GAME 66: Raptors (27-38) @ Clippers (43-22)—Tuesday 7PM PDT

[esqtvd]

Esq, I'm curious what your thoughts are on of the +/- from this game? (Note: I'm not a big believer in it, but wondering how'd you see it given the discrepancy)

Zu and Kawhi (who supposedly had a "bad game" to some here) with a team high +21 and +20.
IN 3rd Morris at +14.

And surprisingly PG and Reggie at only +6, both who I thought played relatively well.

So despite the "off game" from Kawhi, he'd be one of the top players from this game? Or that point is only relevant when it concerns negatives and Rondo/Boogie/Batum?

Kawhi: 13 points plus+20.

That's why I like +/- and why I follow it DURING the game. It's a multi-variable graph




Did the yellow influence the blue and did they both together or separately influence the green and red??

Ty balanced giving PT, trying unfamiliar combinations and winning the game wonderfully tonight, and the RUNNING plus/minus was right there. Mann was benched after only 6 minutes [zero points, minus-6]; Cousins was 7/6 but minus-11 in 14 minutes; and Batum was minus-12 in 20 minutes, no help either. [Batum is your plus/minus glue guy; you ignore his other stats if he's plus+10 or more].


But it was more than following the stats--playing with the LAME 2nd unit, Pat Bev was in the minus, but once Ty put him in with the FIRST UNIT--pressuring the ball--Pat's plus/minus shot up and we took the lead.

It's not all about stats bro. Otherwise the best coach would be a robot. If you look at the game thread of the Suns loss, I said we missed Pat's pressure on the ball and the Suns were getting whatever shots they wanted. It still comes down to the players on the court. T-Mann and Reggie have filled in adequately for Pat Bev, but the Clippers at our best with Bev out there ATTACKING the ball as only he can, the best in the business. Then they are playing uphill, not downhill.

Thanks for asking. It's an art AND a science. Even though T-Mann often ended up on the minus, Ty kept putting his energy out there to lift the energy level of what is frankly a pretty low-energy team. I agreed completely, even when the raw numbers didn't support it.

[TheNewEra]

If Beverly needs a couple more games with the bench then I think Luke needs to get some mins over Mann just to experiment or split time

With the playoffs so close, I don't know how much more lineup searching the coaching staff will be doing. If Ibaka ends up being healthy, we're looking at a likely 9 man playoff rotation that probably has these guys as the top 9

Patrick Beverley
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Marcus Morris
Serge Ibaka
------------
Rajon Rondo
Reggie Jackson / Mann
Nicolas Batum
Ivica Zubac
------------
Spares: Cousins at C / Kennard at G

Jackson has most likely given himself the second guard call up in the playoff rotation (after Rondo). Mann was averaging 10/4/2 on 48/48 shooting over the last 12 games, he's likely given himself the third spot. Kennard is just going to be a guy that might get the call situationally for some shooting. I think the second unit does have a different look that could make Kennard more useful though, I agree, but so late in the season, there isn't even enough time to truly test lineup combinations.

Only thing is I can’t see Serge starting if that’s what your lineups mean. His back is this messed up and they still don’t have any type of timeline for return. Seems dangerous to put him up against top talent at the risk something goes wrong

[Kelphus]

NOW ARE YOU WHINY BIOTCHES GONNA RUIN EVERY GAME THREAD FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR??????

Mods--help us out here. Mercy. The Finals aren't until July ffs.

Edited by mod: We’re done repeating personal attacks from a season (or more) ago. Move on.

MTV, to disagree is one thing but to blatantly falsify someone's past statements and position on the board should be out of bounds. But it seems the mods are going to let you continue to say just about anything as you bring this board down.

Let's return to intelligent basketball discussion instead of ad hominem attacks or empty rhetoric.

Please.

[Kelphus]

For me, nobody is mentioning 18 turnovers, 6 of them by Rondo. With a decent turnover number, this would have been an easy win. Kawhi and PG13 each had 3 turnovers. There you go, 12 turnovers from those three guys.

Marcus Morris, Sr. said it in the postgame interview- ugly game, but they got through it.

Now let's focus on beating the despicable, odious, and completely hated fLakers.

[esqtvd]

If Beverly needs a couple more games with the bench then I think Luke needs to get some mins over Mann just to experiment or split time

With the playoffs so close, I don't know how much more lineup searching the coaching staff will be doing. If Ibaka ends up being healthy, we're looking at a likely 9 man playoff rotation that probably has these guys as the top 9

Patrick Beverley
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Marcus Morris
Serge Ibaka
------------
Rajon Rondo
Reggie Jackson / Mann
Nicolas Batum
Ivica Zubac
------------
Spares: Cousins at C / Kennard at G

Jackson has most likely given himself the second guard call up in the playoff rotation (after Rondo). Mann was averaging 10/4/2 on 48/48 shooting over the last 12 games, he's likely given himself the third spot. Kennard is just going to be a guy that might get the call situationally for some shooting. I think the second unit does have a different look that could make Kennard more useful though, I agree, but so late in the season, there isn't even enough time to truly test lineup combinations.

