Next 5 games...

[white men can't jump]

It's weird....he looks more mobile in his defensive stance, but feels slower from baseline to baseline. The former likely explained by increased familiarity with defensive responsibilities, rather than an actual uptick in quickness.

I haven't found him slower in any way. He is quicker in his defensive rotations, and has improved his burst and nimbleness on O. The defensive end stuff is definitely not just because of better awareness.

There are things he's done on both ends this year that he would've been too slow/clumsy to pull off last year.

[bryan colangelo]

I think you're mistaking 'friskiness' for mobility.

JV is actually learning how to move and defend more efficiently. In his first year he was like a slow version of what Bruno is now, all flailing arms and legs and reaching in instead of playing with his feet.

Bruno is getting way with a lot of bad mistakes on defense because of his hustle and athleticism, but I would be shocked if he could maintain his energy level for 30 NBA minutes right now. Bruno will eventually have to go through the same steps of learning how to defend smarter, not harder, that JV went/is-going through.

[Nilanka]

I haven't found him slower in any way. He is quicker in his defensive rotations, and has improved his burst and nimbleness on O. The defensive end stuff is definitely not just because of better awareness.

There are things he's done on both ends this year that he would've been too slow/clumsy to pull off last year.

I know he worked out with a sprinting coach during the summer, but I don't know what it is. He doesn't beat anyone up the floor like he used to, but has been burned a few times instead.

He just looks slow to me. It could be the long, deliberate strides that creates an illusion.

[bryan colangelo]

I know he worked out with a sprinting coach during the summer, but I don't know what it is. He doesn't beat anyone up the floor like he used to, but has been burned a few times instead.

He just looks slow to me. It could be the long, deliberate strides that creates an illusion.

Like I mention above, I think that's on purpose. They're trying to get him to play smarter, not faster, so he can play for longer stretches. Dude's a big guy. He's not built for running around all the time.

[white men can't jump]

I know he worked out with a sprinting coach during the summer, but I don't know what it is. He doesn't beat anyone up the floor like he used to, but has been burned a few times instead.

He just looks slow to me. It could be the long, deliberate strides that creates an illusion.

I don't know. You see things differently than I do.

Running up on O, I feel like he's just not wasting energy as much. How many times did he sprint up the floor last year to try and get position, and not end up getting the ball? Sometimes even with another guy taking a quick shot as soon as he got up the floor and he had to turn and sprint back. That is a lot of wasted energy for nothing. Think he's just picking his moments more this year.

On D, I feel like many of the times he gets burned isn't because he isn't running back fast, but because he gets caught at the back of the play, especially when he's crashing the glass.

[Nilanka]

Like I mention above, I think that's on purpose. They're trying to get him to play smarter, not faster, so he can play for longer stretches. Dude's a big guy. He's not built for running around all the time.

I trust your ability to detect snails on the court, based on your Kapono, O'Neal, and Turkoglu transactions.

[planetmars]

He looks more mobile this year than last year. And last year he did cover Randolph.

I feel like he's lost another step (in his mobility).. but maybe its just me. I can see him guarding Randolph again but I can also see him doing a good job on Gasol.

[bryan colangelo]

I trust your ability to detect snails on the court, based on your Kapono, O'Neal, and Turkoglu transactions.

WHAT!?!?!?! Turkoglu was the final piece!!!!!!!

[DanH]

Conundrum: Both teams, each game, with Rudy Gay & without Rudy Gay. Upcoming game ...neither has Rudy Gay.

Fair contest? Result in doubt?

You're a year late on that one. In the first we had Rudy, in the second neither team did.

[WhatRhymesWithCash]

Memphis: tough one, but I say we win since we usually do good against them and the team is gonna have a sense of urgency after the disastrous second half against the last elite team we played.

Milawaukee: win. By 20. Don't know why y'all are stressing that one. We beat them by 30 last year and they only got slightly better because of Jabari and po.

Cleveland: Probably a loss. Hope I'm wrong, but we have never beat a team with Lebron before so I have my doubts. We'll score like 110 tho cuz their defense sucks.

Phoenix: Toss up. We definitely could beat them but their speed and small ball gives us fits.

Atlanta: Win unless the boys get lazy.

