Raps are Good But CAUTIOUSLY optimistic thread

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

We’re good enough that we should get another big body for insurance. The Washington game shows you what can happen playing with no bigs. Mamu and CMB are less back up C’s than Scotty.

Bring me Bol Bol!!

[ArthurVandelay]

Read on Twitter

I'm going to defend Zach Lowe. Although he finds this combination of players to be a weird fit (I agree with him), he consistently defended them prior to the start of the season.

I find Simmons entertaining, but his take that there's no way for the Raptors to improve when they still have all their picks and a young core to build around is super bizarre.

Even Lowe was far more negative about the team then I expected.

Truthfully I'm not sure I can think of a single media member who was high on the Raptors.

Not saying they really second in the East(expecting some regression of only due to a injury or 2) but really am looking forward to the amount of crow the media might have to eat if this holda up.

They are getting on their knees for Detroit but just seem disgruntled to give TO any praise.

Kendrick Perkins

[PushDaRock]

We’re good enough that we should get another big body for insurance. The Washington game shows you what can happen playing with no bigs. Mamu and CMB are less back up C’s than Scotty.

Bring me Bol Bol!!

Fax

[Boardbreaker]

It was entirely predictable the American media would be all “oh wow I never saw that coming!” When they never actually pay attention to the team and just parrot each other’s hot takes. Their infatuation with us being a tax team was so bizarre but any objective observer could see a clear path to the playoffs this season. I’m not sure why the salary aspect was what they hyper focused on coming into the year rather than the talent on the team and the weakened conference.

[Appostis]

I'm going to defend Zach Lowe. Although he finds this combination of players to be a weird fit (I agree with him), he consistently defended them prior to the start of the season.

I find Simmons entertaining, but his take that there's no way for the Raptors to improve when they still have all their picks and a young core to build around is super bizarre.

Even Lowe was far more negative about the team then I expected.

Truthfully I'm not sure I can think of a single media member who was high on the Raptors.

Not saying they really second in the East(expecting some regression of only due to a injury or 2) but really am looking forward to the amount of crow the media might have to eat if this holda up.

They are getting on their knees for Detroit but just seem disgruntled to give TO any praise.

Kendrick Perkins

Besides Perkins.

[ArthurVandelay]

Even Lowe was far more negative about the team then I expected.

Truthfully I'm not sure I can think of a single media member who was high on the Raptors.

Not saying they really second in the East(expecting some regression of only due to a injury or 2) but really am looking forward to the amount of crow the media might have to eat if this holda up.

They are getting on their knees for Detroit but just seem disgruntled to give TO any praise.

Kendrick Perkins

Besides Perkins.

Nope. lol

[I_Like_Dirt]

We’re good enough that we should get another big body for insurance. The Washington game shows you what can happen playing with no bigs. Mamu and CMB are less back up C’s than Scotty.

Bring me Bol Bol!!

The problem with bigs is that it's such a fine line between them actually being useful rotation guys, or guys where you're better just playing a 5'10" guy with actual game when the chips are down in the playoffs and teams actually want to win every game and have no back to backs. Bol Bol definitely isn't it - better off just playing Mogbo. Honestly, Mamu has been a fantastic surprise and better fit than I expected. I kinda hope the Pistons come back down to earth a bit this season to the point where they might consider a Paul Reed for Ochai trade or something like that.

[dagger]

The Pacers miss Turner even more than Haliburton. Teams are murdering them iup front. The Celtics are down for more reasons than Tatum. Again, another weak front court, made worse by Horford aging out and dumping Porzingis to save money. The Nets and Wizards are going to need more time. Who knows if the Bucks can hang on to Giannis. Id be more concerned with the Hornets with Brandon Miller (who was back in acton yesterday) or the Hawks turning that Pelicans' FRP into a super star.

[Appostis]

"Raptors fans are quickly approaching Celtics fans levels of living in the past. Sadly they'll stay on that trajectory once they realize their current team is fool's gold."

Good old Magic fans on the general boards...

[Appostis]

The Pacers miss Turner even more than Haliburton. Teams are murdering them iup front. The Celtics are down for more reasons than Tatum. Again, another weak front court, made worse by Horford aging out and dumping Porzingis to save money. The Nets and Wizards are going to need more time. Who knows if the Bucks can hang on to Giannis. Id be more concerned with the Hornets with Brandon Miller (who was back in acton yesterday) or the Hawks turning that Pelicans' FRP into a super star.

It's just one season.

They'll find a starting quality center in the off season.

[everdiso]

The lowest true shooting percentage in our 10-man rotation is a tie between Scottie and BI at 58.6%.

6 of our 10 man rotation are over 60%.


The raps have never seen anything like this, ever.

[tsherkin]

"Raptors fans are quickly approaching Celtics fans levels of living in the past. Sadly they'll stay on that trajectory once they realize their current team is fool's gold."

Good old Magic fans on the general boards...

I mean, it can't escape notice that we've beaten Charlotte, Washington, the Nets twice, the Grizzlies, the Bucks, the Pacers, the no-Garland Cavs twice...

Our schedule has been soft, so people will pick up on that, and some level of hesitation over believing in the team will exist until we beat a couple of proper good teams, not just the Sixers and the Hawks, you know?

But we've been pretty good at either end, even if we've let a couple games be closer than they needed to be, so have a lot to be enjoying right now.

