Raptors Discussion: v89| Those are some big rings | Raptors out to defend their championship

[BlueForever75]

Great game by the Raps last night. Missing 2 players like Lowry and Ibaka, and then losing OG they showed Kwahi just how stupid he was for leaving this team. The depth on this team is crazy good and the never give up attitude is what makes a champion.

They simply ran out of steam in the 4th quarter simple as that. Had we not played back to back we would have beaten Kwahi. Great game by Boucher, Hollis-Jefferson and Davis. They may have the makings of the new bench mob!!!! A second unit of Boucher-Ibaka-Davis-Powell and one starter can bode well for the Raps moving forward when all healthy. Sprinkle in a little Hollis-Jefferson and Thomas here and there. Wow we can and will be dangerous.

This injuries may be a blessing. Give Boucher-Davis-Powell-Hollis Jeffers0n s0me more playing time to get their confidence up.

 

[BAM]

He's been fantastic but he has some work to do in learning to score outside of favourable matchups and fighting through tight defense. That will come with time though as he's a late bloomer as it is and is still improving drastically, also his first year as the #1 option.

Oh for sure, definitely going to be a process of him growing more as a #1 option. Also much harder for him when guys like Lowry and Ibaka are out because defenses can focus on just Siakam even more.

 

[BAM]

No doubt in my mind that this team would be favourites to repeat had Kawhi stayed here. Sometimes like with Tavares, stars just wanna go home.

 

[BlueForever75]

No doubt in my mind that this team would be favourites to repeat had Kawhi stayed here. Sometimes like with Tavares, stars just wanna go home.

Have to agree with you on entire post. It's a shame that Kwahi chose going home instead of Championships.

The Clippers have a tough bunch to beat in the West in the Lakers, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Any one of those teams have a legit chance to represent the West in the NBA Championship.

In the East even without Kwahi the only team right now that I see better then the Raps are the 76ers. I still believe the Raps can beat Boston and Milwaukee. With Kwahi we had the makings of being top seed for the foreseeable future.

 

[Apotheosis]

If Siakam keeps playing like he has this season, you could make the argument he's just as good as PG-13, Kawhi's new second option.

If Siakam is this good, the Raps are a single piece away (Giannis?) from going back to the finals tbh. If they can't get Giannis, I would prefer a bottom out year, but Siakam's ceiling can't even be capped at this point.

 

[GoonieFace]

Great game by the Raps last night. Missing 2 players like Lowry and Ibaka, and then losing OG they showed Kwahi just how stupid he was for leaving this team. The depth on this team is crazy good and the never give up attitude is what makes a champion.

They simply ran out of steam in the 4th quarter simple as that. Had we not played back to back we would have beaten Kwahi. Great game by Boucher, Hollis-Jefferson and Davis. They may have the makings of the new bench mob!!!! A second unit of Boucher-Ibaka-Davis-Powell and one starter can bode well for the Raps moving forward when all healthy. Sprinkle in a little Hollis-Jefferson and Thomas here and there. Wow we can and will be dangerous.

This injuries may be a blessing. Give Boucher-Davis-Powell-Hollis Jeffers0n s0me more playing time to get their confidence up.

Bobby Boucher is looking great, Thomas looks to be an elite shooter (would like to see him get more run) and I have always like RHJ, he embodies the way the Raps play. This team is tough to play against.

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

Pretty happy with that game overall.

Got to within 4 with a minute and a half to go. Could have gone either way. And doing it with 3 key players out, on a B2B against Kawhi? Awesome.

Really hope OG is okay - he's just had so much bad luck, and was looking great to start the season.

Gotta love Masai. With 3 guys out, there's a lot of fresh faces out there, and they all just stepped right up. These were not big names, but some of them may be soon enough. Boucher looking really good - surprised he's able to do it being so skinny.

 

[Clark4Ever]

OG can't catch a break. He was having a breakout season. The timing couldn't be worse for us either.

Hope we can tread water until everyone is healthy.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

No doubt in my mind that this team would be favourites to repeat had Kawhi stayed here. Sometimes like with Tavares, stars just wanna go home.

Have to agree with you on entire post. It's a shame that Kwahi chose going home instead of Championships.

I agree wholeheartedly.

I get it, I'm disappointed, I'm upset, but nothing was going to keep him here. I thank him for the championship, but I sure as heck am rooting against him now the second he put that Clippers jersey on.

I totally get what Islanders fans felt, and I never had any problems with them doing so (save for those that took it to the extreme level of making it personal).

