2014 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors (3) vs Brooklyn Nets (6)

[CB-Blazer]

You're right.
Keep in mind that when you go back far enough on a system everything becomes connected to one source.
The untrained ESPN monkey shouldn't be allowed through customs ever again.

This conversation is so not RealGM worthy...

Majority of large establishments that sell food have a back-up power source that is independent of the main power, just in case the power goes out, the freezers and coolers still keep their food. I would be extremely surprised if this was any different, especially for an arena with how many restaurants and fans?

I don't claim to be an electrical genius, however I have been in/around the trades long enough to realize that there are options that aren't solar/wind, like diesel and natural gas that back-up generators do run off of.

And in a sense, the other poster is right, it's a pretty stupid mistake to tie your back-up to the same power source of your primary. Figuring that out isn't exactly rocket science…..

[kerry kittles]

Anyone want to discuss game 2 instead of talking about whose responsible for the shot clock, attacking the other fan base, whining about the officiating?

What adjustments do you expect to see in game 2?

How will the Raptors limit Joe Johnson? Will they double more, blitz him, force the ball out of his hand?

What does Derozan need to do to have a better game?

Vazquez and Patterson played big minutes and played well. Both played the entire 4th in favor of Amir and Ross. I know Ross's minutes were limited early due to foul trouble, but do expect Patterson and Vazquez to continue to play meaningful minutes?

Do you believe Casey will play Fields? Should he play him? How many minutes should he get? Just Salmons?

Where was AK47? Will he play game 2? Whose minutes does he take? Some of Anderson's? Some of Mirza's?

[Prokorov]

What adjustments do you expect to see in game 2?

I'd be shocked to see anything else other then the Raptors sending a second defender to Johnson on the catch. they are going to force the ball out of his hands early. They key is what do the nets do about it.... im hoping its not settle for long open jump shots. they need to get paint shots off it.

For the nets, i think you are going to see them try and get physical with val like they did in the second half. always have a body between him and the rim to prevent put backs.

What does Derozan need to do to have a better game?

im not sure. i mean, if he is gonna take off balance long contested 2's all series thats likely not gonna go so well. i think he needs to get going towards the rim and get to the FT line.

Vazquez and Patterson played big minutes and played well. Both played the entire 4th in favor of Amir and Ross. I know Ross's minutes were limited early due to foul trouble, but do expect Patterson and Vazquez to continue to play meaningful minutes?

Vazques has owned us since he came into the league... be it on the hornets, kings or raps. i think he will have a very good series

Where was AK47? Will he play game 2? Whose minutes does he take? Some of Anderson's? Some of Mirza's?

i dont think AK should play in this series. we need more offense and he had a horrible last 6 weeks to the season. id prefer AA and Mirza. if we advance and play miami, then i think AK should get heavy minutes

[ATLTimekeeper]

Anyone want to discuss game 2 instead of talking about whose responsible for the shot clock, attacking the other fan base, whining about the officiating?

What adjustments do you expect to see in game 2?

How will the Raptors limit Joe Johnson? Will they double more, blitz him, force the ball out of his hand?

I don't think they'll take that bait and just hope that Ross doesn't get tagged with two quick fouls for playing tight. Actually, I just hope that they don't take the bait. Not sure.

What does Derozan need to do to have a better game?

He just needs to move the ball faster. I think he got in trouble trying to assert himself on the stage and took some bad shots in the 4th.

Vazquez and Patterson played big minutes and played well. Both played the entire 4th in favor of Amir and Ross. I know Ross's minutes were limited early due to foul trouble, but do expect Patterson and Vazquez to continue to play meaningful minutes?

Vasquez has been playing incredible since the all-star break. He'll probably continue to get those 4th quarter minutes. Patterson is up and down. I think the Raptors would prefer to play him and Amir in the 4th, but Amir's been MIA with ankle trouble the last two weeks. He's really their most important forward.

Do you believe Casey will play Fields? Should he play him? How many minutes should he get? Just Salmons?

I doubt he plays Fields. I think Salmons will get the benefit of the doubt for at least one more game.

[ChampionRed]

Game 2 is going to be fun to watch. I am excited to see how both teams adjust to a very sloppy game 1. I honestly don't believe we'll see too many big adjustments. Game 1 was so sloppy, I feel like both teams weren't themselves. I think the noticeable adjustments will come in game 3. So many players shot so poorly in from both teams. The only adjustment may be that those players play better.