Only thing is I can’t see Serge starting if that’s what your lineups mean. His back is this messed up and they still don’t have any type of timeline for return. Seems dangerous to put him up against top talent at the risk something goes wrong

Great discussion. Per OG's previous about Zu getting fatigued, Coach actually has to manage Zu's minutes at the 5 for PHYSICAL reasons. [Same as last year but were not gonna go there .]

Speaking only physically here, if Serge is gonna play at all, he probably needs to start while his back is loose. The STRATEGY [not tactic] will be to get as many EFFECTIVE minutes out of Zu as we can. If Serge can't come back to full physical effectiveness himself, letting him start the first and second halves, 12-14 minutes combined--might work. Then Zu. Let Boogie do the mop-up minutes in the 2nd and 4th.

As for crunchtime in the 4th--nobody has been commenting on it but Ty has been going small with Marcus at the 5.

[esqtvd]

NOW ARE YOU WHINY BIOTCHES GONNA RUIN EVERY GAME THREAD FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR??????

Mods--help us out here. Mercy. The Finals aren't until July ffs.

Remember when you spent the entire offseason and first half of the season rooting for the team to fail and Kawhi to leave?

...to disagree is one thing but to blatantly falsify someone's past statements and position on the board should be out of bounds. But it seems the mods are going to let you continue to say just about anything as you bring this board down.

Let's return to intelligent basketball discussion instead of ad hominem attacks or empty rhetoric.

Please.

Thanks for the back, bro. Great to see our BEST people coming back to the board. I wasn't going to defend myself but of course I never said any such things.

The mods [@TrueLAFan] have been doing a strong job lately. Hoping they keep it up.

Let's ENJOY this!! What a great win tonight. Never give up, never surrender!!

[GamecockFan1024]

Man this team looks tired but they fought through it and got the win. Hopefully they can hold on to the 3 seed and pick up their play here down the stretch.

[NickP]

NOW ARE YOU WHINY BIOTCHES GONNA RUIN EVERY GAME THREAD FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR??????

Mods--help us out here. Mercy. The Finals aren't until July ffs.

Edited by mod: We’re done repeating personal attacks from a season (or more) ago. Move on.

MTV, to disagree is one thing but to blatantly falsify someone's past statements and position on the board should be out of bounds. But it seems the mods are going to let you continue to say just about anything as you bring this board down.

Let's return to intelligent basketball discussion instead of ad hominem attacks or empty rhetoric.

Please.

Agreed. I think most of us let the emotions get the best of us because last season was THE season to bring home a chip. It didn't happen and most of us including me put most of the blame on Doc.
But this is a new season and the playoffs are here. Let's focus on having a positive discussion on the team and coaches we have. That's the squad going to battle for us. The outcome could be something special. I think this team is ready.

[playaloc916]

For me, nobody is mentioning 18 turnovers, 6 of them by Rondo. With a decent turnover number, this would have been an easy win. Kawhi and PG13 each had 3 turnovers. There you go, 12 turnovers from those three guys.

Marcus Morris, Sr. said it in the postgame interview- ugly game, but they got through it.

Now let's focus on beating the despicable, odious, and completely hated fLakers.

That really stood out to me. I looked at the game stats and it seemed things were pretty even except the Raptors had more FGA, and the cause, the high number of turnovers, with Rondo having 6! It wasn't his game last night. The turnovers and the bad shots... If he played a little better, the game wouldn't have been as close.

[playaloc916]

With the playoffs so close, I don't know how much more lineup searching the coaching staff will be doing. If Ibaka ends up being healthy, we're looking at a likely 9 man playoff rotation that probably has these guys as the top 9

Patrick Beverley
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Marcus Morris
Serge Ibaka
------------
Rajon Rondo
Reggie Jackson / Mann
Nicolas Batum
Ivica Zubac
------------
Spares: Cousins at C / Kennard at G

Jackson has most likely given himself the second guard call up in the playoff rotation (after Rondo). Mann was averaging 10/4/2 on 48/48 shooting over the last 12 games, he's likely given himself the third spot. Kennard is just going to be a guy that might get the call situationally for some shooting. I think the second unit does have a different look that could make Kennard more useful though, I agree, but so late in the season, there isn't even enough time to truly test lineup combinations.

Only thing is I can’t see Serge starting if that’s what your lineups mean. His back is this messed up and they still don’t have any type of timeline for return. Seems dangerous to put him up against top talent at the risk something goes wrong

Great discussion. Per OG's previous about Zu getting fatigued, Coach actually has to manage Zu's minutes at the 5 for PHYSICAL reasons. [Same as last year but were not gonna go there .]