 

[BAM]

If Siakam is this good, the Raps are a single piece away (Giannis?) from going back to the finals tbh. If they can't get Giannis, I would prefer a bottom out year, but Siakam's ceiling can't even be capped at this point.

They would be and I think that's Masai's plan. Siakam performing like how he has now gives Masai a locked up ascending superstar that has shown rapid improvement on a yearly basis that he can pitch to Giannis.

You can make the argument Siakam is underpaid too when you look at the Middleton and Harris contracts.

It's crazy to think we're actually having the discussion of whether Siakam can maintain prime PG-13 level numbers already in the season.

 

[BAM]

I agree wholeheartedly.

I get it, I'm disappointed, I'm upset, but nothing was going to keep him here. I thank him for the championship, but I sure as heck am rooting against him now the second he put that Clippers jersey on.

I totally get what Islanders fans felt, and I never had any problems with them doing so (save for those that took it to the extreme level of making it personal).

Not that I approve of the idiocy of most Isles fans on this site, but if Tavares had delivered a championship like Kawhi before leaving they probably wouldn't be as hostile.

 

[Jozay]

They put up a good fight. Just didnt have enough in the tank. Oh well.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Not that I approve of the idiocy of most Isles fans on this site, but if Tavares had delivered a championship like Kawhi before leaving they probably wouldn't be as hostile.

Kawhi and his people were also much more open about him and Toronto being a one year marriage. It wasn't exactly a secret that he wanted to be in LA, but even with that, he gave it his all and won a championship. There's no reason for Toronto fans to have any hostility.

Tavares, on the other hand, spent the years and months leading up to his free-agency talking about how committed he was to the Islanders, only to leave the team that developed him at his first opportunity.

Islander fans feelings towards him are much more similar to Spurs' fans feelings towards Kawhi, as they should be.

 

[yvrtojfk]

OG out for tomorrow’s game. Eye contusion.

 

[Le Cobra]

Pretty happy with that game overall.

Got to within 4 with a minute and a half to go. Could have gone either way. And doing it with 3 key players out, on a B2B against Kawhi? Awesome.

Really hope OG is okay - he's just had so much bad luck, and was looking great to start the season.

Gotta love Masai. With 3 guys out, there's a lot of fresh faces out there, and they all just stepped right up. These were not big names, but some of them may be soon enough. Boucher looking really good - surprised he's able to do it being so skinny.

as deep as the leafs seem with forwards, the raps are a deep team period

 

[Le Cobra]

They would be and I think that's Masai's plan. Siakam performing like how he has now gives Masai a locked up ascending superstar that has shown rapid improvement on a yearly basis that he can pitch to Giannis.

You can make the argument Siakam is underpaid too when you look at the Middleton and Harris contracts.

It's crazy to think we're actually having the discussion of whether Siakam can maintain prime PG-13 level numbers already in the season.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Siakam represented us in the all star game

 

[yvrtojfk]

Gotta love Lowry, such a floor general and great leader.

 

[yvrtojfk]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Siakam represented us in the all star game

I've got a wager that he will.

 

[Kurtz]

I wish the Leafs played as hard, smart and passionately as the Raptors do. Raptors even show up for back to backs - imagine that.

 

[hoc123]

I wish the Leafs played as hard, smart and passionately as the Raptors do. Raptors even show up for back to backs - imagine that.

It really says a lot about the Raptors that the main reason they did not win a back to back against the two best teams in the league was that they literally ran themselves ragged shorthanded. This team is so fun to cheer for.

 

[BAM]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Siakam represented us in the all star game

It'll probably be Siakam and Lowry tbh if the Raptors can hold down a top 3 seed.

 

[BAM]

I wish the Leafs played as hard, smart and passionately as the Raptors do. Raptors even show up for back to backs - imagine that.

The Raptors have guys like Boucher who were homeless at one point in their lives or a bunch of un-drafted players that play as if they don't want to go back to that. The Leafs have guys who come from wealthy families or have their money and realize they're going to get their money regardless of how they perform.

Lowry probably has more grit and toughness than the entire Leafs roster combined.

If Kyle Lowry was on the Leafs...Matthews and Marner probably would've cried themselves to sleep by this point.

 

[Plat87]

This team has so much mental toughness, heart and fight, so different from past versions of this team where they were just marshmallow soft, I love this team.

 

[IceColdBear]

I really hope Kyle is able to get back from the injury in time to give him enough games to make the all-star team.

6 time all-star and nba champion would give him a real chance at the hall of fame.

Obviously, we could also use him on the court, too.

 

[Cloned]

Do Portland score any other way besides 3s?