Minnesota Sports Forum

BizarroJerry wrote:

crazy-canuck wrote:This nba finals preview is nuts.

Ah the Raptors will find a way to lose in the playoffs again.

New coach and Leonard if healthy is significantly better than any player they have ever had...also that Lebron guy is in the West.

The mirage that is the winning Sacramento Kings is rapidly disappearing...now in our rear-view mirror where they belong. I think the Clippers are the next mirage to begin disappearing.

monsterpile wrote:

BizarroJerry wrote:

crazy-canuck wrote:This nba finals preview is nuts.

Ah the Raptors will find a way to lose in the playoffs again.

New coach and Leonard if healthy is significantly better than any player they have ever had...also that Lebron guy is in the West.

Yep. Anything can happen... but using previous Raptors failures to make that assumption shouldn't apply too much here... for what monster said.

And consider this... the Raptors started 7 different players vs. the Cavs last year in the playoffs. Only two of them are starters on this year's squad. And one of them (Ibaka) while playing a different position. Pascal Siakam is looking legit... and is taking off. He's shooting 64% from the field for chrissakes... and remains an excellent defender.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

BizarroJerry wrote:

crazy-canuck wrote:This nba finals preview is nuts.

Ah the Raptors will find a way to lose in the playoffs again.

New coach and Leonard if healthy is significantly better than any player they have ever had...also that Lebron guy is in the West.

Yep. Anything can happen... but using previous Raptors failures to make that assumption shouldn't apply too much here... for what monster said.

And consider this... the Raptors started 7 different players vs. the Cavs last year in the playoffs. Only two of them are starters on this year's squad. And one of them (Ibaka) while playing a different position. Pascal Siakam is looking legit... and is taking off. He's shooting 64% from the field for chrissakes... and remains an excellent defender.

Good points Abe. I forgot to mention they also have Danny Green.

Having said all that the east likely has 4 legitimate teams that could end up in the finals. I'd bet on Boston eventually getting on track. Toronto has been terrific though and they are earning the right to be the favorite...at this point. However there is a lot of basketball left and some actual compelling East teams.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

BizarroJerry wrote:

crazy-canuck wrote:This nba finals preview is nuts.

Ah the Raptors will find a way to lose in the playoffs again.

New coach and Leonard if healthy is significantly better than any player they have ever had...also that Lebron guy is in the West.

Yep. Anything can happen... but using previous Raptors failures to make that assumption shouldn't apply too much here... for what monster said.

And consider this... the Raptors started 7 different players vs. the Cavs last year in the playoffs. Only two of them are starters on this year's squad. And one of them (Ibaka) while playing a different position. Pascal Siakam is looking legit... and is taking off. He's shooting 64% from the field for chrissakes... and remains an excellent defender.

I also like the creativity that Nurse shows in his rotations (Thibs, are you paying attention?). He has recognized what Casey didn't ...that Valanciunas was really hurting the team on defense against quicker teams. Jonas still starts and gets significant minutes against big center-centric teams like Memphis, but being relegated to the bench and less than 20 MPG makes them a much better defensive team.

Noah to the grizz.

longstrangetrip wrote:The mirage that is the winning Sacramento Kings is rapidly disappearing...now in our rear-view mirror where they belong. I think the Clippers are the next mirage to begin disappearing.

Gonna be interesting to see what happens with their coaching situation if they start the decline in the wins and losses column that we have expected.

crazy-canuck wrote:Noah to the grizz.

Seems like a fit.

I don't want to diminish the importance of the Wolves' 39 point victory over the Spurs, but SA losing at home tonight by 31 to the Rockets shows that something is seriously wrong in Pop-town.

longstrangetrip wrote:I don't want to diminish the importance of the Wolves' 39 point victory over the Spurs, but SA losing at home tonight by 31 to the Rockets shows that something is seriously wrong in Pop-town.

At some point even the Spurs can't overcome a lack of talent.