[kerry kittles]

Vazques has owned us since he came into the league... be it on the hornets, kings or raps. i think he will have a very good series

I'm curious what more raptors fans have to think about this. I agree, Vazquez has historically played very well against the Nets. I think it's good to have a 2nd ball handler on the court to take pressure off Lowry and help limit turnovers.

With that being said I'm curious how they'll manage minutes with Vazquez and Ross. Derozan and Lowry played the entire 2nd half and I expect them to play big minutes going forward. So it seems like either Ross or Vazquez will be on the court with them. Vazquez does bring the positives that you and I mentioned on the offensive end, but he is a poor defender. Livingston was scoring with relative ease with Vazquez on him. Ross is obviously the better defender and a pretty damn good 3 point shooter though Vazquez is solid in his own regard.

Going Lowry/Vazquez/Derozan/Ross is small so I don't think we'll see that.

[Prokorov]

Vazques has owned us since he came into the league... be it on the hornets, kings or raps. i think he will have a very good series

I'm curious what more raptors fans have to think about this. I agree, Vazquez has historically played very well against the Nets. I think it's good to have a 2nd ball handler on the court to take pressure off Lowry and help limit turnovers.

With that being said I'm curious how they'll manage minutes with Vazquez and Ross. Derozan and Lowry played the entire 2nd half and I expect them to play big minutes going forward. So it seems like either Ross or Vazquez will be on the court with them. Vazquez does bring the positives that you and I mentioned on the offensive end, but he is a poor defender. Livingston was scoring with relative ease with Vazquez on him. Ross is obviously the better defender and a pretty damn good 3 point shooter though Vazquez is solid in his own regard.

Going Lowry/Vazquez/Derozan/Ross is small so I don't think we'll see that.

i dont think vazques defense is a big issue in this series... their issue is executing the half court against us, not defense. i mean we shot 42% from the floor and vazques was a +8 in a game they lost by 7. and i dont recall at any point in the 5 times we played them thinking to myself "oh nice, vazques is in, we can exploit that"

its usually "crap vazques is in"

[Rockice_24]

Anyone want to discuss game 2 instead of talking about whose responsible for the shot clock, attacking the other fan base, whining about the officiating?

What adjustments do you expect to see in game 2?

How will the Raptors limit Joe Johnson? Will they double more, blitz him, force the ball out of his hand?

What does Derozan need to do to have a better game?

Vazquez and Patterson played big minutes and played well. Both played the entire 4th in favor of Amir and Ross. I know Ross's minutes were limited early due to foul trouble, but do expect Patterson and Vazquez to continue to play meaningful minutes?

Do you believe Casey will play Fields? Should he play him? How many minutes should he get? Just Salmons?

Where was AK47? Will he play game 2? Whose minutes does he take? Some of Anderson's? Some of Mirza's?

They need to let Ross cover JJ since he is bigger and stronger than DD. JJ is have his way with Ross too but maybe he can slow him down a little. It's just a matter of foul trouble again for Ross, if they let him go at JJ 1 on 1 again he might find himself in a situation like game 1, on the bench. I think they will ultimately double JJ down. Hopefully we can hit an open 3 this game though.

DD needs to attack more. He's too athletic to take jumpers all game. He was getting to the line and he stopped driving, needs to attack at all times unless wide open.

Yes more Vazquez for TOR, he was the best one on the floor for them game 1 behind JV. I don't see him keeping up that shooting all series but he is a well rounded player that is definitely a positive asset for TOR when on the floor.

Neither Salmons or Fields should play if TOR can help it, both are pretty bad.

No AA needs to play (he did a good job game 1) and Mirza will hopefully hit those open looks on the double team of JJ. AK just doesn't match up well in this series. There are no big strong wings for him to cover and he can't shoot well enough to space the floor for the Nets. I'd like to see a 2nd lineup of JJ, AA, Mirza, AK and Blatche at times. No true PG but great length. AK can be hidden in that good shooting lineup. You got the 5 starters who will all play. Then you need to keep Plumlee in there for length on JV, Mirza, AA, Blatche, after those guys you have AK and Thorton looking for any remaining time. Both will have spotty minutes throughout the series. Can't go 11 deep in the playoffs.

[VanDamme]

What adjustments do you expect to see in game 2?

How will the Raptors limit Joe Johnson? Will they double more, blitz him, force the ball out of his hand?

Better team defense will play a part, better rotations will help the Raps when JJ beats his man into the paint for his floaters for example. Like DD said, JJ is 260 lbs, once he gets ahead of you it's tough to slow him down.