Best case scenario: 4-1 (maybe 5-0 but that's pretty extreme)

Worst case scenario: 2-3

[Since Day 1]

I know the players as much as you do unless you are an NBA scout in which case I bow down to you.

I am aware we have good players and are good enough to win 50 games this season based on our start to this season.

My post was more in the line of how good are we against good/better opponents which we clearly don't know this season since we stunk 2 out of 3 games against good/better opponents. (Considering that's what this thread is about)

I am also aware that regular season success may not always translate better into post season.

2013 Denver Nuggets 57wins first round exit.

I am trying to say the next 5 games will solidify our status as a good team if we manage to get 3 out of 5 games or more.

Ok, I see what your saying.

I just want to remind everyone that last year the Spurs lost 7 games to elite competition early in the season. 2 to OKC, 2 to Houston, 1 to Portland, Indiana and the Clippers and we all know how they finished the season.

This is why Masai is so patient. It takes a long time to evaluate. A lot of people on this site start talking trades after we have one bad game and it makes me laugh.

[Shirokin]

I know the players as much as you do unless you are an NBA scout in which case I bow down to you.

I am aware we have good players and are good enough to win 50 games this season based on our start to this season.

My post was more in the line of how good are we against good/better opponents which we clearly don't know this season since we stunk 2 out of 3 games against good/better opponents. (Considering that's what this thread is about)

I am also aware that regular season success may not always translate better into post season.

2013 Denver Nuggets 57wins first round exit.

I am trying to say the next 5 games will solidify our status as a good team if we manage to get 3 out of 5 games or more.

That 57 win Denver team lost Masai though. (and Iggy may have betrayed them in the playoffs lol)

Edit: I read your post wrong, my bad. Thought you were saying Denver went from 57 wins to a lottery team.

[Nilanka]

Ok, I see what your saying.

I just want to remind everyone that last year the Spurs lost 7 games to elite competition early in the season. 2 to OKC, 2 to Houston, 1 to Portland, Indiana and the Clippers and we all know how they finished the season.

This is why Masai is so patient. It takes a long time to evaluate. A lot of people on this site start talking trades after we have one bad game and it makes me laugh.

There's a fine line between patience and stagnation

[iblastoff]

Ok, I see what your saying.

I just want to remind everyone that last year the Spurs lost 7 games to elite competition early in the season. 2 to OKC, 2 to Houston, 1 to Portland, Indiana and the Clippers and we all know how they finished the season.

This is why Masai is so patient. It takes a long time to evaluate. A lot of people on this site start talking trades after we have one bad game and it makes me laugh.

sorry but to try and compare the spurs with the raptors as if we have anything in common besides being 2 nba teams is just ludicrous. we are nothing like the spurs. we dont play like the spurs. we certainly aren't coached like the spurs. their 2013-2014 season start has absolutely nothing to do with us. spurs weren't in the process of 'evaluating'. regardless of how they started, they have championship pedigree and continuity in their lineup and have had so for years and years. we don't.

you're saying it takes a long time to evaluate but you've also said you knew this team was good before the season even started??

[Fully]

sorry but to try and compare the spurs with the raptors as if we have anything in common besides being 2 nba teams is just ludicrous. we are nothing like the spurs. we dont play like the spurs. we certainly aren't coached like the spurs. their 2013-2014 season start has absolutely nothing to do with us. spurs weren't in the process of 'evaluating'. regardless of how they started, they have championship pedigree and continuity in their lineup and have had so for years and years. we don't.

you're saying it takes a long time to evaluate but you've also said you knew this team was good before the season even started??

I don't think he's really comparing the two organizations as much as he's trying to make the point that perspective is important over the course of an 82 game season. We don't have to treat every loss, especially those ones to the really good teams in the NBA like the Bulls or Memphis, as a massive indictment of this basketball team. At least that's how I read it.

Good teams are going to lose to other good teams often. Hell, good teams are going to lose to bad teams more often than they technically should. I know this whole success thing is new for us Raptor fans, but if we're serious about turning the corner into one of the sounder franchises in this league than we can do our part too by not flying off the handles every time we drop a game.

And it seems like some posters who aren't that high on the team want it both ways: they downplay the 8-2 record because they haven't beaten anyone good yet but then have no problem blasting the players and coach when they lose to a team like the Bulls, even though the Raptors shouldn't have been able to beat them anyway according to them.