2018 Watch the Playoffs thread

[Mike1989 68]

2 hours ago, ~O~ said:

As for Toronto......the egg has been laid to rest.  This Toronto team shouldn't make it to the playoffs at all next year. They need to stop wasting peoples time and dismantle this team and their coaches.  Stop wasting years with this piece of **** core.  Trade them away so they can be BENCH..players or third strings as they should.  Goodbye Lowry.  Goodbye Derozan.  Goodbye Casey.  

 

Even with new acquisitions of star players, I don't think Toronto could ever mentally overcome LeBron James as an organization.  I think their fanbase is traumatized by this.  

I'd have to disagree with blowing up the Raptors...

First, they have been eliminated by LeBron James' Cavs team, no shame in that. The guy is one of the best of all time and his supporting cast has generally been pretty decent. Had they been beaten three times in the play offs by also fans, fair enough blow it up, but they have been beaten twice by the eventual finals team.

Second, if LeBron heads west that does change the outlook in the east and opens things up. I think he stays in Cleveland, but if he does go to the Lakers it leaves the east open for the taking.

Third, blowing it up brings no guarantee they will rebuild successfully. They could end up being stuck at the bottom like us or Sacramento (what's it been, a decade or more since they last made the play offs?). Even if they do rebuild and make it back to the play offs, there's no guarantee they'll be any better off. What if they get swept again by another title contender, blow it up and try again? 

The thing that the Raptors have going right now is that they are one of the best teams in the east making the play offs on a yearly basis. They will be there again next year. There's nothing wrong with being a perennial play off team. Sure you play to win and want that title but they've been beaten by the Cavs three times. That's like being in the western conference with the Warriors, they've beaten the Blazers, Rockets and Spurs twice within the last few seasons. They could end up beating the Rockets three times. What do those teams do, blow it up and start again because they can't beat the Warriors? I doubt it. They'll stick with what they've got, qualify for the play offs, and try again next year just like the Raptors. Teams don't generally blow up teams like the Raptors.

[Justin Jaudon 221]

4 hours ago, Mike1989 said:

I'd have to disagree with blowing up the Raptors...

First, they have been eliminated by LeBron James' Cavs team, no shame in that. The guy is one of the best of all time and his supporting cast has generally been pretty decent. Had they been beaten three times in the play offs by also fans, fair enough blow it up, but they have been beaten twice by the eventual finals team.

Second, if LeBron heads west that does change the outlook in the east and opens things up. I think he stays in Cleveland, but if he does go to the Lakers it leaves the east open for the taking.

Third, blowing it up brings no guarantee they will rebuild successfully. They could end up being stuck at the bottom like us or Sacramento (what's it been, a decade or more since they last made the play offs?). Even if they do rebuild and make it back to the play offs, there's no guarantee they'll be any better off. What if they get swept again by another title contender, blow it up and try again? 

The thing that the Raptors have going right now is that they are one of the best teams in the east making the play offs on a yearly basis. They will be there again next year. There's nothing wrong with being a perennial play off team. Sure you play to win and want that title but they've been beaten by the Cavs three times. That's like being in the western conference with the Warriors, they've beaten the Blazers, Rockets and Spurs twice within the last few seasons. They could end up beating the Rockets three times. What do those teams do, blow it up and start again because they can't beat the Warriors? I doubt it. They'll stick with what they've got, qualify for the play offs, and try again next year just like the Raptors. Teams don't generally blow up teams like the Raptors.

You only disagree because you're not woken like O is. You see, he perceives on a plane that we simple people cannot. To the unwoken eye, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan seem like perennial All-Stars, who have repeatedly failed against an all-time great player. But to those who have had the scales of this material world stripped from their eyes, they are clearly fringe NBA players, 3rd stringers who shouldn't get any time on any decent team; and that so-called all time great is merely a prop set up buy a corrupt NBA to lead you astray.

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,031]

The only Raptor I really like is CJ Miles. OG Anunoby is also good but I'm skeptical about his ceiling.

New Orleans might be better without Boogie so a sign-and-trade with the Raptors, suggested by Kevin O'Connor, could make some sense. Boogie for Miles and Valanciunas

New Orleans gets a terrific shooter and someone who's not 6'4'' to play SF, and a solid center who won't mind being benched when they have to play their crunch time lineup with Davis at the 5

[Odin 137]

6 hours ago, Mike1989 said:

I'd have to disagree with blowing up the Raptors...

First, they have been eliminated by LeBron James' Cavs team, no shame in that. The guy is one of the best of all time and his supporting cast has generally been pretty decent. Had they been beaten three times in the play offs by also fans, fair enough blow it up, but they have been beaten twice by the eventual finals team.

Second, if LeBron heads west that does change the outlook in the east and opens things up. I think he stays in Cleveland, but if he does go to the Lakers it leaves the east open for the taking.

Third, blowing it up brings no guarantee they will rebuild successfully. They could end up being stuck at the bottom like us or Sacramento (what's it been, a decade or more since they last made the play offs?). Even if they do rebuild and make it back to the play offs, there's no guarantee they'll be any better off. What if they get swept again by another title contender, blow it up and try again? 

