ECF: | (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (2) Toronto Raptors | CLE 2-1

[Crazomali]

Well, the good news is that one is over. Hopefully can put up a stronger fight with a better gameplan on Thursday.

I'm thinking we need Patterson back on the bench to help that unit score more. May as well start Scola as this is a series he may actually be able to put some time in without hurting too much. Or at least without hurting anymore than we already are.


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I hear what you're sayin but oeuff...Cavs are gonna PnR Scola to deh and by putting PPat on the bench, in essence, you're just rolling out a 3pt lineup in the 2nd unit with Ross/PPat + 3 others. With Val down, your rotations are out of whack cuz Biyombo's energy off the bench is negated as well being that he's in the starting lineup.

I think it'd be best for Lowry to start with the 2nd unit when LBJ is on the court with CLE 2nd unit and Kyrie is off the floor. No way can Casey rest DD/Lowry at the same time but needs to stagger it to take advantage of the lineups out on the floor.

What do Rap fans think of this? Start CoryJo, put PPat on the bench. Let Cory Jo hound Kyrie so Lowry doesn't have to and can focus offensively.

It's best if Cojo stays on the 2nd unit since we need him to give lowry a breather or be the main ball handler If he's sharing the court with lowry in clutch situations. I'll use Norman Powell on Kyrie but I fear he might have hit the rookie wall after giving the team his best against PG13.

[LouisLitt]

I love how it was mentioned over and over again how the Spurs blew out OKC in game one, but lost the series.

We don't have anyone near either Westbrook or Durant, the Raptor delusion lives another day...

Am I the only Raptors fan who is content that we made the ECF?

[Crazomali]

How's shamblesland homie? I got your back will join in the fun real soon

The party is just getting started, fam. Eager to see you here soon. Shame that the best season in Raptors franchise history will end with an undignified gutting. But, hey, at least you won 2 playoff series this year, to net you 3 total in the past 21 seasons. Things are trending up in "Loserville"

I hope once I'm in shambles mode that I don't cry about leBron in the nba finals GB thread. Rapaz where's your alternate Fandom card? You used to be a card carrying raptor fan

[Benedict_Boozer]

By the way props to the Raps fans who were standing out in the cold like that still watching a blowout. That's how it's done, no matter the result you ride it out. Gotta respect their fan base.

[anatomicbomb]

Am I the only Raptors fan who is content that we made the ECF?

Nah, I'm good.

[kangarooaus]

Wanted atleast an competitive game but if I can't have that at least I enjoyed this run and can look forward to the NBA Draft. I mean let's be real it was always going to be either Cavs, GSW, Spurs (Rip), and OKC

JV is just a huge part of your success, I hope he comes back very soon.

Less than 5 feet scoring:
Makes-----Attempts----Percentage
4.9__________8.2________59.8%

Contested shots per game
11.5

Rebounds Per Game
12.1 (including 4.4 Off rebounds)

He contests shots, he rebounds and he gets easy points, which helps the inside - outside game. Without him, it makes it much harder for the guards to break down the defense from the top or wings.

[Statlanta]

You're right on both points though. The West has always been more competitive compared to the East. But to the main point .. there is only 1 elite team in the East this year. There's about 5 teams in the West that I'll take over the #2 seed in the east.

Said it at the beginning of the season, the Cavs won't be tested until the finals. They're levels above all their competition.

Let's also don't let facts come into place here, not to take away from Lebron greatness because he's one of the best players ever, but to the point about the EC .. he's only eliminated 7 teams above .500 Kobe has eliminated 24.

The East has been bad for awhile.

Dude that stat is wrong on so many levels its sad.

What's the correct stat? ESPN just released an article on this. Maybe I didn't remember the numbers right. Help me out

It was 50 win teams if I'm not mistaken

[Rapaz]

How's shamblesland homie? I got your back will join in the fun real soon

The party is just getting started, fam. Eager to see you here soon. Shame that the best season in Raptors franchise history will end with an undignified gutting. But, hey, at least you won 2 playoff series this year, to net you 3 total in the past 21 seasons. Things are trending up in "Loserville"

I hope once I'm in shambles mode that I don't cry about leBron in the nba finals GB thread. Rapaz where's your alternate Fandom card? You used to be a card carrying raptor fan

Luckily, when the beating is as bad as it is for the Raptors, you skip the first four stages of grieving and go straight to acceptance. No tears necessary.

