Lugan Village

Nurses/Raptors defensive system is they iso the player that they think can hurt them the most...double team, take away the side the player likes to drive, thjey know JV feasts down low and didnt give him that opportunity, leave the 3 open for those players that are not good shooters and take their chances...it wasn't Gasol, it's their team D...they obviously took their chances with brooks, and it kinda worked for them wouldn't you say? We didn't adjust, and Brooks **** the bed again...

Gasol neutralizing JV? JV isn't getting any touches down low, and Dillon has no visibility of JV or any big man we have. I've said it before, there isn't a shot that Brooks hasn't liked...embarrassing that he largely contributed to this loss...why doesn't jenkins sit him? I don't understand.

thankfully we have an easy next game...oh its OK, i meant the next one...Toronto? Ok how about the one after that? Boston, ok forget that one..surely the next one? Bucks...that's it that the one we will win to stop the loosing... Jenkins, Dillon, our Mascot, Pranica, and then JV in that order are the problems...where do u start?

@ work so just following gamecast....it seemed the game totally changed when Jenkins went to the bench with 5 or 6 minutes left in 2nd? Then he brought back Clarke and JV...but flow/shots/rhythm just didn't? What am i missing here?

Not one of you/us has mentioned our defensive breakdowns and what appears to be a lack of commitment to shut down key players at the right times in a game. Show some different looks, schemes..nothing that i can see out there is different or new. Interesting of the top 4 teams, Toronto likely has the least stars/skilled players yet all 5 starters are in top 25 DEF WS...

Year 2 chapter now closed on JJJ. Disappointing finish as he appeared to be hitting a new level of play and comfort level. There are stretches of a game where he shows incredible skills, basketball IQ and dominance....but is this enough? Is he injury prone? Is he showing enough to be our 1A franchise player with JA? Is he coachable enough to change his stupid foul tendencies? Is he a 5 and can he get to 10 rebounds a game? Is he consistent game in and game out, the best players do. After 2 years of watching him, where is his real ceiling? Some facts; Played 58 games in year 1, 57 games in year 2 FG% dropped from 51 to 47% Rebounding flat at 3.4 to 3.6 / game Fouls 3.8 to 4.1 /game in year 2 PER ranks him at 91st in league...hmmm

Yes teams have adjusted after scouting us numerous times or by playing us...that is expected. Up to March we've made adjustments on schemes, rotations, how we defend on pick & rolls, JV and JJJ have adjusted their angles, traps and on and on. We But we seem to have parked those learning's and Jenkins appears to be coaching and adjusting from an old point of reference. I don't agree at all that JV or Anderson havn;t adjusted their games...these guys are in our main mix and eating minutes...these are not your 10th men... This season is not over...arent we still in a playoff spot? We need a win badly...the effort is there, the BB IQ is currently lacking, Jenkins needs to step up his gameplan, and I don't accept the rationale he is a rookie coach so rookie mistakes...this is not the try league.

Jenkins has to stop his experimentation with rotations and minutes, were healthy...go back to what worked...and if we think he is soft on refs and doesn't let them know on a bad call...you think the refs don;t know it as well? Get a T, get tossed, let our guys know you got their backs...

You've given this some good perspective. a few added thoughts are ... Portland is not anywhere an upper tier team, and yet we managed to lose one that we should have won. Carmelo delivered and down the stretch we just didnt play smart ball. But he wasn't the only one for Portland that knew how to turn this into a W. Although the refs were awful, and it disrupted the schemes and matchups for both...but we had more significantly more FT's. We didnt play 60. Id rather see Brandon overacheive at the 6 position, against Portland he shined. But not sustainable against better players. I maintain that JV playing 25-30 in the first rotation adds a lot of physicality that we missed today. One game isn't a trend, let's go back to our game and our rhythm...I hate to say anytime the next game is a must win...but its pretty important..remember this year is not the year...but lets get all we can from this ride and benefit from the experience...just win.

they had Jaren playing the 5 in plenty of situations this season...and when against the top half of them got into foul trouble, showed little physicality...it isnt pretty. Maybe it will develop, but this scenario doesnt work for me. And Clarke is a number 6... you can experiment bringing in Jonas off the bench...but why given what he brings...

I didn;t watch any of or see the scrimmage results/stats until today with Chips numbers...I didnt see any reference to JV's play...So i assumed he was hurt, or played marginal, or something....but but these numbers i guess he is showing OK? Solid? How did he do toady vs Miami?

I think JA and JJJ are ranked OK given JA has not even completed a full year, and JJJ has had ups and downs and a few injuries that has taken him out for stretches. The team needs to make the playoffs and show better in next ranking....I initially thought the same of JV's ranking, about right...until i looked at the players ranked ahead of him...data doesn't lie, and JV has outperformed a lot of these guys, and especially in game matchups....

The bench will be shortened for playoffs. I don't see above distribution happening. For Ja, the break was so long that he should be managed like a 2nd year player, and you know he has been watching video. 34 +...JJJ, the time off should have allowed him to heal, and I see his minutes at 30+...Too many guys that bring the same type of game getting minutes during season, that will change in playoffs...like Tyus, Melton, Grayson, winslow, slo mo...pick two and ride them...JV, is about right at 27...don't over worry about match-up in playoffs with him, he has always excelled with Raptors in the post season...

yep

the games which I saw him play in person, I just can't recall anything memorable from Miami...maybe too much Dwayne focused...BUT I agree that were invested in him, i like his upside, let's see how he plays out after getting a good sample of games, but he needs to play and see how he mixes in with starting 5.