The thing that the Raptors have going right now is that they are one of the best teams in the east making the play offs on a yearly basis. They will be there again next year. There's nothing wrong with being a perennial play off team. Sure you play to win and want that title but they've been beaten by the Cavs three times. That's like being in the western conference with the Warriors, they've beaten the Blazers, Rockets and Spurs twice within the last few seasons. They could end up beating the Rockets three times. What do those teams do, blow it up and start again because they can't beat the Warriors? I doubt it. They'll stick with what they've got, qualify for the play offs, and try again next year just like the Raptors. Teams don't generally blow up teams like the Raptors.

There absolutely is shame when this is the weakest the Cavs have been in years and the Pacers took them to 7 while outplaying the Cavs much of the first round. The Raptors couldn't take one single game in the last 8 played in the finals against the Cavs. That is pathetic.

[magicdoc1 261]

29 minutes ago, Mauro Pedrosa said:

The only Raptor I really like is CJ Miles. OG Anunoby is also good but I'm skeptical about his ceiling.

New Orleans might be better without Boogie so a sign-and-trade with the Raptors, suggested by Kevin O'Connor, could make some sense. Boogie for Miles and Valanciunas

New Orleans gets a terrific shooter and someone who's not 6'4'' to play SF, and a solid center who won't mind being benched when they have to play their crunch time lineup with Davis at the 5

I think a sign and trade for Vuch and Fournier might be a better option for them. :)

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Just now, magicdoc1 said:

I think a sign and trade for Vuch and Fournier might be a better option for them. :)

Bleh. You don't want cousins. He destroys morale. 

[magicdoc1 261]

9 minutes ago, ?4thewin said:

Bleh. You don't want cousins. He destroys morale. 

Maybe,  but I think the morale in non-existent at the moment.  I dont think It can’t be lower.

Maybe that is what we need. Someone that gets the guys going.  Someone who competes. I dont think He has had any issues with past teammates. His problems has been mainly with coaches. 

I dont know, it might not be a bad deal after-all, as long  as it is for  just 3 years and with a injury protection clause like Embiid has.

 

[jjgator 164]

13 minutes ago, magicdoc1 said:

Maybe,  but I think the morale in non-existent at the moment.  I dont think It can’t be lower.

Maybe that is what we need. Someone that gets the guys going.  Someone who competes. I dont think He has had any issues with past teammates. His problems has been mainly with coaches. 

I dont know, it might not be a bad deal after-all, as long  as it is for  just 3 years and with a injury protection clause like Embiid has.

 

If you think you don't think it can be lower, it can. This is true in any facet of life. There really is no such thing as rock bottom. Things can get worse, no matter how low you perceive them to be at the time. I don't think Cousins is what we need at all.

[magicdoc1 261]

11 minutes ago, jjgator said:

If you think you don't think it can be lower, it can. This is true in any facet of life. There really is no such thing as rock bottom. Things can get worse, no matter how low you perceive them to be at the time. I don't think Cousins is what we need at all.

I like the positivity here. 

I was just putting it out there. 

Do you rather have Vuch and Fournier in our roster again? or take a risk with Cousin? I take the risk as I already know how we are with Vuch and Fournier. 

I rather get picks for Vuch and Fournier without taking any other major salaries back but that will never happen.

[The Neighborhood Bully 266]

16 minutes ago, magicdoc1 said:

I like the positivity here. 

I was just putting it out there. 

Do you rather have Vuch and Fournier in our roster again? or take a risk with Cousin? I take the risk as I already know how we are with Vuch and Fournier. 

I rather get picks for Vuch and Fournier without taking any other major salaries back but that will never happen.

Quote

Cousins didn't suffer a regular injury. He suffered perhaps the most devastating injury that can befall a basketball player. As Kevin Pelton has written often, the recovery track record is discouraging -- if a little scattershot. The sample size of players as large as Cousins who have come back to full strength from an Achilles rupture is practically nonexistent. Cousins' conditioning has sometimes been an issue, and it cannot be for any player rallying from this injury.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23297808/zach-lowe-anthony-davis-demarcus-cousins-new-orleans-pelicans-nba-playoffs

[magicdoc1 261]

5 minutes ago, The Neighborhood Bully said:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23297808/zach-lowe-anthony-davis-demarcus-cousins-new-orleans-pelicans-nba-playoffs

Yea and he suffered the injury on his good achilles. The other side is the one he has had trouble in the past. 

Maybe he is not a good option after all but I still take the risk. 

[A Better DJ & Photographer 456]

28 minutes ago, magicdoc1 said:

Yea and he suffered the injury on his good achilles. The other side is the one he has had trouble in the past. 

Maybe he is not a good option after all but I still take the risk. 

I would hope that we all learned a lesson with Grant Hill that signing, drafting, or trading for a severely injured player is VERY high risk. I'd rather trade Vuc for a pack of gum than a severely injured player.