Optimist Prime

Re: the JI stuff. Oladipo is sitting out too because of his injury. I think we need to consider going from zero to game action and the strain that puts on players’ bodies regardless of injury. the reason teams have training camp and preseason is in large part in order to slowly work the players into form for the long grind of games and then the extra gear of playoffs. JI coming back for an immediate jump to game action and only eight games before going to the playoffs is risky. Him having an injury just compounds it. However serious the injury was at first, it makes sense to hold out due to the shock on the body of going from the regular home workouts to the intensity of actual NBA basketball.

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With the development of Gordon as a playmaker and rise of Fultz as a ball dominant lead guard, something’s gotta give.

Fournier our and Iwundu in might be an accidental fortune. I wonder how it affects things.

Was just looking at Kobe's stats on Basketball Reference, and realized that we might have come up against the best statistical postseason of his career in the 2009 Finals.

We have a JI.

Is it sad I would overpay first JJ just to keep his playoff streak alive?

Not if they’re asking for Meer.

It’s also a bad look to the young guys if we dump a committed player after one down season.

He’s probably right, but not for the reason he thinks.

is this a thing?

They were the good guys. No one wants to be seen as the team of five top-talent NBA players that Lebron can beat by himself.

Fournier did it a few times over a short stretch in the third off Green, which may or may not have been part of their run. Lowry and Gasol got some looks that way as well.

Toronto had 58 wins, of course they’re better. Marc Gasol’s game ages well because he plays on the ground. Let’s not act like him being 34 matters at this point, with player careers extending across the board. They also doubled down low a lot and we missed open threes. We could have folded after going down almost 20 points in the 4th, but didn’t. Fournier missed big shots. Isaac missed open shots. Too many drives ended in kick outs that could have been layups or drawn fouls. Vuc was passive for most of the game. Guys overhelped a lot, giving up open threes. These are all bad things, but the point is that this was a close game. It’s not over. We are the worse team, so our mistakes make a bigger difference than theirs. That doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. Appreciate the heart and hustle. Wait until the offseason to worry about changing the team. Until then, enjoy the games.

It’s still not over though. That’s the point. We let them go on a huge run in the 3rd, clawed our way back, and were one rebound away from possibly sending it to OT after we were down like 17 in the 4th.