[Appostis]

"Raptors fans are quickly approaching Celtics fans levels of living in the past. Sadly they'll stay on that trajectory once they realize their current team is fool's gold."

Good old Magic fans on the general boards...

I mean, it can't escape notice that we've beaten Charlotte, Washington, the Nets twice, the Grizzlies, the Bucks, the Pacers, the no-Garland Cavs twice...

Our schedule has been soft, so people will pick up on that, and some level of hesitation over believing in the team will exist until we beat a couple of proper good teams, not just the Sixers and the Hawks, you know?

But we've been pretty good at either end, even if we've let a couple games be closer than they needed to be, so have a lot to be enjoying right now.

Oh team has gotten lucky with some Injuries, and despite the recent cupcake schedule still somehow has one of the hardest SOS schedules..

Guy was just trying to compare a raptors fan who listed off the last 10 year records to the magics and they responded saying we're like Celtics fans caught up in the distant past.

They haven't even gotten past the first round in over a decade..

[tsherkin]

Oh team has gotten lucky with some Injuries, and despite the recent cupcake schedule still somehow has one of the hardest SOS schedules..

And still we've been largely beating sub-.500 teams and squads without key players, so I can understand the criticism, is all I'm saying.

Guy was just trying to compare a raptors fan who listed off the last 10 year records to the magics and they responded saying we're like Celtics fans caught up in the distant past.

They haven't even gotten past the first round in over a decade..

Yeah, it's weird. Orlando has had a rough go in the post-Dwight era. Not as rough as, say, Washington, but it certainly hasn't been a banner stretch for them. Definitely not enough to where they want to be crowing at other squads about... anything.

[Appostis]

Oh team has gotten lucky with some Injuries, and despite the recent cupcake schedule still somehow has one of the hardest SOS schedules..

And still we've been largely beating sub-.500 teams and squads without key players, so I can understand the criticism, is all I'm saying.

Guy was just trying to compare a raptors fan who listed off the last 10 year records to the magics and they responded saying we're like Celtics fans caught up in the distant past.

They haven't even gotten past the first round in over a decade..

Yeah, it's weird. Orlando has had a rough go in the post-Dwight era. Not as rough as, say, Washington, but it certainly hasn't been a banner stretch for them. Definitely not enough to where they want to be crowing at other squads about... anything.

Making fun of this year? Yup no problem. Quite possible this all goes to **** when the west coast hits.

The trying to bring down Raptors fans as "living in the past" when they still have one of the most successful 10+ years in the league is my issue.

Magic got the NBA hipster media bump last year.

[bluerap23]

I'm going to defend Zach Lowe. Although he finds this combination of players to be a weird fit (I agree with him), he consistently defended them prior to the start of the season.

I find Simmons entertaining, but his take that there's no way for the Raptors to improve when they still have all their picks and a young core to build around is super bizarre.

Even Lowe was far more negative about the team then I expected.

Truthfully I'm not sure I can think of a single media member who was high on the Raptors.

Not saying they really second in the East(expecting some regression of only due to a injury or 2) but really am looking forward to the amount of crow the media might have to eat if this holda up.

They are getting on their knees for Detroit but just seem disgruntled to give TO any praise.

Kendrick Perkins

While he is finally coming around, Z. Lowe has been so negative since joining the dark side (BS)

[canz55]

That Nets game was quite alarming if I'm being honest. Jordi dared us to drive all game and because the Nets have above average rim deterrence we struggled badly and probably should have lost. When Jak sits we lose our best screener which means Quickely is nullified and then we're back to one on one basketball.

Our offense is like our defense, it runs on a tight string. When you remove any piece then we melt immediately.

[ATLTimekeeper]

That Nets game was quite alarming if I'm being honest. Jordi dared us to drive all game and because the Nets have above average rim deterrence we struggled badly and probably should have lost. When Jakobe sits we lose our best screener which means Quickely is nullified and then we're back to one on one basketball.

Our offense is like our defense, it runs on a tight string. When you remove any piece then we melt immediately.

We had like a 125 ORating, so offense was working great last night. There was no melting.

Defensively they were allowing a lot of dribble penetration, which happens when you play a nonsense team.

[nikster]

That Nets game was quite alarming if I'm being honest. Jordi dared us to drive all game and because the Nets have above average rim deterrence we struggled badly and probably should have lost. When Jakobe sits we lose our best screener which means Quickely is nullified and then we're back to one on one basketball.

Our offense is like our defense, it runs on a tight string. When you remove any piece then we melt immediately.

There were concerns but we missed a lot of shots we should have hit. Quickley and Ingram combined for 5/22 shooting going into the 4th, and quite a few of those misses were good looks. And we still put up 65 at half and 119 for the game

[canz55]

That Nets game was quite alarming if I'm being honest. Jordi dared us to drive all game and because the Nets have above average rim deterrence we struggled badly and probably should have lost. When Jakobe sits we lose our best screener which means Quickely is nullified and then we're back to one on one basketball.

Our offense is like our defense, it runs on a tight string. When you remove any piece then we melt immediately.

We had like a 125 ORating, so offense was working great last night. There was no melting.

Defensively they were allowing a lot of dribble penetration, which happens when you play a nonsense team.

We usually destroy sub .500 teams, especially in the 3rd quarter of games, but the Nets matched us for everything.

Our scoring efficiency around the basket was dreadful and was keeping the Nets in the game. That was by design.

Ultimately Nets took their foot off the gas late in the 4th because they're tanking this year anyways.