2015/16 Toronto Raptors Season Thread !!

[gfelover]

toronto wins

And the biggest benefactor are all of us on this board as.......

If they don't win the series, my Raptor girl sig pic is over!! That's right, gfelover, so they'd better get it together!

.....that threat is now over!

As CTOG said, thank god it's only a 48 minute game! Again the better team won but boy they made it tough on themselves. Best line I heard was how they got the whole friggin' zoo off their backs! Now that's out of their way, let's hope they can go back to balling like they can. The Heat will be tough with vets like Wade and JJ and Whiteside to boot. It'll be another doozy and now we know how, let's close these guys out and let's start with two here right off the bat!! Let's go Raptors!!!

 

[smuddan]

Joseph, Biyombo and Powell were the difference makers in this series. They play with heart and grit that you don't find in Ross. I especially like how Powell approaches the game. He said after the win that he's going to start looking at who's his next matchup on the Heat team.

 

[friendz4evr]

Joseph, Biyombo and Powell were the difference makers in this series. They play with heart and grit that you don't find in Ross. I especially like how Powell approaches the game. He said after the win that he's going to start looking at who's his next matchup on the Heat team.

Bench was the difference maker and will be again against the Heat. As good as DWade is, he'll be easier to defend compared to Paul George. Lowry's struggles shooting the ball is due to bursitis in his right elbow; don't know when he'll regain his shooting touch but nothing wrong with his playmaking. Thank God for Cory Joseph.

 

[whynot888]

I wished masai couldve saw powell play earlier in the season, maybe then he wouldnt of paid ross that extentsion. Too me he is the odd man out.

 

[smuddan]

Bench was the difference maker and will be again against the Heat. As good as DWade is, he'll be easier to defend compared to Paul George. Lowry's struggles shooting the ball is due to bursitis in his right elbow; don't know when he'll regain his shooting touch but nothing wrong with his playmaking. Thank God for Cory Joseph.

I avoided using the word "bench" because that would include Ross.

 

[thewalker]

yeahhhhh!!! Second round!!!

gfelover, she is here to stay no matter what happens in this round.

This team nearly gave me a coronary in the 4th quarter though, holy cow, what the hell was that, close it out like a good team already would you? jesus.

I don't think they're winning this series, BTW, I don't see how Lowry is going to get better if he is in fact injured and Miami is really good! D-Wade eats Raptors for breakfast he has his whole career!!

But I guess we'll see what happens!

 

[mynameisearl11]

I avoided using the word "bench" because that would include Ross.

Hopefully,different series different player..in Ross we trust! He is a 10mil dollars man for god's sake!:frusty:

 

[Big Papa Smurf]

Key to the Miami series:

1) JV hitting that 15-18 ft jumper to get Whiteside out of the paint on the pick-n-roll.

2) The Raps bench is significantly better. Ross and Patterson are going to have to hit timely threes, and Biyombo is going to have to be a beast inside.

3) Lowry is going to have to punish Dragic. He's the weak link in Miami's defense.

4) Run, run, and run. The Heat are old and have a short bench. Let's make fatigue a factor in this series.

 

[raptorizedguy]

Key to the Miami series:

1) JV hitting that 15-18 ft jumper to get Whiteside out of the paint on the pick-n-roll.

2) The Raps bench is significantly better. Ross and Patterson are going to have to hit timely threes, and Biyombo is going to have to be a beast inside.

3) Lowry is going to have to punish Dragic. He's the weak link in Miami's defense.

4) Run, run, and run. The Heat are old and have a short bench. Let's make fatigue a factor in this series.

One key is the ref's ... The whistle will be Heat happy just cause they are the Heat .... Also the Heat coach may have a slight edge over Cassey . Lets not forget Rap killer Joe Johnson is on the Heat now and you may think he is old but that is what we said about Pearce last year ...

This series is either going to go Raps at best in seven or Heat in the 4 or 5 ... The Heat showed when down 2-3 they have another gear ... As for the Raptors, is it just me or it seemed they didn't have another gear and it seems it was more that the Pacers self destructive at times

 

[ogibowt]

interesting that the betting line has the Raptors as fav.............seems Vegas has more faith in them than us..lol..

