Series Thread: 1) Toronto Raptors vs 4) Cleveland Cavs

[handicappers]

Rick Carlisle is a better coach than all of them put together and his team sucks. Coaching won't matter tonight. Tonight is the LeBron Show comin' live and direct.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Rick Carlisle is a better coach than all of them put together and his team sucks. Coaching won't matter tonight. Tonight is the LeBron Show comin' live and direct.

ehhh i dunno ---- I do give Lue credit for pulling the TT starting move out of his ass but its just more and more of no one knows whats going on from game to game. The plusses for Lue are that LeBron likes him. The minuses are he has no clue how to set a rotation. Byron Scott was a good coach at one point- but he lost it. He had absolutely ZERO clue how to coach in the modern NBA with modern NBA players. His authoritarian bullshit mightve flown a 15-20 years ago- but in the modern NBA he just got totally tuned out--- hence the last 5 years he coached he never won more than 24 games. Thats hard to do in the NBA. He was straight trash by the end.

 

[handicappers]

ehhh i dunno ---- I do give Lue credit for pulling the TT starting move out of his ass but its just more and more of no one knows whats going on from game to game. The plusses for Lue are that LeBron likes him. The minuses are he has no clue how to set a rotation. Byron Scott was a good coach at one point- but he lost it. He had absolutely ZERO clue how to coach in the modern NBA with modern NBA players. His authoritarian bullshit mightve flown a 15-20 years ago- but in the modern NBA he just got totally tuned out--- hence the last 5 years he coached he never won more than 24 games. Thats hard to do in the NBA. He was straight trash by the end.

I hear ya. So you think Lue asks LeBron for coaching tips?

 

[WiggyRuss]

I hear ya. So you think Lue asks LeBron for coaching tips?

tonight? i dunno---- the Raptors are 6.5 pt favorites tonight from what i have seen- and on the radio coming in everyone seems to think the Cavs will look gassed for this game and kind of just chalk this one up.

Hopefully that does not happen--- I am hoping the pressure on the Raptors to win, and the expectation that the Cavs are gassed will help take pressure off the Cavs.

We shall see. The Cavs just need to split in Toronto. Personally I think they will win game 2. I am hopeful for tonight but not optimistic- if that makes sense.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Toronto, eighth in defensive rating (104.9 points per 100 possessions) in the regular season, is a better defensive team than Indiana (16th, 106.3). That could make the Raptors better suited to survive an individual onslaught from James.

 

[trojanfan12]

Stevens? definitely. STevens is definitely better than both of them by a TON.

True.

 

[trojanfan12]

Byron Scott was a good coach at one point- but he lost it. He had absolutely ZERO clue how to coach in the modern NBA with modern NBA players. His authoritarian bullshit mightve flown a 15-20 years ago- but in the modern NBA he just got totally tuned out--- hence the last 5 years he coached he never won more than 24 games. Thats hard to do in the NBA. He was straight trash by the end.

Agree. Byron was a good coach, but he became an example of what happens when you don't adjust your style to fit your players. There's a reason guys like Pop are still coaching and having success after all of these years and guys like Byron aren't.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Toronto, eighth in defensive rating (104.9 points per 100 possessions) in the regular season, is a better defensive team than Indiana (16th, 106.3). That could make the Raptors better suited to survive an individual onslaught from James.

did you watch the Indiana games?

the Pacers BARELY double teamed James--- practically never double teamed him. I think they did this because they had guys like Oladipo and Stephenson that could single team and at least not get throttled badly.

I just dont see that guy on Toronto that is as good individually defensively as Oladipo or Stephenson that can at least keep LeBron a LITTLE honest.

To me, it looks like Toronto will have to double team LeBron a lot more--- which means LeBrons PPG will go down, but his assists will likely go up- and that his teammates will, ideally, get better looks.

Not only that but Indiana had versatile bigs like Young and Turner who could get out and guard the perimeter.. Valunviunas is a fish out of water outside of the paint--- and Ibaka wants to be in the paint too as he is a shot blocker......Love can DEFNITELY pull either one out of the paint.

Itll be interesting to see how it goes- but even if Toronto's defense was ranked higher than the Pacers- i think their individual talent- ESPECIALLY who they can throw at LeBron- is not nearly as good as the Pacers--- and the Raptors bigs are less versatile defensviely than the Pacers bigs against a big man shooter like Kevin Love.

 

[raptorlife4]

did you watch the Indiana games?

the Pacers BARELY double teamed James--- practically never double teamed him. I think they did this because they had guys like Oladipo and Stephenson that could single team and at least not get throttled badly.

I just dont see that guy on Toronto that is as good individually defensively as Oladipo or Stephenson that can at least keep LeBron a LITTLE honest.

