PG: Wasted a Miracle

[sule]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727716410718334976[/tweet]

That's nice. But as bad as his shots have been (and they've been bad), that isn't even the part of his play that's killing this team.

Plus, if his elbow is as injured as others keep repeating it is (i have my doubts), then the best thing for him and the team is to ice it and rest it, not stress it more with more mechanical movements.

[720]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727716410718334976[/tweet]

Nice to see him trying to break his funk. This has to help.

[TheRealDeal]

Now name the best player on those other 22 teams, and tell me who you think could potentially perform worse than Lowry?

How many of those teams could've advanced if their best played played as bad as Lowry?

Chicago.

The Bulls didn't even make the playoffs because their best player was dealing with a knee injury down the stretch.

[Drop Shot]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727716410718334976[/tweet]

He should take them at game speed because the way he shoots them in that video is not the same as he does in the game.

[goodboy]

Miami fans are so arrogant and petty. Will be nice to see their reactions after we win the next game.

Tell me about it man. Then there are those who claim they are still Heat fans after Lebron left them

Actually more have joined up after LBJ left lol. Srs.

[Drop Shot]

Miami fans are so arrogant and petty. Will be nice to see their reactions after we win the next game.

Tell me about it man. Then there are those who claim they are still Heat fans after Lebron left them

I can vouch for 99% of the Heat board posters by saying they were around all of last year when we weren't in the playoffs and LeBron left. I really don't think we have fans just jumping the wagon now, and why should there be? Golden State and San Antonio are safe bets if you wanted that.

Not even talking about RealGM, although I did glance at the General Board and man those guys were arrogant af.

[Potential]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/tdot195/status/727711609943003136[/tweet]

[tms]

i think ppl, including myself are just mad that Powell sht the bed tonight

[dekobedeharden]

Our offense is pretty much the same as the Spurs. Alot of off-ball screen and ball-screens. The difference is when our players catch the ball after an off-ball screen they don't attack-they back up and isolate. Casey's offense is fine, it's just our players refuse to utilize it.

Oh my God please stop I can't take it

We run the same sets for our guards as the Spurs. Not sure what's so funny. Watch the Spurs. It's clear that our coaches have tried to replicate their style of play with constant off-ball screen and dribble hand offs. Our team's offense wouldn't be any better with another coach because of our player's egos. Keep in mind the only reason we won that series against the Pacers is because of our team defense, which I assume is a result of DC's coaching.

it's okay man you don't have to explain it to him, half the board doesn't even watch games. The only issue we are having is noone is attacking off the catch which is what the spurs do. we run pin downs, screening off ball, screening on ball, handoffs etc but noone uses these to their advantage

[shotcaller09]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/johnschuhmann/status/727709123886854149[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727715787222482944[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727716410718334976[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727718140008906752[/tweet]

You gotta root for this guy, im positive he will snap out of it. This is our team, no finger pointing!

[jyeezy]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727716410718334976[/tweet]

Man he's taking a long look in the mirror. He knows he sucks right now and it's a huge mental road block that he must overcome.

Also, rebounding his own shots lol I don't think he has done this many times as a professional

[Shimso]

Just got back from the game again. Another totally screwed up, crazy, ridiculous game, that we absolutely didn't deserve to win, but should have anyway. How are you going to blow a chance to enter Raptors lore forever by not completing the victory? I'm totally spent from that game, but here are my general observations...

1. The crowd sucked hard to start. It was half empty at the beginning from all the scalpers desperately trying to sell tickets below face. You could tell something wasn't right when the ticket prices fell by 50% on the day of and you could get into the lower bowl for low $100s. It was reflected in the crowd. I felt it myself too - like a feeling of not really being as obsessed with the result of this game as I was for any game against Indy. It's almost like we got our first round trophy and now whatever. Ridiculous, but that's the sense I get right now.

2. The ending. Holy hell - I was really disappointed and unhappy with the game up until then (more on that below), and we still lost, but I'll remember that moment forever. Hitting a halfcourt 3 in a half empty arena that cause pandemonium was just unforgettable. Everyone there was jumping up and down like we had won the championship.

3. Now... despite that... everything else was just hard to watch about this game. Both teams were asleep, and the offense was pathetic on both sides. It was a totally winnable game given how badly Miami played, and we choked it away. Our offense was just unwatchable at times. I don't understand some of the lineups - when we didn't have JV or DeRozan on the floor, it felt like we could get nothing going, even though Miami's defense isn't good. And YES I'm so sick of DeMar's end of quarter shots (which includes OT tonight) - he's 0/a billion and it HAS TO STOP.