[HerSports85]

Dude that stat is wrong on so many levels its sad.

What's the correct stat? ESPN just released an article on this. Maybe I didn't remember the numbers right. Help me out

It was 50 win teams if I'm not mistaken

lol yeah that's what I meant. My mistake, it's late. Thank you.

[gino_giode]

Man so nervous for the Cavs, the Raps have lost all game 1s in the playoffs.

[dozendonuts]

The party is just getting started, fam. Eager to see you here soon. Shame that the best season in Raptors franchise history will end with an undignified gutting. But, hey, at least you won 2 playoff series this year, to net you 3 total in the past 21 seasons. Things are trending up in "Loserville"

I hope once I'm in shambles mode that I don't cry about leBron in the nba finals GB thread. Rapaz where's your alternate Fandom card? You used to be a card carrying raptor fan

Luckily, when the beating is as bad as it is for the Raptors, you skip the first four stages of grieving and go straight to acceptance. No tears necessary.

This loser is still salty his team was eliminated?

[LoveThemCavs]

By the way props to the Raps fans who were standing out in the cold like that still watching a blowout. That's how it's done, no matter the result you ride it out. Gotta respect their fan base.

Agreed.

[Shock Defeat]

Not sure about this but are the Raptors the only team in NBA history to have lost 3 game 1s in the same Playoffs?

[baller16]

The party is just getting started, fam. Eager to see you here soon. Shame that the best season in Raptors franchise history will end with an undignified gutting. But, hey, at least you won 2 playoff series this year, to net you 3 total in the past 21 seasons. Things are trending up in "Loserville"

I hope once I'm in shambles mode that I don't cry about leBron in the nba finals GB thread. Rapaz where's your alternate Fandom card? You used to be a card carrying raptor fan

Luckily, when the beating is as bad as it is for the Raptors, you skip the first four stages of grieving and go straight to acceptance. No tears necessary.

Seriously, do you just troll the Raptor fans on this board everyday? You must be real salty that we at least have an NBA team while your Supersonics have been extinct for quite a while. Enjoy bandwagoning another city's franchise

[Birdie]

Only 1 game, but the Raps are in trouble because they have no answer for Lebron. If you can't at least keep him out of the paint it's a wrap. OKC has this same problem. Bron kills you at the rim and if you double, CLE will spam you with threes.

GS has Iggy who makes him work but TOR and OKC have nobody physically big/athletic enough. Honestly simple as that.

Iggy also gets away with fouling LBJ but pound for pound, outside of maybe Kawhai, they both are built to give and receive the physical punishment of LBJ without looking like ragdolls. That's the difference.

If DeMare had no injury history (since he hasn't looked the same since last year's playoffs) He'd be in that group too. Crowder gets props too for having the body mass to stick to LBJ. That's 4 guys in the entire NBA out of 450.

Draymond probably could give as much as LBJ gives but the height advantage and quickness for an entire game would probably wear down Draymond. No doubt, LBJ just a physical beast since age 10. I saw him live play in highschool, it was just unfair to watch.

[Birdie]

Well, the good news is that one is over. Hopefully can put up a stronger fight with a better gameplan on Thursday.

I'm thinking we need Patterson back on the bench to help that unit score more. May as well start Scola as this is a series he may actually be able to put some time in without hurting too much. Or at least without hurting anymore than we already are.


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I hear what you're sayin but oeuff...Cavs are gonna PnR Scola to deh and by putting PPat on the bench, in essence, you're just rolling out a 3pt lineup in the 2nd unit with Ross/PPat + 3 others. With Val down, your rotations are out of whack cuz Biyombo's energy off the bench is negated as well being that he's in the starting lineup.

I think it'd be best for Lowry to start with the 2nd unit when LBJ is on the court with CLE 2nd unit and Kyrie is off the floor. No way can Casey rest DD/Lowry at the same time but needs to stagger it to take advantage of the lineups out on the floor.

What do Rap fans think of this? Start CoryJo, put PPat on the bench. Let Cory Jo hound Kyrie so Lowry doesn't have to and can focus offensively.

It's best if Cojo stays on the 2nd unit since we need him to give lowry a breather or be the main ball handler If he's sharing the court with lowry in clutch situations. I'll use Norman Powell on Kyrie but I fear he might have hit the rookie wall after giving the team his best against PG13.

