The Raptors should be an example to us of how to build a better team

We had those three but no Nurk. Nurk is the difference between a sweep and a championship right? So we weren't worse off with Nurkic last year, compared to not having him this year but having Hood, Curry, and Kanter instead. That's your logic.

Another thing I take from this is that you dont think losing Nurkic was a major source of motivation and inspiration for the team.

You're the one trying to talk in hypotheticals.

But fine, I'll play along. If Nurk played, we wouldve swept the playoffs, and Terry is the greatest coach ever. Go team!

 

next season's playoffs are a pipe dream at this point...we don't even know what other rosters are going to look like in the west or even ours...I know we keep improving and at the start of last season I said I'd be thrilled if we got to the WCF and we did....now a lot of folks seem to be trying to water that success down with buzzkill in my view...start of last season I doubt anyone here anticipated Kanter and Hood on the team. I expect change again next year...Stotts though has my support. I'm impressed with what he's accomplished.

 

How can you ask or answer the first question when your second statement is an unknown????

Nate you know the roster isn't set yet....yes things look to be going a certain way but there ARE move that can be made. Why nit ask thst question once the roster is set for the season? And even then trade deadline moves might affect the question. The guys you mentioned? Two came in the middle of the season last year. Something like that might happen this year too.

Keep in mind starting last year (the year we made the wcf) we didn't have Kanter or hood either right?

 

To piggyback on this ^, next year, the Warriors' roster might not include Durant, Boogie or Klay Thompson. Igoudala will be a year older. It's not like everyone is going to get better and the Blazers get worse. There might be more of a pack next year.

 

This is just not true.

Being able to beat traps requires a different strategy than the wash/rinse/repeat of Pick and Roll with Dame and a big. THAT'S when the traps happen (also the repeated dribble hand offs).

To avoid the traps a different approach is needed. One where you pass to the big in the high post and then cut.

This never happened.

 

This is the only one of those I do. Take the #25. I'm keeping Simons.

 

Well, that last part is certainly true, but it’s also true that once a trap has been employed by the defense, being able to pass out of it to other guys who are open who can actually hit a shot is a pretty effective deterrent to trapping to begin with. The Blazers need more shooters, particularly at the forward spots.

 

Sigh...

If you play the high post and cut, then the trap never happens....

 

No need to sigh, I hear you. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, but once in awhile things don’t go as planned. If the post guy isn’t in a position to receive a clean pass, is it better to have other good shooters or poor ones to pass to? That’s all I’m saying.

 

One thing I have been impressed with the Raptors is that they seem to always get the shots they actually want. They are disciplined in their execution. Players know exactly where to be, although many of them aren't veterans (Siakam, VanFleet), ...
Maybe if you have been playing for 4+ years for the same coach, then you finally figure it out. Is it safe to say that Dame, ML, CJ, Moe and Chief have been on the team something like 4 years?

 

Effective pre-play motion should always be able to free up a high post entry. If not, theres many other kinds of motions that can be run other than high pick n roll. The Warriors started effectively scoring agaimst our trap with Iggy and Draymond as forwards, who are worse shooters than Moe and Aminu. Thats why I wont buy the forwards excuse. It can be gameplanned for.

 

The real problem with Moe and Aminu is they are bad at putting the ball on the floor and making decisions off the dribble. If they get the ball and a shot isnt immediately available they end up just kind of doing nothing...

 

Aminu isn't though. He improved a lot this year. Hes not Iggy or Draymond good but still... Get those guys slashing and to the rim. Create gravity on their cuts by freeing them up enough im creative structure, or by coaching guys how to properly freelance. Use that gravity to create other things on the floor putting other players in positions of strength that they can score out of.

 

Aminu got better at dribbling, but it seemed like if he put the ball down he didn't pass much out of it.

 

Kanter was non existent after the OKC series.

 

I don't know if I'd say that.... but his play was drastically impacted by his shoulder and by Ramadan.

 

I tend to over exaggerate... After dunking against Denver he was seriously impacted. Could have really used his low post scoring against Golden State.

 

Called it.

 

That the best team in the East would win a chip after adding the best player in the NBA? Big Ups

 

I am super happy that the Raptors won but it takes a lot of luck to beat GS. They got all the luck they needed (and it was a lot). Both teams at full-strength and the Warriors win the series easily.

So yes the gamble paid off for them. And yes we should take a chance if we can. But no that doesn't mean the gamble will pay off for us. In fact it is very unlikely that we get all the breaks that they needed to win.