What does Derozan need to do to have a better game?

DD was rushed in game 1. If he's able to slow it down he can better appreciate the opportunities he can get on the floor. I've seen him have bad games but I've also noticed he comes back better prepared after bad games. Hopefully game 2 is the game where we see him slow it down (Not slow down his game, but slow down mentally) and get back to passing it out of contested shot situations instead of taking them.

Most definitely.

Vazquez and Patterson played big minutes and played well. Both played the entire 4th in favor of Amir and Ross. I know Ross's minutes were limited early due to foul trouble, but do expect Patterson and Vazquez to continue to play meaningful minutes?

Both will play meaningful minutes but I expect Amir specifically to come into game 2 with a vengeance because of his personality. It won't be flashy but he'll make an impact. Ross was pissed when he got benched and he doesn't really get pissed about anything, hope he can stay out of foul trouble.



I don't see a significant drop off expected from Lowry, Vasquez, Patterson or JV. Do you?

Anyone want to discuss game 2 instead of talking about whose responsible for the shot clock, attacking the other fan base, whining about the officiating?

Also I expect the shot clock to work as intended. The officiating to remain meh for both sides, and another 10,000 Raptor fans outside the ACC on Tuesday

[Prokorov]

DD was rushed in game 1. If he's able to slow it down he can better appreciate the opportunities he can get on the floor. I've seen him have bad games but I've also noticed he comes back better prepared after bad games. Hopefully game 2 is the game where we see him slow it down (Not slow down his game, but slow down mentally) and get back to passing it out of contested shot situations instead of taking them.

NBA.com did a great job breaking down how the nets forced derozan to the left side of the floor. and made him try and exclusively get offense from there... im sure the statistics say that he is weaker from that side. itnerested to see if they do something to change that up

[Prokorov]

I don't see a significant drop off expected from Lowry, Vasquez, Patterson or JV. Do you?

Lowry and patterson no. Vasquez no

JV absolutely. He had 11 points in the first quarter, and wasnt a factor after that. in between the first and second quarter kidd was mic'd up and told the team they need to have a body between him and the rim at all times and not allow tip ins. after that JV wasnt really very effective.

Plumlee also does a good job on him, and should likely play more as he was basically relegated to the bench with foul trouble

i think he will be more in the 8-12 points 8-12 rebounds area as opposed to 17 pts 18 rebs.

[DG88]

I don't see a significant drop off expected from Lowry, Vasquez, Patterson or JV. Do you?

Lowry and patterson no. Vasquez no

JV absolutely. He had 11 points in the first quarter, and wasnt a factor after that. in between the first and second quarter kidd was mic'd up and told the team they need to have a body between him and the rim at all times and not allow tip ins. after that JV wasnt really very effective.

Plumlee also does a good job on him, and should likely play more as he was basically relegated to the bench with foul trouble

i think he will be more in the 8-12 points 8-12 rebounds area as opposed to 17 pts 18 rebs.

Speaking of JV how good do you'll think he'll be in the next few years? Us Raptors fans have high expectations for him and we all loved what he did in Game 1, minus the 6 turnovers.

[Prokorov]

I don't see a significant drop off expected from Lowry, Vasquez, Patterson or JV. Do you?

Lowry and patterson no. Vasquez no

JV absolutely. He had 11 points in the first quarter, and wasnt a factor after that. in between the first and second quarter kidd was mic'd up and told the team they need to have a body between him and the rim at all times and not allow tip ins. after that JV wasnt really very effective.

Plumlee also does a good job on him, and should likely play more as he was basically relegated to the bench with foul trouble

i think he will be more in the 8-12 points 8-12 rebounds area as opposed to 17 pts 18 rebs.

Speaking of JV how good do you'll think he'll be in the next few years? Us Raptors fans have high expectations for him and we all loved what he did in Game 1, minus the 6 turnovers.

I see him as being someone just good enough to get snubbed from the all-star team. like a 16/10 guy with above average defense. i think he all suffers from lopez-itus, in that he just isnt consistently aggresive. he will do something crazy and you will be like WTF has that been??

I think close to lopez offensvely while not being as poor and limited on D as Brook is about right. i think whats key is can he become an elite role guy like a horford or will he be more of window dressing with gaudy numbers that dont have as big an impact as bbreference suggests?

[T-d0t]

If KG is guarding JV again then I don't see why people say that there will be a drop off for JV.