Speaking only physically here, if Serge is gonna play at all, he probably needs to start while his back is loose. The STRATEGY [not tactic] will be to get as many EFFECTIVE minutes out of Zu as we can. If Serge can't come back to full physical effectiveness himself, letting him start the first and second halves, 12-14 minutes combined--might work. Then Zu. Let Boogie do the mop-up minutes in the 2nd and 4th.

As for crunchtime in the 4th--nobody has been commenting on it but Ty has been going small with Marcus at the 5.

I'm honestly scared about the centre position. The more this drags on, the more I think Serge is done for the season (hope I'm wrong though). Zu is a good backup C, for maybe 20-25 minutes, but he's been playing 30+ minutes some nights, and I don't think he can handle those minutes. I feel like Boogie is good for certain matchups only. But then again, maybe he's still getting used to the team's playbook. Not having Serge is just really hard to make up for.

[RingColluder]

Only thing is I can’t see Serge starting if that’s what your lineups mean. His back is this messed up and they still don’t have any type of timeline for return. Seems dangerous to put him up against top talent at the risk something goes wrong

Great discussion. Per OG's previous about Zu getting fatigued, Coach actually has to manage Zu's minutes at the 5 for PHYSICAL reasons. [Same as last year but were not gonna go there .]

Speaking only physically here, if Serge is gonna play at all, he probably needs to start while his back is loose. The STRATEGY [not tactic] will be to get as many EFFECTIVE minutes out of Zu as we can. If Serge can't come back to full physical effectiveness himself, letting him start the first and second halves, 12-14 minutes combined--might work. Then Zu. Let Boogie do the mop-up minutes in the 2nd and 4th.

As for crunchtime in the 4th--nobody has been commenting on it but Ty has been going small with Marcus at the 5.

I'm honestly scared about the centre position. The more this drags on, the more I think Serge is done for the season (hope I'm wrong though). Zu is a good backup C, for maybe 20-25 minutes, but he's been playing 30+ minutes some nights, and I don't think he can handle those minutes. I feel like Boogie is good for certain matchups only. But then again, maybe he's still getting used to the team's playbook. Not having Serge is just really hard to make up for.

It was bizarre to me to see so many people think Zu was going to somehow be this great player after last year (and Trez leaving) when I saw absolutely nothing from him last year to warrant an upgrade or promotion. Lue said it too, demoting him before the season even started and despite ample opportunity to prove otherwise he just isn't good. He's the definition of "ok", his main strength being his height.

I agree about Boogie, I'm getting remarkably similar feelings to the Harrell/Zu situation from last year regarding Boogie and Zu
Zu is also good for only certain matchups.

Keep posting playaloc! I enjoy your thoughts.

[clipperlover]

Need to give credit where its due. Toronto got after it defensively last night. They were up in people's faces and making it difficult. The Clippers didn't have the same level of intensity. Why? This isn't their playoffs.

That said, teams are going to be giving them their best shot. The Clips certainly aren't playing like they care about seeding. In the end, you can't worry about who you play. You want to be the best, you have to be willing to play anyone regardless of who you match up better against. The moment you start playing for a certain matchup, you might as well admit you aren't good enough.

[MartinToVaught]

Apparently Lowry was hanging out with Jerry West, Ibaka and Marcus Morris during the game last night according to his Instagram story. Could be something, could be nothing.

[RingColluder]

Apparently Lowry was hanging out with Jerry West, Ibaka and Marcus Morris during the game last night according to his Instagram story. Could be something, could be nothing.

with what capspace?

[RingColluder]

Need to give credit where its due. Toronto got after it defensively last night. They were up in people's faces and making it difficult. The Clippers didn't have the same level of intensity. Why? This isn't their playoffs.

That said, teams are going to be giving them their best shot. The Clips certainly aren't playing like they care about seeding. In the end, you can't worry about who you play. You want to be the best, you have to be willing to play anyone regardless of who you match up better against. The moment you start playing for a certain matchup, you might as well admit you aren't good enough.

we had the same piss poor attitude about "not caring about seeding" last season and look where that got us.

[TucsonClip]

The team just looks so disinterested the majority of the game. I know everyone just wants to start the playoffs, but with Kawhi looking out of sorts, Bev just back, Ibaka still MIA, I don't feel great about things right now.

Then you zoom out and see they are still as hot as anyone since the ASB.

/shrug

[esqtvd]

The team just looks so disinterested the majority of the game. I know everyone just wants to start the playoffs, but with Kawhi looking out of sorts, Bev just back, Ibaka still MIA, I don't feel great about things right now.

Then you zoom out and see they are still as hot as anyone since the ASB.

/shrug

nail on the head

good to see you back, bro

every team is a groin injury away from elimination