Basketball in Canada - Page 42

JHikka · #**821** Posted **Apr 30, 2019, 6:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

What struck me was how Toronto was still in a position to tie at the buzzer despite shooting poorly the whole game. As difficult as that was to watch it bodes well for the series. I suppose it's possible to shoot this badly for 4 games in a row but it's not likely.

Last night's loss doesn't phase me that much. Raptors played very poorly in the first half and still nearly won the game anyway. They're a better team than Philly.

suburbanite · #**822** Posted **Apr 30, 2019, 6:47 PM**

This team's ability to go absolutely ice cold from 3 is what I've been worried about all year. The rest of the team outside of Kawhi went something like 20/67...

Won't see a performance like that again hopefully, but it was still concerning to see the lack of adjustments from Nurse when things went south fast in the first quarter. He left Ibaka out for way too long when he clearly isn't as well-equipped to matchup against Embiid as Gasol is. When the shots weren't falling they resorted to slow-paced iso ball. Our offense is at it's best when it's pushing the pace and using the versatility of Kawhi and Siakam to prevent teams from getting settled in on defense.

Less bitching at the refs Nick and more gameplan adjustments please.

isaidso · #**823** Posted **Apr 30, 2019, 8:03 PM**

^^And Leonard spent too long on the bench. As bad as it was, it was very winnable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

Last night's loss doesn't phase me that much. Raptors played very poorly in the first half and still nearly won the game anyway. They're a better team than Philly.

So we are in agreement.

GlassCity · #**824** Posted **Apr 30, 2019, 8:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbanite

This team's ability to go absolutely ice cold from 3 is what I've been worried about all year. The rest of the team outside of Kawhi went something like 20/67...

Won't see a performance like that again hopefully, but it was still concerning to see the lack of adjustments from Nurse when things went south fast in the first quarter. He left Ibaka out for way too long when he clearly isn't as well-equipped to matchup against Embiid as Gasol is. When the shots weren't falling they resorted to slow-paced iso ball. Our offense is at it's best when it's pushing the pace and using the versatility of Kawhi and Siakam to prevent teams from getting settled in on defense.

Less bitching at the refs Nick and more gameplan adjustments please.

Agreed about how much time Ibaka played, and as far as I remember Green only played 32 minutes too...I get the need to rest, but to keep a player like that on the bench for over a quarter is crazy.

rousseau · #**825** Posted **Apr 30, 2019, 8:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbanite

Less bitching at the refs Nick and more gameplan adjustments please.

This has got me wondering about Nick a bit. If everyone knows that the playoffs are all about game-to-game adjustments, and if everyone knew that Philly would be making changes for game 2, then shouldn't he have been able to adapt on the fly to what Philly threw at the Raptors?

Then again, maybe it really did just come down to missing shots. Maybe no amount of planning can make up for missing shots that you normally make.

suburbanite · #**826** Posted **May 3, 2019, 1:17 AM**

This is deja vu for the last 4 years of Raptors playoff basketball. Zero resilience when shots don't fall early.

Berklon · #**827** Posted **May 3, 2019, 3:06 AM**

Looks like nothing's really changed for the Raptors. The same old unjustified expectations.

rousseau · #**828** Posted **May 3, 2019, 3:13 AM**

So is that it? Or does Toronto have another gear?

It's true, Toronto seems to fold when things don't come easily. Those four wins in a row against Orlando were so easy because they were so vastly superior in talent to the Magic. They weren't really tested in that series. And then everything went their way in that first game against the 76ers.

It pains me to admit this, but the Raptors don't seem to have a lot of the heart, soul and grit that you need to grind out a deep playoff run. Kawhi Leonard is an incredibly good player, and is precisely the kind of superstar you need to go far in the postseason, but right now it's looking like the surrounding cast are getting a case of the Raptor's traditional postseason jitters.

