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2019-2020 Toronto Raptors Thread: ?Hail to the Champions! In Masai We Believe?

One of the Raptors biggest weaknesses (yes, even during this streak):  ?Defensive rebounding.?

The Raptors concede an average of 14.1 second-chance points a game, 26th in the 30-team league. It?s a trend Nurse would like to nip in the bud before the post-season rolls around.

?Defensive rebounding hasn?t been as good as we would like it,? the coach said, ?and that?s just a combination of making sure we?re blocking out a little better, but then chasing them down and trying to sense where the long (rebounds) will fly to.
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Story:
https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2020/02/11/the-streaking-raptors-know-what-needs-fixing-before-the-playoffs-roll-around.html
 
The 127-81 Toronto win over the Pacers today was the largest margin of victory in franchise history.  Plus, coach Nick Nurse gets win #100.

Every Raptor from the starters to the bench boys hit the basket today.  Matt Thomas with 17 pts., Boucher with 4 blocks, etcetera, etcetera.  It was that kind of game.

Game highlights:
https://www.nba.com/amp/league/video/2020/02/23/0021900843-toronto-raptors-vs-indiana-pacers-game-highlights
 
How the Raptors have withstood the loss of Kawhi and confounded their critics this season, on route to being contenders in defending their championship. 

Shrewd management both on the court and in the organization, defensive versatility, smart signings & drafting, contributions from every part of their roster, strong bench presence, roster depth, etc., the list goes on.  An impressive one, too.

Story:
https://www.insidehook.com/article/surviving-kawhi-are-the-superstar-less-raptors-the-easts-second-best-team
 
Currently, the Raptors (42-16) remain in second spot overall in the Eastern Conference, 8.0 GBL Milwaukee (50-8), (whom they lost to last night 108-97), and 1.0 points ahead of the third-place Boston Celtics (41-17).

Tuesday night?s game showed why the Bucks are having a dominating season, but it also showed how not having Powell nor Gasol in the lineup proved instrumental in Milwaukee?s win.
Gasol, with his presence, and Powell, a 3-pt. sharp-shooter are still sidelined with injuries.  They both would have added to the offensive and defensive Raptor aspects in the game.

On a positive note, despite being led by Siakam, Van Vleet, Anunoby, and the usual starting lineup, the bench ? Davis, Boucher, Thomas & Hollis-Jefferson ? provided plenty of opportunities to light up the scoreboard.

Game highlights:
https://www.nba.com/raptors/video/channel/team_highlights
 
Ugly loss yesterday 133-118 to the Denver Nuggets in Denver.

Without Gasol, VanVleet, & Ibaka, the Raptors in this game looked as good as lost against Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, he of the long-ball passing.
Even the Raptors bench couldn't do much as the Nuggets forced turnovers, threw 3-pointers with impunity, and generally made life miserable for the Raptors in the paint.

Yes, this was one of those games.  Sigh.

Game highlights:
https://www.nba.com/raptors/video/teams/raptors/2020/03/02/3112627/1583114878187-200301-postup-tor-den-highlightsdigital-3112627
 
In the second of a back-to-back game ? Sunday?s 118-113 win over Sacramento ? the Rqptors win their fourth out of five on the  West Coast as they defeated the streaking Utah Jazz Monday night by a score of 101-92.

With the absence of Norm Powell who left the game with an ankle sprain, the team was led by Siakam, Ibaka, and Lowry, along with detailed contributions from the bench along the likes of Hollis-Jefferson, Matt Thomas and Patrick McCaw.

Siakam, Lowry and Powell airlifted the Raptors past a stingy Kings team Sunday night, but without Powell against the Jazz, coach Nurse had to rely on his instincts to best utilize his roster to the max, something he has done time and again this year, which puts him in line as candidate for Coach of the Year honours.

There?s something that can also be said about this Raptors team and the ?next man up ? mentality they employ.  Even detailed contributions in the form of key moves by the bench results in positives for Toronto.

It was good to watch Marc Gasol return in Sunday?s game in his familiar spot doing the things on court that Marc Gasol does.  He did not play against the Jazz.  Call it load management or maintenance.

Let?s hope Powell returns to the lineup soon enough.  The Raptors can sure use his firepower for those three-pointers. 
On another note, VanVleet is still sidelined.  No word yet in his return.

Raptors / Kings game highlights:  (Sunday March 8)
https://www.nba.com/raptors/video/teams/raptors/2020/03/09/3128468/1583727134019-200308-postup-tor-sac-highlightsdigital-3128468

Raptors / Jazz game highlights:
https://www.nba.com/raptors/video/teams/raptors/2020/03/10/3130603/1583811696783-nba-web-200309-gamehil-tor-utadigital-3130603
 
Hey Hockey Fan, just reaching out on another thread to see if you are OK. You did great posts and write ups for other sports.  We need you back.
 
Highlander said:
Hey Hockey Fan, just reaching out on another thread to see if you are OK. You did great posts and write ups for other sports.  We need you back.
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Guess this question has been answered on another thread. 
 
Raptors win 107-92 in their bubble debut.  Lowry looked great.  Gasol looks 10 years younger.  OG has developed ball handling skills. 

Also Terrence Davis II is an idiot.
 
L K said:
Raptors win 107-92 in their bubble debut.  Lowry looked great.  Gasol looks 10 years younger.  OG has developed ball handling skills. 

Also Terrence Davis II is an idiot.
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Am I the only one that thinks Norm Powell should learn to use his team mates more? It looks to me like he thinks he's Kyle Lowry and turns over the ball like crazy.
 
https://twitter.com/stephaniesmyth/status/1296176728264658945
The lawyers only said, hey, check out this officer's body cam and build security footage.
https://twitter.com/diamond83/status/1295898422625566727
https://twitter.com/ShelAlexander/status/1295896183240626176

https://twitter.com/raptors/status/1296539480036384775
 
Nick Nurse won Coach of the Year today. I have a lot of issues with the award in general but the Raptors do play really good defense so...ok?
 
Bender said:
Nik said:
Nick Nurse won Coach of the Year today. I have a lot of issues with the award in general but the Raptors do play really good defense so...ok?
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Is it not deserved?
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I don't have super strong opinions on any specific CotY decision but I think Nurse does a pretty good job coaching. I'm not sure I'm qualified to say anything more definitive and I don't know I would have a strong opinion on whether or not Nurse did a better job coaching the Raptors than, say, Billy Donovan did the Thunder.
 
It looks like game 5 of the Bucks-Magic series won't be played because the Bucks are sitting out to protest the police shooting in Wisconsin on the weekend.
 
I think this might spread. There are already reports that tonight's Houston-Oklahoma City game will be likewise sat out by the players and there's talk that the Celtics and Raps might do this for game 1 of their series.

Pretty powerful stuff. These guys don't want to be a distraction from the real stuff going on in the world.
 
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