To me, it looks like Toronto will have to double team LeBron a lot more--- which means LeBrons PPG will go down, but his assists will likely go up- and that his teammates will, ideally, get better looks.

Not only that but Indiana had versatile bigs like Young and Turner who could get out and guard the perimeter.. Valunviunas is a fish out of water outside of the paint--- and Ibaka wants to be in the paint too as he is a shot blocker......Love can DEFNITELY pull either one out of the paint.

Itll be interesting to see how it goes- but even if Toronto's defense was ranked higher than the Pacers- i think their individual talent- ESPECIALLY who they can throw at LeBron- is not nearly as good as the Pacers--- and the Raptors bigs are less versatile defensviely than the Pacers bigs against a big man shooter like Kevin Love.

Lebron scored 40 almost every game and close to a triple double against the Pacers. I mean you are acting like the Pacers shut him down.

 

[raptorlife4]

did you watch the Indiana games?

the Pacers BARELY double teamed James--- practically never double teamed him. I think they did this because they had guys like Oladipo and Stephenson that could single team and at least not get throttled badly.

I just dont see that guy on Toronto that is as good individually defensively as Oladipo or Stephenson that can at least keep LeBron a LITTLE honest.

To me, it looks like Toronto will have to double team LeBron a lot more--- which means LeBrons PPG will go down, but his assists will likely go up- and that his teammates will, ideally, get better looks.

Not only that but Indiana had versatile bigs like Young and Turner who could get out and guard the perimeter.. Valunviunas is a fish out of water outside of the paint--- and Ibaka wants to be in the paint too as he is a shot blocker......Love can DEFNITELY pull either one out of the paint.

Itll be interesting to see how it goes- but even if Toronto's defense was ranked higher than the Pacers- i think their individual talent- ESPECIALLY who they can throw at LeBron- is not nearly as good as the Pacers--- and the Raptors bigs are less versatile defensviely than the Pacers bigs against a big man shooter like Kevin Love.

The Raptors bigs are light years better then the Pacers.

 

[raptorlife4]

Like I have said. leBron will get his. He is an all time great. He was all human against the Pacers and they barely squeaked by. The Toronto Raptors are not the Indiana Pacers

 

[bksballer89]

The Raptors bigs are light years better then the Pacers.

Better win this fucking series. I'm pulling for you fuckers

 

[raptorlife4]

Better win this fucking series. I'm pulling for you fuckers

We got this

 

[DJ Fieri]

did you watch the Indiana games?

the Pacers BARELY double teamed James--- practically never double teamed him. I think they did this because they had guys like Oladipo and Stephenson that could single team and at least not get throttled badly.

I just dont see that guy on Toronto that is as good individually defensively as Oladipo or Stephenson that can at least keep LeBron a LITTLE honest.

To me, it looks like Toronto will have to double team LeBron a lot more--- which means LeBrons PPG will go down, but his assists will likely go up- and that his teammates will, ideally, get better looks.

Not only that but Indiana had versatile bigs like Young and Turner who could get out and guard the perimeter.. Valunviunas is a fish out of water outside of the paint--- and Ibaka wants to be in the paint too as he is a shot blocker......Love can DEFNITELY pull either one out of the paint.

Itll be interesting to see how it goes- but even if Toronto's defense was ranked higher than the Pacers- i think their individual talent- ESPECIALLY who they can throw at LeBron- is not nearly as good as the Pacers--- and the Raptors bigs are less versatile defensviely than the Pacers bigs against a big man shooter like Kevin Love.

Duh, yes I did.

The Raps bigs are waaaaaaaaaaaay better than Indy's. Just fucking stop it.

 

[bksballer89]

Like I have said. leBron will get his. He is an all time great. He was all human against the Pacers and they barely squeaked by. The Toronto Raptors are not the Indiana Pacers

I agree

Most importantly, Toronto must realize it is ok if Lebron get his points. It just that happened with the role players going off at the same time.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The Raps have a better PG SG, and C. 3 of 5 at the starting position and the Raps coach is better.

And the Raps play better defense than the Cavs.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The Raps also have the better bench.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Better win this fucking series. I'm pulling for you fuckers

I hopefully taking all of @WiggyRuss v tuition money.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Duh, yes I did.

The Raps bigs are waaaaaaaaaaaay better than Indy's. Just fucking stop it.

well if you could read you would understand the difference between "better" and "more versatile"

Valunciunas and Poeltl are a big slow fucks that will get destroyed if he tries to follow Love out to the 3 pt line.

Turner and Thad Young were extremely tough matchups for Kevin Love since they are both quick enough to guard him on the outside, but also tough enough to guard him on the inside.

 

[raptorlife4]

Instead of worrying about how we will stop LeBron. Worry about how you will stop us