Raptors Discussion: v68| Raptors acquire PF Ibaka for Ross, lesser of TOR/LAC 2017 1st round picks

[Alerion]

We look tired. Missing FTs all over, getting murdered on the boards, sloppy execution offensively. Wake up.

 

[Eyedea]

We look tired. Missing FTs all over, getting murdered on the boards, sloppy execution offensively. Wake up.

To be fair, not a lot of teams go from playing a back to back against the top two teams in the league and then fly to Denver for their next game.

 

[Alerion]

To be fair, not a lot of teams go from playing a back to back against the top two teams in the league and then fly to Denver for their next game.

Yeah, this part of the schedule was harsh for sure. I just hope they can pull out this W and then enjoy their day off.

 

[Eyedea]

Ross came to play at least.

 

[tp71]

Yeah, this part of the schedule was harsh for sure. I just hope they can pull out this W and then enjoy their day off.

Would be pretty big if they can hang on.

 

[Alerion]

I love this Ross.

 

[Nasty Nazem]

Patterson has legit turned to trash.

Offensively, yep. Defensively, he is still really good. But his shot... good lord. Raps need to get a legit stretch 4 that can actually make his shots. Patterson is shooting 30% (not including tonight's game) and a woeful 22.9% from 3!!

He was amazing when he first got here but he is a disaster offensively at this point.

The same can pretty much be said for Carroll as well.

 

[Alerion]

Same play for Chandler as they ran at the end of regulation. Help D was much better this time!

 

[tp71]

Offensively, yep. Defensively, he is still really good. But his shot... good lord. Raps need to get a legit stretch 4 that can actually make his shots. Patterson is shooting 30% (not including tonight's game) and a woeful 22.9% from 3!!

He was amazing when he first got here but he is a disaster offensively at this point.

The same can pretty much be said for Carroll as well.

At least Carroll could have the excuse of being banged up...whats Patterson's?

 

[tp71]

Oh my god...

 

[Nasty Nazem]

Raps win despite some poor calls in the game.

Hell of a win considering the schedule.

 

[Alerion]

They didn't make it easy on themselves but they won Great character in OT.

 

[tp71]

They didn't make it easy on themselves but they won Great character in OT.

They clearly wanted to make sure the crowd got their money's worth.

 

[D3ADLY]

We keep talking about JV's defense and while its not elite DPOY level, its FAR from being horrible. I look at JV's defense as decent where obviously it could use some work, but its far from being a detriment to the team when he's on the floor when he can take up space in the paint, alter shots and grab rebounds and provide the occasional block. I don't know why people keep harping about him not being mobile enough as being a negative when with his size and strength it means its hard to push him around and bully him. If we need more mobility we have Bebe and now Poeltl as options. And also why not play him more and let him improve instead of simply saying 'He's not capable or is making mistakes and therefore we need to sit him'. How will he ever improve then? Why can't we let him make mistakes and learn from them and allow him to grow as a player??

As someone else pointed out before it seems like Casey is usually adjusting to how another team is playing rather than forcing them to adjust to us. Just because another team is using a more smaller and mobile lineup it doesn't mean that we can't continue to use JV and punish them in the paint when smaller players can't guard him or on defense can't push him out of the way. And lets not even talk about how UTTER GARBAGE Demar's defense has always been yet he's still always out there playing heavy minutes no matter what.

And also I disagree that scoring isn't a problem. Of course the Raps can put up points, but the problem has ALWAYS been putting up points EFFICIENTLY. Namely not letting Demar jack up 20 shots to score 20 pts, or letting guys like Patterson or Carroll continually taking shots when they're clearly not hitting them. With JV he's usually scoring at a VERY efficient percentage and hence it means you can put up more points with less shots which in turn means more points overall. So yes the Raps can score, but its ALWAYS been about doing so efficiently which JV can do and guys like Demar and Lowry and others have struggled with doing consistently.



And THAT'S THE PROBLEM with the Raps. We have bigs that can score efficiently in the paint yet Casey insists on allowing Demar, Lowry and others keep shooting no matter how many times they miss including MANY open shots instead of simply dumping it to JV or Siakam and having them take easier shots for easier points.



