Morning Coffee: November 26th Edition

The #RTZ Lookahead: Raptors Homestand Continues | Raptors.com

Brooklyn Nets’ Deron Williams, Brook Lopez out Tuesday vs. Raptors | ESPN New York

The Nets desperately need to get healthy. Coach Jason Kidd has had to use five different starting lineups. Joe Johnson is the only Net to have started every game. “Obviously we didn’t expect for Brook and Deron to be out together, two of our main pieces,” Johnson said. “Man, it’s definitely hurt us. But we’ve got to try to do something to get some wins before those guys get back. We can’t wait.”

Raptors not writing off slow-starting Nets | Toronto Sun

“Believe me, Brooklyn’s going to be OK. They’re going to bounce back. I don’t see anything that has anything to do with coaching. It’s just injuries right now, guys learning to play with each other, it’s only 13 games into the season,” Casey said after practice Monday. “I just hope they don’t get it together (Tuesday). They’re a dangerous team, they have veterans who have won multiple championships so you can’t sneeze at that. Everyone’s overreacting and coaching is the easiest target you can throw stuff at. It’s not coaching, Jason will be OK.”

Raptors Report Podcast: Importance of leading the Atlantic | TSN

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First-place Raps seem to be solving lineup issues | Sportsnet.ca

But lately, under the direction of point guard Kyle Lowry, the Raptors have started to show signs of a functional offence that actually shares the ball. The have had 20 or more assists in each of the last two wins, and Lowry in particular (although he would never admit it) seems to have heard the howls about his responsibility to run the team. In his last five games, he has had 43 assists with only seven turnovers, and he currently sits third in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio. There will always be questions about a coach and his rotations, but as a former bench boss once said: “A coach always has options and the only reason his options are questioned is because they don’t succeed. If the fan at home can see them, don’t you think an NBA coach can?”

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