I always thought that playoff basketball was about grinding it out in half-court sets because over a multiple game series the defense doesn't allow for the sort of free-wheeling fast-breaks that the Raptors excelled in during the regular season. Which is why I think Valanciunas would have been far more useful than Gasol tonight. I'm really not impressed by Gasol's offense. JV would have muscled in a lot of baskets in the paint in a game like tonight, and that would have opened up the three-point shooting. Philly defended against the three really well tonight.

Though this might just be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic at this point. There's just something about the Raptors that makes them fold.

I guess we just hope that they bounce back Sunday and prove me totally wrong.

caltrane74 · #**829** Posted **May 3, 2019, 3:14 AM**

They should have never traded DeRozan, Poetl and their future for 1 year. Will get exited in the same round as last year.

GlassCity · #**830** Posted **May 3, 2019, 4:10 AM**

Yeah this takes out most of the optimism that was left after game 2. The new players aside, the Raptors still lack confidence the same way they always have. Tough game to watch, especially with Embiid gloating the entire second half.

suburbanite · #**831** Posted **May 5, 2019, 8:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

They should have never traded DeRozan, Poetl and their future for 1 year. Will get exited in the same round as last year.

Still one hundred percent fine with that trade even if we lose this series. Next year was going to be a rebuild with or without Derozan (if Kawhi leaves) and you cannot truly rebuild with a backcourt of Derozan and Lowry sure to drag the team to some extra wins.

Can anyone name a better combo than the Raptors and not hitting open 3s when it matters?

MonctonRad · #**832** Posted **May 5, 2019, 8:23 PM**

The NBLC championship series is now set.

It will be the Moncton Magic vs the St. John's Edge in the championship series.

The Moncton Magic took out the Halifax Hurricanes 85-82 in game seven of their semi final series this afternoon before 2103 fans at the Avenir Centre in Moncton. This is payback for the Halifax Mooseheads taking out the Moncton Wildcats in a quarter final QMJHL series last month.

rousseau · #**833** Posted **May 5, 2019, 10:52 PM**

I believe in Kawhi Leonard.

JHikka · #**834** Posted **May 5, 2019, 11:03 PM**

Kawhi's a monster. Butler came to play too but it feels like he's the only one showing up for the Sixers.

Also, Gasol for 16 points is nice for once.

isaidso · #**835** Posted **May 5, 2019, 11:13 PM**

The difference over Game 3 was better production by Gasol, Ibaka, Green, and especially Lowry. Like was said after Game 3, Kawhi can't do it by himself. He needs help and he got it in Game 4. Now if we could only get Siakam and Powell going too. VanVleet looks over whelmed.

suburbanite · #**836** Posted **May 6, 2019, 12:53 AM**

Van Vleet might have cost himself a serious amount of money with that bridge contract he signed. His confidence is completely shot and looks like a shell of the player we saw last year.

Bishop2047 · #**837** Posted **May 6, 2019, 3:23 AM**

Would like to see a bit of Powell too, they should have him chase JJ around for a few minutes at a time, and save Green as much as possible.

Lennard obviously carried the team for this win, but Gasol looked like the playoff upgrade we were promised. I do love how he gets his mits on so many post touches and discourages post play on defence.

isaidso · #**838** Posted **May 6, 2019, 4:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The NBLC championship series is now set.

It will be the Moncton Magic vs the St. John's Edge in the championship series.

The Moncton Magic took out the Halifax Hurricanes 85-82 in game seven of their semi final series this afternoon before 2103 fans at the Avenir Centre in Moncton. This is payback for the Halifax Mooseheads taking out the Moncton Wildcats in a quarter final QMJHL series last month.

There's no team from the Ontario division in the final?

Marty_Mcfly · #**839** Posted **May 6, 2019, 4:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

There's no team from the Ontario division in the final?

St. John's took care of them

isaidso · #**840** Posted **May 6, 2019, 4:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

St. John's took care of them

I see. I assumed St. John's was in the Atlantic Division.