Again maybe Cousin's defense is better, but its laughable to say we need a 20/10 guy in the middle when JV is ALREADY CAPABLE OF THAT if only Casey and the Raps weren't so DUMB AND SELFISH and utilized him more. As I said DC has NEVER shot 50% from the field for a season while JV has never shot worse than 53% from the field in his ENITRE NBA career so far. So we already have our 20/10 centre, its just that we choose not to use him enough for him to average that.

You do understand i said at the VERY LEAST he is a 20/10 guy which means on his bad days. He can score into 40s and is mostly close to 30/12 guy now in his career. I only wish Val can do that although i am really glad we have Jonas but i would take Demarcus over Jonas and than some all day everyday. Watch some of his games and you'll know what i mean.

 

[Budsfan]

Game Preview: Raptors @ Kings
Posted: Nov 20, 2016

Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com

The Raptors are in Sacramento to take on the Kings in the second game of a five-game road trip. After collecting a hard-fought 113-111 overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets, the team now looks to step up its defence and avenge an earlier loss to the Kings that happened on the ACC floor.

Tip-off: 9:00 P.M. ET

Broadcast Info: SN1 / SN590
TALKING POINTS

Lacklustre previous meeting

The Kings defeated the Raptors 96-91 in a Nov. 6 meeting at the Air Canada Centre. It was Toronto’s second loss of the season and came without starter Jonas Valanciunas who missed the game with a sore left knee. Rudy Gay had 23 points to lead the Kings while DeMarcus Cousins added 22 points and 14 rebounds in one of two games so far this season where DeMar DeRozan didn’t score at least 30 points.

Toronto shot just 36 percent in that loss — including 23 percent from beyond the arc — while allowing the Kings to score 52 points in the paint. On Sunday they will be looking to get back to a defence-first mentality after showing lapses on that end of the floor in recent games.

Ross rolling

After Toronto’s overtime victory in Denver, DeMar DeRozan said that, “T-Ross won us this game tonight.†Although the team got solid efforts in the fourth and overtime from everyone on the floor, Ross’ outside shooting bailed out the team when they needed it most.

Showing up to training camp about 15 pounds lighter than a season before, Ross talked about wanting to feel quicker on the floor after bulking up during his rehab from ankle surgery last year. Through training camp, the lighter frame appeared to work for Ross, but Raptors head coach Dwane Casey talked about the need for consistency.

Through 11 games this season, Ross has provided a solid boost off the bench for Toronto. Beyond the 16-point performance (including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc) against the Nuggets, Ross is averaging 10.7 points per game on 49 percent shooting. He has been the team’s most efficient shooter from deep, making 46 percent of his three-pointers.

Casey calling for defence

The Raptors started their road trip off with a win, but for the second consecutive game, defensive lapses in the second quarter caused them to fall behind.

“Well, the thing about it is, we lost our defensive mentality,†Casey said. ‘We started the game with it, we got away from it, we got back to it toward the end but we have to understand that it is a 48-minute grind. We have to make sure that we maintain that mentality for 48 minutes and throughout every game in this league. There is no easy team in this league, I don’t care who you are or what the record is, everybody is out to knock you off of the mountain.â€

Although the Raptors were able to dig themselves out of the hole on Friday against the Nuggets, Casey wants to clean up the mistakes his team is making on the defensive end of the floor before they become habit. The positives: It’s still very early in the season and that the defensive issues are not a secret. With commitment and focus they can be cleaned up.

“We understand,†Casey said. “We know exactly what we have to do and where the problems are defensively. Now the problem is executing. It is from the starting unit on down; it is everybody. Everybody has got to step it up defensively and we’ve told them that.â€

Game day: Toronto Raptors at Sacramento Kings
This is Toronto's first visit to Sacramento's new downtown arena.

By Doug SmithSports Reporter
Sat., Nov. 19, 2016

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2016/11/19/game-day-toronto-raptors-at-sacramento-kings.html

GOLDEN 1 CENTER

TIPOFF: Sunday, 9 p.m.

TV: Sportsnet One

RADIO: Sportsnet FAN590

PROBABLE STARTERS

Toronto: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Pascal Siakam, Jonas Valanciunas.

Sacramento: Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo, Rudy Gay, DeMarcus Cousins.

KEY MATCHUP

Jonas Valanciunas, Raptors, vs. DeMarcus Cousins, Kings. The Sacramento centre got the Raptors for 22 points and 14 rebounds at the Air Canada Centre earlier this season and his ability to put the ball on the floor and make outside shots makes him a triple threat. Valanciunas’s defensive abilities will be put to the test.