 

[teassoc]

Sitting through that painful fourth quarter I was left wondering whether the Pacers had stepped up their defence or whether the Raptors had taken fright at the prospect of winning a series. They were definitely left with taking a lot of off-balance and last second shots, that unsurprisingly failed to go in.

Up until about half way through that quarter they had been great.

 

[raptorizedguy]

Wow game 1 today ... I am still in 1st round mode

 

[Dawgger]

Key to the Miami series:

1) JV hitting that 15-18 ft jumper to get Whiteside out of the paint on the pick-n-roll.

2) The Raps bench is significantly better. Ross and Patterson are going to have to hit timely threes, and Biyombo is going to have to be a beast inside.

3) Lowry is going to have to punish Dragic. He's the weak link in Miami's defense.

4) Run, run, and run. The Heat are old and have a short bench. Let's make fatigue a factor in this series.

Agree with some of your keys. Think JV just has to be able to hit from about 10 feet to get Whiteside to move.
Ross: 1) I hope he doesn't get off the bench unless it is a blowout. He is too inconsistent in his shooting and a liability on D. Powell should back up Carroll/ DeRozan
I have concerns about Lowery, have a feeling we are not hearing the whole truth about the elbow. He maybe the weal link in Raps offence.
Raps bench has to show up big time! Really need them to score and play D.
Like your wear them down theory, they may be a little pooped after that Hornet series.

It is awesome to see the Raps in the second round. Go Raps!!!

 

[friendz4evr]

Sitting through that painful fourth quarter I was left wondering whether the Pacers had stepped up their defence or whether the Raptors had taken fright at the prospect of winning a series. They were definitely left with taking a lot of off-balance and last second shots, that unsurprisingly failed to go in.

Up until about half way through that quarter they had been great.

Basically, they were trying to milk the clock because of their double digit advantage. Very tempting to do but most times it does not work.

 

[gfelover]

yeahhhhh!!! Second round!!!

gfelover, she is here to stay no matter what happens in this round.

!

Grazie Mille, senti. !! One more reason that the season needs to be prolonged! BTW, is there a second round protocol to follow, having never been through this in recent memory!

BPS, Dawg your points are all on! As we head into this, though, if the men just play their games we are better than Miami. Use the fact that everyone in America is already touting a LBJ / Heat final as an event that is a given thing as inspiration where needed. But I think our Raps are ready to move on and up now. For me, defence on JJ and Deng will be the key. Secondary scoring like with the Pacers has to be controlled. Hope all the boys are rested and focused. Let's go Raps!!!

 

[whynot888]

Good points from most of you. Maybe the raps should play small and use our speed against them and think about playing patterson at the 5 for a few minutes to stretch the floor since whiteside only stays under the net. As for joe johnson, we got demarre on him. Miami is a good team but then again so are we. Just hope lowry starts to find his stroke this series because he is what we need to get to LBJ. (Dont think the hawks are going to beat them).

 

[raptorizedguy]

WTF is wrong with our all star PG ? If this isn't a injury then it is inexcusable ...

 

[wonkyknee]

Wow....last 3 NBA playoff games were crazy. Raptors win thenOKC with a crazy finish, then this OT with Miami!

 

[Big Papa Smurf]

A heart breaker, after Lowry hit that mid-court shot to tie it. Poor offensive execution in the fourth led to their downfall.

Lowry has to stop taking off balanced shots. Go in strong to the paint and shoot it. A miss is better than a mid-air pass that results in a turnover. He's got to get back to the basics of shooting. He's got to punish Dragic if the Raps are going to win this series.

 

[Dawgger]

WTF is wrong with our all star PG ? If this isn't a injury then it is inexcusable ...

There is something wrong, 1/7 from 3, the 1 he hit was from mid-court sending the game into OT. He never got to the line indicating he isn't going to the hoop. I still like his leadership out there but at this point you put your weakest defender on him. As a shooter he is a liability.
Raps bench should kick the snot out of the Heat's bench and they didn't. Biyombo MIA, Joseph pretty much the same.
On paper it looks like the Raps win easy, on hardwood it is another story.