Raptors Discussion: v46|#WeTheNorth | Guttin' out wins all the way to the top (avatars: post #1)

[p.l.f.]

Next game ?

 

[Eyedea]

tomorrow @ hawks

 

[Schennanigans]

Productive night. Bulls, Wiz, Heat all lose.

 

[93LEAFS]

I think Valanciunas has similar upside to DeMarcus Cousins...If he can reach Cousin's level of play this year consistently, the Raptors are title contenders.

Way over the top, Cousins is the a year younger then Valanciunas and is arguably the best low post scorer in the league. I see Valanciunas ceiling as something like an efficent 18pts and 11 rebounds on mid %50's shooting and ft 80% with high quality low-post defense as a 2nd or 3rd option on a contending team. We don't need Cousins level scoring, we'd be much better off if Valanciunas turned into Marc Gasol.

 

[Puckstuff]

Way over the top, Cousins is the a year younger then Valanciunas and is arguably the best low post scorer in the league. I see Valanciunas ceiling as something like an efficent 18pts and 11 rebounds on mid %50's shooting and ft 80% with high quality low-post defense as a 2nd or 3rd option on a contending team. We don't need Cousins level scoring, we'd be much better off if Valanciunas turned into Marc Gasol.

Valanciunas plays NOTHING like Marc Gasol. Gasol has the ability to hit a turn around fade away shot 20 feet away every possession... just not in Val's game. He's great down low and has a nice shot that he can nail down over defenders 7-8 feet away and is working on his mid range jump shot, but he doesn't possess that in his arsenal

 

[93LEAFS]

Valanciunas plays NOTHING like Marc Gasol. Gasol has the ability to hit a turn around fade away shot 20 feet away every possession... just not in Val's game. He's great down low and has a nice shot that he can nail down over defenders 7-8 feet away and is working on his mid range jump shot, but he doesn't possess that in his arsenal

Was talking more about the defensive aspects of Marc Gasol's game. Their Offensive games are much different, that i'll agree with. Unless he seriously bulks up though players range tends to extend in the nba; granted if they don't drastically alter there body. His ft% shows he will be able to expand to mid-range.

 

[Bluejaysfan*]

Way over the top, Cousins is the a year younger then Valanciunas and is arguably the best low post scorer in the league. I see Valanciunas ceiling as something like an efficent 18pts and 11 rebounds on mid %50's shooting and ft 80% with high quality low-post defense as a 2nd or 3rd option on a contending team. We don't need Cousins level scoring, we'd be much better off if Valanciunas turned into Marc Gasol.

Cousins is two years older than Valanciunas...

 

[Bluejaysfan*]

http://www.basketball-reference.com...m=0&p1=valanjo01&y1=2015&p2=couside01&y2=2013

The Per 36 stats for Valanciunas and Cousins at the age of 22 are very alike. Factor in that Cousins up until this year was basically the main offensive option getting most of the touches. I think using Per 36 is more important comparing the two because Valanciunas struggles to get major minutes whereas Cousins has been spoon-fed big minutes since he entered the league. You have to remember that Cousins is 2 years older than Valanciunas, and for big men, that's a big difference. So yeah, it may look inconceivable now that Valanciunas turns into a Cousins type player because Cousins has figured it out and has become a superstar but I wouldn't be surprised tbh.

 

[dredeye]

Remember when people were losing their minds over the JV pick when he was drafted. He really appears to have been a great selection

 

[Budsfan]

Jay Satur - Raptors.com

The Raptors get a second look at the Hawks tonight in Atlanta, where they'll try for a sixth straight win (7:30, Sportsnet 360, TSN 1050).

Projected Starting Lineups

Raptors: Kyle Lowry (G), DeMar DeRozan (G), Terrence Ross (F), Amir Johnson (F), Jonas Valanciunas (C)

Hawks: Jeff Teague (G), Kyle Korver (G), DeMarre Carroll (F), Paul Milsap (F), Al Horford (C)

Injury/Roster Report

Raptors: Tyler Hansbrough - right shoulder AC sprain (doubtful)

Hawks: None

 

[Rielly Good]

Hawks are a good team. We will have to come out focused. They played last night but they lost to us and will want payback.

GO RAPS GO!!!

 

[Eyedea]

Remember when people were losing their minds over the JV pick when he was drafted. He really appears to have been a great selection

tbh it took like one day for most people to start liking it. Quite a few people already knew he was going to be good and he wasn't a Bargnani type Euro but others just had a fascination with Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker because of their dominant college seasons.

 

[p.l.f.]

Ah tonight, great
Sorry Leafs

 

[JoeyBeans]

Skipping the leafs game for this one.

 

[Hyperglide]

Hawks are underrated. Top 5 team in the East. They gave us a scare last game. Gotta bring it tough tonight.

 

[theaub]

Boo non-hockey Hawks

 

[JoeyBeans]

Hawks are tired.

 

[Budsfan]

Jay Satur @jaysatur
. RT @RobSilver: Jeeze, Hollinger has the Raptors at 68.2% to make the NBA finals and 36.7% to win the Championships. espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/…

 

[Gary Nylund]

Hawks are underrated. Top 5 team in the East. They gave us a scare last game. Gotta bring it tough tonight.

If by top 5 team you mean they have a good shot at 5th place but are a long shot to finish higher than that then yeah.

Jay Satur @jaysatur
. RT @RobSilver: Jeeze, Hollinger has the Raptors at 68.2% to make the NBA finals and 36.7% to win the Championships. espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/…

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe those numbers are spit out by some piece of software that hugely overrates recent performance. Those numbers are obviously a joke.

 

[theaub]

IIRC the Raps had a 10% chance to win the title in those for most of the second half of last year

 

[p.l.f.]

Well if the vaunted West wears each other down, I don't see why not

 

[Gary Nylund]

Well if the vaunted West wears each other down, I don't see why not

Didn't seem to be a factor last year and I don't think is much of a factor for the NBA in any case. The games aren't as demanding as hockey, they get more days off between games I believe, maybe I'm missing something but I just don't see it as a big issue.

Teams in the east have an easier path to the final then teams in the West which is why the odds to title are tilted in their favour but once the final begins, that no longer matters.

 

[Budsfan]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe those numbers are spit out by some piece of software that hugely overrates recent performance. Those numbers are obviously a joke.

I am not sure how he arrived at those stats and your probably right, with the reaction it seems have caused.

 

[Bluejaysfan*]

Didn't seem to be a factor last year and I don't think is much of a factor for the NBA in any case. The games aren't as demanding as hockey, they get more days off between games I believe, maybe I'm missing something but I just don't see it as a big issue.

Teams in the east have an easier path to the final then teams in the West which is why the odds to title are tilted in their favour but once the final begins, that no longer matters.

The star players or starters on the playoff teams play more minutes compared to the NHL players. A guy like Toews would probably play 25 minutes at the most and a guy like Kieth maybe 30-35 max but in the NBA, guys will play almost 40-44 minutes of the entire playoff game.

 

[Gary Nylund]

The star players or starters on the playoff teams play more minutes compared to the NHL players. A guy like Toews would probably play 25 minutes at the most and a guy like Kieth maybe 30-35 max but in the NBA, guys will play almost 40-44 minutes of the entire playoff game.

NBA minutes aren't nearly as taxing as NHL minutes. There have been instances where in the playoffs, a guy will play all 48 minutes. The mere fact that this is possible should tell you all you need to know.