Raptors Discussion: v75| Season of Kawhi Part 1: Greatest expectations

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

If they miss, that means that he's finally starting to decline. He's good enough to make any team a playoff team right now instantly

You underestimate the strength of the Western Conference

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

well, playoff Demar is an unplayable disaster.

but regular season Demar is barely a positive player either.

the massive leap from demar to kawhi is still bigger than an addition of Hayward.

I dislike DeMar but he was definitely a good RS player last year. There should be no denying of that + being durable helps.
The ceiling of our team rises in the playoffs because of how awful he's been year after year

I think you take chemistry for granted. Having a new head coach and a new franchise player.
Anytime you make significant changes, it's rare that you don't go through some speed bumps in the beginning

 

[zeke]

I dislike DeMar but he was definitely a good RS player last year. There should be no denying of that + being durable helps.
The ceiling of our team rises in the playoffs because of how awful he's been year after year

Demar really wasn't very good. mediocre, at best. The team was good because lowry and the bench were awesome.

I think you take chemistry for granted. Having a new head coach and a new franchise player.
Anytime you make significant changes, it's rare that you don't go through some speed bumps in the beginning

aren't the celtics making significant changes?

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

This has been repeated so much people take as if it's a fact but it's really not. Lebron's never been in the West before and making the playoffs there is a MUCH bigger challenge over there than it is in the East. We'll see.

Nailed it
Top to bottom, the West is way better than the East and it's not even remotely close

Forget about teams like Golden State, Houston, OKC even going down to Utah, Denver, NOP, SAS, Minny
So called "bottom feeder" teams like Memphis with Gasol, Conley, Brooks, Anderson, JJJ would wipe out Eastern Conference teams like Atlanta, Orlando, Brooklyn easily

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Demar really wasn't very good. mediocre, at best. The team was good because lowry and the bench were awesome.



aren't the celtics making significant changes?

Eye test aside, numbers show that he was a good not great player
He was still a net positive RS player

Adding a new head coach and a top 5 player in the league?

 

[Suntouchable13]

This has been repeated so much people take as if it's a fact but it's really not. Lebron's never been in the West before and making the playoffs there is a MUCH bigger challenge over there than it is in the East. We'll see.

Yea, sure. During the playoffs when I said that Utah and New Orleans would beat Cleveland in a 7 game series, people (including you) were scoffing at it. Now all of a sudden the West is so strong.

 

[robertmac43]

When you consider the conference he's in now and the supporting cast he has, I could see the Lakers finishing between 6-10 and possibly missing the playoffs too

I dunno. I just think with Lebron's ability to make the people around him do great things the team should be more than fine. Its a fast, athletic team which should also play to Lebron's favour

 

[robertmac43]

You underestimate the strength of the Western Conference

Hopefully the competitive nature of the West will play into our hands as they tire each other out all year and into the playoffs

 

[Gary Nylund]

Yea, sure. During the playoffs when I said that Utah and New Orleans would beat Cleveland in a 7 game series, people (including you) were scoffing at it. Now all of a sudden the West is so strong.

The West has been stronger than the East for many years. That has zero to do with how one specific team from the East would do vs one specific team from the West.

 

[Stylizer1]

The West has been stronger than the East for many years. That has zero to do with how one specific team from the East would do vs one specific team from the West.

After the Bulls run the majority of championships were won in the West.

 

[zeke]

eh, the west is good but not THAT good. especially beyond the top 2 team's. lebron should have no problem making the playoffs.

 

[Silver91]

After the Bulls run the majority of championships were won in the West.

That still has no bearings on a specific game or series. It's the same as saying "Team A has beaten Team B in 6 of their 7 playoff series all time", but the last playoff series between them was 10 years ago. Has no bearing on a series that starts today.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

People forget LeBron's 1st season back with the Cavs, their record was 19-20 on January 13

I expect the same adjustment period to occur with a weaker supporting cast except in the West, digging yourself out of a hole will be much harder

The West is loaded this season

 

[Stylizer1]

That still has no bearings on a specific game or series. It's the same as saying "Team A has beaten Team B in 6 of their 7 playoff series all time", but the last playoff series between them was 10 years ago. Has no bearing on a series that starts today.

No but the fact all fact most free agents go to the westchanges the balance of power.

 

[Silver91]

No but the fact all fact most free agents go to the westchanges the balance of power.

Sure, but the original point was made that people scoffed at the idea of Utah or New Orleans beating the Cavs in a series. Just because they're in the West doesn't mean they are instantly better than a specific team in the East.

 

[Stylizer1]

Sure, but the original point was made that people scoffed at the idea of Utah or New Orleans beating the Cavs in a series. Just because they're in the West doesn't mean they are instantly better than a specific team in the East.

I agree with that. It really comes down to how teams match up positionally.

 

[RayzorIsDull]

eh, the west is good but not THAT good. especially beyond the top 2 team's. lebron should have no problem making the playoffs.

The Lakers current roster isn't as good as Denver's and the Nuggets won 46 games and still didn't make the playoffs. You should probably recalibrate that statement.

 

[zeke]

The Lakers current roster isn't as good as Denver's and the Nuggets won 46 games and still didn't make the playoffs. You should probably recalibrate that statement.

with Millsap a write off like last year, that team was Jokic plus a bunch of slop, and they still made the playoffs.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

with Millsap a write off like last year, that team was Jokic plus a bunch of slop, and they still made the playoffs.

Uh Denver didn't make the playoffs
Also you're talking about a team with one of the best 3+D players in the league in Gary Harris
Very good scorers in Jamal Murray and Will Barton + add in good role players like Lyles and Chandler

That team would've been a 5th seed at the very least in the East

 

[zeke]

Uh Denver didn't make the playoffs
Also you're talking about a team with one of the best 3+D players in the league in Gary Harris
Very good scorers in Jamal Murray and Will Barton + add in good role players like Lyles and Chandler

That team would've been a 5th seed at the very least in the East

those are very generous descriptions of very mediocre player's.

that collection of talent is no better than Detroit's, the east's 9th place team.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

those are very generous descriptions of very mediocre player's.

that collection of talent is no better than Detroit's, the east's 9th place team.

You've not watched Gary Harris play before have you? One of the elite 3+D players in the league.

17-18

TS%: .597
PPG: 17.5
APG: 2.9
SPG: 1.8 (5th in the league)
Deflections per game: 3.0 (12th in the league)
TOPG: 1.8
Net Diff ORTG: +5.0
RPM: 1.85

How many players on Detroit are better than him?

 

[Congo Jack]

Ugh. Not a fan of Monroe

 

[The Nemesis]

Ugh. Not a fan of Monroe

Crap. Don't like Monroe at all. He's a decent rebounder but that's pretty much it. If they wanted defence they should've brought back Bebe for cheap instead.

 

[djdev]

our perimeter defense is very very good now, so this move is fine for me at that price, monroe is effectively like a worse version of jv.
also bebe sucks.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Monroe should be the 3rd string center on this team
So hopefully he doesn't get quality minutes barring an injury because his defense is very suspect
I will say though, he's a talented low post scorer and he's an above average rebounder so that's good I suppose

Lowry/FVV
Green/Wright/Powell
Leonard/Miles
OG/Siakam
JV/Ibaka/Monroe