NEED TO KNOW

It’s the first time Toronto has seen the new downtown Sacramento arena, they hope it treats them better than the old one, where the Kings were 16-3 in games between the teams . . . One-time Raptor Rudy Gay had 23 points in Sacramento’s 96-91 win at Toronto earlier this month . . . DeMar DeRozan only had 23 points in that same game, breaking a streak of five games where he had more than 30 points, DeRozan has had at least 30 in 10 of 12 games . . . Sacramento coach Dave Joeger says his team will now play “small†with Cousins at centre and Gay at power forward and Kostos Koufos out of the loop.

UP NEXT

Monday at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

 

[Eyedea]

CoJo makes some really dumb plays.

 

[GQS]

So far giving JV the same amount of playtime and number of plays run for him as Cousins and he's doing just as well as DC. Still waiting to be wowed by Cousins.

 

[Eyedea]

You're not wowed by the treys and the assists? Look at his spacing and the way he sees the floor. It's pretty obvious DC is a dynamic centre.

Lowry getting DC off the floor quickly in the 2nd was big but now that he's back he has been controlling the pace.

 

[cwulf]

Whos going to grab offensive boards if you have your 4 and 5 both stretching the floor?

 

[Eyedea]

Whos going to grab offensive boards if you have your 4 and 5 both stretching the floor?

You're talking about a guy that still has a well above average rebound rate that's only slightly less than JV for the season.

DC can also provide you versatility by playing the 4. He has the face up game where a pump fake actually means something, not the predictability that comes with JV's offensive game.

And seriously, I love JV, but to think Cousins is not a better player is astonishing to me.

 

[D3ADLY]

I hope people understand Cousins grabs 10plus boards every game he can stretch the floor or give you great presence inside as well. By him knocking those 3s down with ease and with the great vision to get his
Team involved I would definitely say he can be part of the big 3 on any team
In the league. I just wish we get him some how some way.

 

[cwulf]

You're talking about a guy that still has a well above average rebound rate that's only slightly less than JV for the season.

DC can also provide you versatility by playing the 4. He has the face up game where a pump fake actually means something, not the predictability that comes with JV's offensive game.

And seriously, I love JV, but to think Cousins is not a better player is astonishing to me.

So when Cousins stretches the floor he's also simultaneously providing an in the paint presence?

I don't think you guys realize the impact having no paint presence on offense would have to the offense.

I'm not anti Cousins, he's great. But you need to realize the Raps would absolutely have to make another big move or 2 if they get him. You've over valued his rebound rate considering the minutes he plays. And yes he's getting almost 10 boards, but based on time played, his offensive rebound rate is way below his peers, it's nowhere near top 10. And you're not considering the effect that will have on the offense when the Raps no longer have an inside option that can be relied upon to score.

Add Cousins and you need to add a scoring PF at a minimum. Is that player out there? I don't know. I think upping Vals usage and finding an upgrade at one of the forward positions is the smartest path. I haven't seen anything from Ujiri to make me think he's capable of the sort of wheeling and dealing that would be necessary to pull off getting Cousins + other moves.

 

[Eyedea]

ORR is essentially influenced by team philosophy. The Kings are sacrificing crashing the glass in an effort to improve their defensive positioning in transition. There's no stopping DC from being an interior presence considering he was exactly that prior to his long range development a season ago. Like I said, his versatility allows you to have an impact in the paint as well as a player that can spread the floor. Sacremento is doing just that when they run small and when he shares the floor with Koufos.

 

[GQS]

Annnnnd the Raps are in full stupid mode right now and are throwing the game away. JV who was effective most of the game gets NO SHOTS in the 4th while we continue to let Demar and the rest of our perimeter shooters chuck bad shot after bad shot without going back to JV for some attempts.

And sorry Demar seems like a nice guy, but he's dumb as bricks and can't ever handle a ball without something going wrong. People were so excited by his early career high shooting percentage can now see that he's fallen back to earth to his normal self. Told you it would happen, but blind Raps fans wouldn't believe it.

 

[Alerion]

Losing 2 to one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the league isn't a good look. 2Pat's struggles are really highlighting how much we need Sullinger at the 4 because Siakam just isn't ready for the kind of minutes we'really asking him to play and it really shows offensively as he's basically ignored by other teams so they can pay more attention to DD or Lowry.