optics.

I'm not saying Casey is a genius, everyone here knows I don't think he is a great coach, but he definitely started the downward trajectory of JV's minutes and role here. It's puzzling to me that people would fail to acknowledge it when he got torn to shreds for it for two years.

[KeonClark]

1. Because Masai was actively trying to trade JV for about two years, and sending him to the bench would have cratered what was left of his value. Masai seems to have abandoned that goal now that he made other big moves.

2. Casey is certainly aware of the fanbase's love of JV via media questioning. He had defended JV's benchings so many times there were articles about JV's role and playing time. Given JV's salary and status he chose not to create an even bigger distraction by sending JV to the bench. Now that Nurse has a clean slate he didn't have to worry about the optics.

I'm not saying Casey is a genius, everyone here knows I don't think he is a great coach, but he definitely started the downward trajectory of JV's minutes and role here. It's puzzling to me that people would fail to acknowledge it when he got torn to shreds for it for two years.

It is hypocritical. 5 weeks ago everybody was excited that nurse was gonna "unleash JV". He did the opposite (in a sense). Now that's a genius move.

Winning cures all. 12-2 (and not being casey) makes a genius. Hes basically running on credit until he fails in the playoffs. If we underachieve nurse will instantly have his own special anti fan club

[The Great One]

Lets go!!

“I wish I could get out there and play their coaching staff.”

Dwane Casey issues a challenge to Nick Nurse and the Raptors' coaches.https://t.co/uoGCB6zAEE

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 14, 2018

[The Great One]

Will Nick Nurse and Dwane Casey shake hands after the game?!

[Scraptor]

Casey is making it seem so simple. But thats what he was - a simpleton who could never see the big picture. I'll give you an analogy:

If I had the same materials, tools and direction as Picasso, I still couldn't produce a piece of art anywhere near his. Casey may have used a similar lineup, but he never made it work. Nurse has done a better job in 14 games than Casey has done in his entire tenure.

Your analogy is too simplistic itself. If you told Picasso he couldn't use blue (primary, Kawhi) or green (secondary, Green), and that red (primary, DeMar) didn't work half the time (played no defense), the paintings he would paint are far different than those he might paint with a full pallette of colours.

I think Nurse is the better coach, but Casey is not wrong about starting the JV benchings.

[S.R.]

I'm starting to think it was actually Toronto beat writers whose feelings were most hurt by firing Casey and trading DeMar. I guess more of these NBA TMZ gossip pieces should be expected for the Pistons & Spurs matchups this year: https://torontosun.com/sports/basket...and-nick-nurse

I mean it's news to me that anyone could ever perceive and assistant being promoted to HC as a stab in the back vs. the old head coach. This literally happens on a very regular basis that at least the interim HC is an internal promotion. That's a lot of stabbed backs around the NBA.

[DanH]

It is hypocritical. 5 weeks ago everybody was excited that nurse was gonna "unleash JV". He did the opposite (in a sense). Now that's a genius move.

Winning cures all. 12-2 (and not being casey) makes a genius. Hes basically running on credit until he fails in the playoffs. If we underachieve nurse will instantly have his own special anti fan club

I'd like to go on the record as being totally against Nurse's move to "do the opposite." I remain excited about the potential of releasing JV (into the starting lineup).

The offensive system that he implemented last year and that has carried over to this year remains very effective.

But let's not go nuts with the 12-2 record. We've played an easy schedule and we have a lower net rating so far this year than we had last year (barely, but still...). This team can be way better than they have been thus far, and will need to be, if they want to make real noise in the playoffs.

[Truth Teller]

Your analogy is too simplistic itself. If you told Picasso he couldn't use blue (primary, Kawhi) or green (secondary, Green), and that red (primary, DeMar) didn't work half the time (played no defense), the paintings he would paint are far different than those he might paint with a full pallette of colours.

I think Nurse is the better coach, but Casey is not wrong about starting the JV benchings.

I could write a bible about this but its a forum. I wanted to keep the analogy short

[S.R.]

I think Nurse is the better coach, but Casey is not wrong about starting the JV benchings.

Jury's still out, but one huge consideration here is the fact that JV continually proved to be one of Toronto's best playoff performers - and Casey eventually lost his job for playoff failures in spite of his regular season success.

Instead of benching JV for 4th quarters all year, maybe they should have been working at playing the kind of ball they needed for winning in the playoffs.

This is becoming a cycle where we have rationale all season long for not playing JV that much, then the playoffs come and guys with more minutes underperform and JV looks great and everybody scratches their heads trying to figure out how to solve this playoffs problem. Then next October rolls around and we rinse and repeat.