• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

OT: The Official Toronto Raptors Thread

OG is looking every bit the prospect we thought we had at the beginning of last season. His defense has taken another step this year. His handle is on another level compared to what we saw the last few years.

Maybe he picked up a couple things in practise going up against Kawhi.
 
Watching this Bucks-Clippers (sans Kawhi) game and some observations

- Clippers look like they're about to go 0-2 without Kawhi. A lot of people made big mention of how good the Clippers were without Kawhi last year, but by BPM, they're without 4 of their 9 man rotation from last season. They're legit leaning on some bad players like PPat & JaMychel. Basically, Beverly and Harrell are really nice complimentary 2 way players and they've got some okay depth pieces that can do things at one end of the court or the other (Harkless is a plus defender, Lou still a plus isolation scorer). This isn't a Raptors + Kawhi situation...they fucking need Paul George to be elite.

- With that said, they're sure taking the Bucks to the wire and I know the Raptors just lost to them (with some help from the stripes) but the Bucks feel like they're missing something. Freak appears to have shaved some loading time off of that 3 point shot of his and when given time appears to be able to legit stroke it now, but you have to be playing way off of him for him to take and make it. He still has nothing in the arsenal once he's put the ball on the deck and someone is able to stay in front of him. He's a super impactful player, but I don't see him being the guy making big baskets for a championship team. He needs a 1B type player who can make pressure jumpers...Kyrie, KD, Steph, etc. The Bucks have done a good job putting floor spreading shooters around him, but they're still missing *that* guy to go with him. Middleton and Bledsoe aint it.
 
I love Kawhi but enjoyed seeing him looking morose as the game went on.
 
If they can improve their rebounding numbers and get someone more impactful than Norm this Raps team is still very dangerous. Kyle is playing unreal basketball.
 
Thomas is limited but works his ass on defense and was able to mostly stay in front of some legit superfast kings guards last night. With his deadly shooting, that's all he needs to do defensively to be useful.
 
I was impressed with Thomas last night. thought he held his own defensively, his work rate was very high, and the kid can fucking shoot.

I'm not really sure what Norm brings to the table other than bizarre (more often just poor) decision making.

but man is Lowry still so damn good. this team is just a joy to watch, even without Kawhi. it's weird, I fully expected them to close out the game. can't remember the last time I had that kind of confidence in any Toronto sports team. the championship stink stinks so good.
 
yeah, even with all those 3s raining in, i don't think anyone thought the raps were ever in danger of losing. good feeling.
 
Wayward DP said:
I was impressed with Thomas last night. thought he held his own defensively, his work rate was very high, and the kid can fucking shoot.

I'm not really sure what Norm brings to the table other than bizarre (more often just poor) decision making.

but man is Lowry still so damn good. this team is just a joy to watch, even without Kawhi. it's weird, I fully expected them to close out the game. can't remember the last time I had that kind of confidence in any Toronto sports team. the championship stink stinks so good.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you fully expect them to make game winning plays now, to get major stops when they need it, etc.

We're one guy imo, one legitimately 1 on 1 scoring threat away from being legit EC favourites again imo. As is, I think we can give Bucks or Sixers a legit run but will ultimately lose. Add that one guy though and I think we're favourites to make the finals again.

Which makes us a major western conference injury away from winning another title.
 
Age 22

KLaw: 29.1mpg, 18.3usg%, 12.8pts (60.2ts%), 6.2rb, 2.0ast/1.2to, 1.7st, 0.8bk, 19.4per, .193ws48, 5.8bpm
OG: 34.6mpg, 13.1usg%, 12.7pts (66.8ts%), 6.6rb, 1.9ast/1.0to, 1.4st, 1.7bk, 17.0per, .173ws48, 5.5bpm
 
zeke said:
Age 22

KLaw: 29.1mpg, 18.3usg%, 12.8pts (60.2ts%), 6.2rb, 2.0ast/1.2to, 1.7st, 0.8bk, 19.4per, .193ws48, 5.8bpm
OG: 34.6mpg, 13.1usg%, 12.7pts (66.8ts%), 6.6rb, 1.9ast/1.0to, 1.4st, 1.7bk, 17.0per, .173ws48, 5.5bpm
Click to expand...

OG needs to figure out his 1 on 1 game then. He's starting to take people off the bounce which is nice instead of either shooting the 3 or passing out on aggressive close outs.

What made Kawhi ridiculous was the development of his mid range game, you have to defend him so tight and he's so strong he just walks the ball to where he wants on the court and then pops out for an automatic step back.
 
I don't know why it matters, guys sit games when healthy all the time. Just because he's a superstar player doesn't mean the team should be fined.
 
It really is too funny how butthurt the league and US media is about him sitting out games in LA. They didn’t give two shits about it when he was exiled to the NBA’s Siberia.
 
You guys might be missing what happened there.

The league came out and said it was all fine because kawhi was legit injured.

And then Doc went out and said kawhi was fine and healthy and madd the league look bad, so they fined him

Pretty hilarious.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top