Yea, it's a tough decision. I get where you're coming from but ideally, not only do you need defensive intensity, you don't want to drop off in offense as well. TOR needs to disrupt something. Hounding Kyrie could be the start. I liked CoryJo pestering the hell out of Delly without fouling. It's almost done in a dickish way and it seems to be a common thing that happens to Delly cuz I think some dudes think he's trash but he holds his own. CoryJo's ball denial/pressure was top notch. Except, you need that on Kyrie, not Delly.

Raps have to solve quick when CLE goes to 2nd unit now that Lue has LBJ manning the squad. It's a defensive unit but yet can put up numbers because Delly/RJ/Frye shoot 40+% from 3 and Shump seems to be regaining some form back. IDK, gonna be interesting to see what type of adjustments are made or in the end, it's just a terrible matchup problem with no personnel to mix and match with.

One possible switch would be for Carroll to sag completely off LBJ with Biyombo shading over toward his direction at all times and muck up the paint. Live and die with LBJ having to beat you with wide open mid ranges or TT having to do something with the ball since he'd most likely be the lone man open. That'd be one way to neutralize the free lane to the bucket.

[Matty]

are people going to start giving LeBron his just due or does he have to wait a little while longer?

[tmorgan]

Only 1 game, but the Raps are in trouble because they have no answer for Lebron. If you can't at least keep him out of the paint it's a wrap. OKC has this same problem. Bron kills you at the rim and if you double, CLE will spam you with threes.

GS has Iggy who makes him work but TOR and OKC have nobody physically big/athletic enough. Honestly simple as that.

Iggy also gets away with fouling LBJ but pound for pound, outside of maybe Kawhai, they both are built to give and receive the physical punishment of LBJ without looking like ragdolls. That's the difference.

If DeMare had no injury history (since he hasn't looked the same since last year's playoffs) He'd be in that group too. Crowder gets props too for having the body mass to stick to LBJ. That's 4 guys in the entire NBA out of 450.

Draymond probably could give as much as LBJ gives but the height advantage and quickness for an entire game would probably wear down Draymond. No doubt, LBJ just a physical beast since age 10. I saw him live play in highschool, it was just unfair to watch.

I know he got torched pretty bad in the first round (on mostly tough shots, don't you think?), and I don't think he could keep up with early to mid-20's LeBron's quickness, but Stanley Johnson is another guy with the body and feet to play LeBron... the 30+ year old version, at least. Give him a little more time to learn the NBA (and a little more time for LeBron to get older) and he'll hold his own.

[tmorgan]

Oh, and I didn't expect much from this series, but got even less than expected. Raps without JV is pretty much DD and KL praying they'll get scorching hot.

[Birdie]

Only 1 game, but the Raps are in trouble because they have no answer for Lebron. If you can't at least keep him out of the paint it's a wrap. OKC has this same problem. Bron kills you at the rim and if you double, CLE will spam you with threes.

GS has Iggy who makes him work but TOR and OKC have nobody physically big/athletic enough. Honestly simple as that.

Iggy also gets away with fouling LBJ but pound for pound, outside of maybe Kawhai, they both are built to give and receive the physical punishment of LBJ without looking like ragdolls. That's the difference.

If DeMare had no injury history (since he hasn't looked the same since last year's playoffs) He'd be in that group too. Crowder gets props too for having the body mass to stick to LBJ. That's 4 guys in the entire NBA out of 450.

Draymond probably could give as much as LBJ gives but the height advantage and quickness for an entire game would probably wear down Draymond. No doubt, LBJ just a physical beast since age 10. I saw him live play in highschool, it was just unfair to watch.

I know he got torched pretty bad in the first round (on mostly tough shots, don't you think?), and I don't think he could keep up with early to mid-20's LeBron's quickness, but Stanley Johnson is another guy with the body and feet to play LeBron... the 30+ year old version, at least. Give him a little more time to learn the NBA (and a little more time for LeBron to get older) and he'll hold his own.

That's true. If SJ puts on 15-25lbs of muscle or bulks up just a bit, he's built like a brickhouse as well and has that junkyard dog chip on his shoulder type game to his play. I REALLY wanted RHJ with our 20-something pick before POR took him like 2-5 spots before us and then trading him to BK. I also liked RHJ out of Arizona more than SJ but he's def. changed my mind. He fine tunes his offensive game, in 2-3 years, could have a Paul George-esque breakout type season like PG13 had once IND moved on from Danny Granger.