4. But my biggest takeaway of all is that Lowry is hurting this team right now. He's an absolute liability and MUST sit. I don't care if he starts, but once it's obvious he doesn't have it, we are playing 4 on 5 out there offensively and it's ridiculous. I don't care if he makes the hail mary shot - if Ross, who had actually been playing well, was in the game instead of him in the 4th, maybe we win. Because when we were down 6 points, you NEED shooters out there. And we had really one legitimate 3 point shooter (Carroll). Lowry cannot hit the side of a barn and Ross should've been in.

I don't know what else to say, but watching Lowry right now is heartbreaking given everything he's done all year. We can't hide behind him saying he's just playing badly. He can't score and when I see him out there I know we're worse off. You will not be able to convince me that playing Delon Wright, or anyone at this point, isn't better for the team. If he has to be shut down for a week just to get inflammation down or something, DO IT. We can't continue to cost ourselves games while allowing him to try and shoot his way out of an injury.

5. Last comment. Miami isn't that good. Yeah, Wade still has major clutch genes, but they proved to me tonight that we can absolutely beat them. I called Raps in 7, and I'm still feeling wobbly about it, but it's certainly doable. Just need to win game 2 to take the pressure off. Like Indiana, they cannot stop JV and our series will begin and end with him.

Yeah, following the pricing on stubhub was bizarre....I almost got a ticket for $50 but was too slow. I ended up paying about 55% of face value for my upper bowl ticket. And I was surrounded by two dumbasses more pre-occupied with getting free t-shirts than anything else.

Most regular season games I've been too had a more packed opening than this did - it felt like it wasn't even 1/3 full for the anthems. And a lot of the questionable calls that got replays on the jumbotron rarely got much of a reaction from the crowd - there should've been a lot more boos & bull chants IMO.

And after the crowd started leaving in the 4th when it seemed like the game was over, the arena seemed to get a lot louder. That buzzer beater was awesome - it gave me so much hope that we could not go scoreless for the first 3 minutes of overtime and use the momentum to win...

I know its not that simple but I'm fixated on how they shot such a high percentage from 3 (higher than FT if I'm not mistaken and almost as many attempts....) and how prior to that last minute of regulation we shot soooooo poorly from the 3 while taking more attempts.

[Northface82]

Spoiler:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/johnschuhmann/status/727709123886854149[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727715787222482944[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727716410718334976[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/727718140008906752[/tweet]

You gotta root for this guy, im positive he will snap out of it. This is our team, no finger pointing!

He's beating himself up over tonight's loss.
(rightfully so, tonight was the absolute worst performance by him yet)

At this point its all mental toughness.
Find yourself, my man, before its too late.

[6ixSideSniper]

DeRozan was not the problem tonight. He came to ball, but he can only do so much when he's the only one able to create shots. Lowry is no longer a threat from outside the paint and draws no attention at all.

We've seen this in the regular season when Lowry was out and didn't have his shooting, teams just collapse on DeRozan and we have no way of creating offense because we don't have enough shooters.

Lowry was a huge offensive liability the whole game, with him and Bismack together we were playing 3 on 8 offensively, and unless those 3 are Curry, LeBron and Jesus Christ, we weren't going to win.

[Scott Hall]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ReggieMillerTNT/status/727687078696263680[/tweet]

[Macho]

That video is heartbreaking man, he's desperate to get his shot back.

I can never hate that man.

[Northface82]

Out of all the loses yet, tonight got to me the most.
I dont even want to point fingers and pinpoint the problem -- we all know what the issues are.

Its just I'm so sick and tired of being let down, man.
If Raptors dont figure themselves out... some dark times may lie ahead.

[720]

Man, lowry was playing like a superstar this season. He was carrying this team so much all season and now he's **** the bed in the most crucial moment the year.

[Clutch Carter]

I wonder what would have happened if we traded DD instead of Gay. MVP Lowry and Gay > MVP Lowry and DD? I think so.

[Steelo Green]

Heartbreaking to see that from Kyle. He straight up said he's playing like **** and passing up looks and he's shot.

It's been 8 games however, I don't really know if anyone really can believe he will turn a corner at this point.