[Prokorov]

If KG is guarding JV again then I don't see why people say that there will be a drop off for JV.

Because there was already a drop off for JV from the 1st quarter to quarters 2 through 4. Val had 11 points and 8 rebounds in the first quarter. 6 points and 10 rebs the rest of the way

also, plumlee should play alot more. he does a much better job on JV.

I also think JV's impact in game 1 wasnt as big as his stat line. 17/18 is outstanding, and he did play really well. but he was also a game worst -17 in a game they lost by 7.

[DG88]

I see him as being someone just good enough to get snubbed from the all-star team. like a 16/10 guy with above average defense. i think he all suffers from lopez-itus, in that he just isnt consistently aggresive. he will do something crazy and you will be like WTF has that been??

I think close to lopez offensvely while not being as poor and limited on D as Brook is about right. i think whats key is can he become an elite role guy like a horford or will he be more of window dressing with gaudy numbers that dont have as big an impact as bbreference suggests?

Interesting because quite a few on the board believe he can have a Lopez type impact on offense. The defense is where it gets tricky, he's been better this year compare to last year. Still having a 16/10 C in your starting unit is huge for us moving forward as a team.

[Prokorov]

I see him as being someone just good enough to get snubbed from the all-star team. like a 16/10 guy with above average defense. i think he all suffers from lopez-itus, in that he just isnt consistently aggresive. he will do something crazy and you will be like WTF has that been??

I think close to lopez offensvely while not being as poor and limited on D as Brook is about right. i think whats key is can he become an elite role guy like a horford or will he be more of window dressing with gaudy numbers that dont have as big an impact as bbreference suggests?

Interesting because quite a few on the board believe he can have a Lopez type impact on offense. The defense is where it gets tricky, he's been better this year compare to last year. Still having a 16/10 C in your starting unit is huge for us moving forward as a team.

i think he will have a lopez type impact as well.... i just see that a whole lot closer to "pretty numbers with much lower impact then the stat sheet suggests" then i do elite role guy/legit 2nd option.

if you are going just by stats, im not sure i can see Val putting up 20 ppg on 57 TS% and a 25 PER, but i think he can put up really good offensive numbers. if i was a raptors fan, id hope for a much bigger positive impact from val then lopez gives you.

I alsohavent seen much of Val other then games he played vs the nets and knicks and the last month of this season, so my opinion of him is probably lower then most

[ATLTimekeeper]

JV missed some chip shots. He didn't get locked down or anything. A few respect whistles and he would've put up mid-20s in scoring. It's pretty clear through all the regular season games and game 1 that Plumlee can't handle him physically. But, I doubt he'll go to town all series. The Nets are too smart and will try and choke him off. The Raps will just counter with Hansbrough or Amir, both excellent offensive rebounders and both score in the paint at high efficiency. It's been like that all year. JV gets two bodies on him when the shot goes up, Amir sneaks in for the putback.

[DG88]

I see him as being someone just good enough to get snubbed from the all-star team. like a 16/10 guy with above average defense. i think he all suffers from lopez-itus, in that he just isnt consistently aggresive. he will do something crazy and you will be like WTF has that been??

I think close to lopez offensvely while not being as poor and limited on D as Brook is about right. i think whats key is can he become an elite role guy like a horford or will he be more of window dressing with gaudy numbers that dont have as big an impact as bbreference suggests?

Interesting because quite a few on the board believe he can have a Lopez type impact on offense. The defense is where it gets tricky, he's been better this year compare to last year. Still having a 16/10 C in your starting unit is huge for us moving forward as a team.

i think he will have a lopez type impact as well.... i just see that a whole lot closer to "pretty numbers with much lower impact then the stat sheet suggests" then i do elite role guy/legit 2nd option.

if you are going just by stats, im not sure i can see Val putting up 20 ppg on 57 TS% and a 25 PER, but i think he can put up really good offensive numbers. if i was a raptors fan, id hope for a much bigger positive impact from val then lopez gives you.

I alsohavent seen much of Val other then games he played vs the nets and knicks and the last month of this season, so my opinion of him is probably lower then most

The one thing he gives us is constant energy and activity. He really feeds off the emotions of the crowd and you saw that to start out Game 1. I think defensively is where most of us want to see growth. With Casey I think that will happen but it'll take time.

[Mugiwara]

@ Raps fans:

What are you guys expecting from DeRozan, not only for Game 2 but for the rest of the series?