Game #20: Cleveland Cavaliers 105 - Toronto Raptors 91

[Uncle_Si]

Can someone explain to me why this is not national US TV game tonight? Philly vs OKC...really?

Actually I can. Heard on SiriusXM today that the reason the raps aren't nationally televised much for their home games is because the ratings from Canada don't count for Espn/nba tv because they can't quantify the viewership which makes it impossible for them to sell advertisers using actual data.

[Uncle_Si]

The Cav's DRtg is 16th in the league. They're an average defensive team.

Incidentally, the Raps are now 15th in the league by DRtg. They gotta pick that up.

Raps have slacked on D but that's not a personnel/schemes issue. In Cleveland it is. I don't understand where Cleveland is athletic?

Marion isn't anymore
Kyrie will never be a good defender
Kevin Love is anti athletic
Varejao is not athletic
Thompson is a bouncy energy guy but I don't know if you'd consider him athletic
Miller is definitely not athletic

So Mediumcore, where are these athletic and defensive stalwarts you're referring to?

Please don't say Dion...

[Raptor Jesus]

We comin' for you Lebron!!

Co signed

[Day One]

[QUOTE=OldSkoolCool;392925]meh, I would be ok if Kyrie did the same against us. Dude is a stud tank commander. We are talking elite Rudy Gay-level tank skills.

No that isn't the beer talking, the Cavs will be relevant when they trade Kyrie, not before


I really really really hope they dont trade him, if they do that could be the worst thing to happen for us. imagine ronda distributing the ball on that team. That shits scary to think about. #welovekyrie #keepkyrieincleveland lol

[Day One]

This is a huge game for both teams. Cav's are starting to put wins together and Kyrie is scoring with ease right now. Cav's knock of the top dog in the East and all the hype surrounding that team returns and media will be talking about how Raptors were never a real contender.

Cleveland can hype themselves up all they want but unless the get a point gaurd before tip off tonight and learn how to play basketball together they will not have a chance to win this game, basketball is a game of runs so i wont be surprised at all to see them up double digits, point swings happen in most games no need to worry if it happens. I for one love games like the one we have ahead of us tonight because I'm not betting on money line or point spread rather I'm going to wait till raps are down about 10 plus points in the first and then I will put $1000 down on them to win. I love live betting haha ....... ohhhhh yeah and FUCK CLEVELAND

[Mediumcore]

Raps have slacked on D but that's not a personnel/schemes issue. In Cleveland it is. I don't understand where Cleveland is athletic?

Marion isn't anymore
Kyrie will never be a good defender
Kevin Love is anti athletic
Varejao is not athletic
Thompson is a bouncy energy guy but I don't know if you'd consider him athletic
Miller is definitely not athletic

So Mediumcore, where are these athletic and defensive stalwarts you're referring to?

Please don't say Dion...

As I've said, I think there is great potential for them to be really good defensively because of size and athletecism.

If you don't think Marion has good size or is athletic anymore there isn't really much I can say. In my opinion they didn't bring him to Clevalnd because he was a great scorer. They brought him in to play defense. I'm of the opinion he is still a really good defensive player.

I don't make blanket statements like Kyrie will never be a good defender because I can't foresee that but just watching the game against the Knicks yesterday shows how athletic he is. If DeMar can focus more on that end of the floor why can't someone with as much natural talent as Kyrie?

Varejao may not be jumping out of the gym, but the guy runs with more ease than JV. Same with Love. He's been a rebounding machine for years.

It's just opinion, but I think they have all the parts necessary to be a top 10 defensive team.

[Mediumcore]

Cleveland can hype themselves up all they want but unless the get a point gaurd before tip off tonight and learn how to play basketball together they will not have a chance to win this game, basketball is a game of runs so i wont be surprised at all to see them up double digits, point swings happen in most games no need to worry if it happens. I for one love games like the one we have ahead of us tonight because I'm not betting on money line or point spread rather I'm going to wait till raps are down about 10 plus points in the first and then I will put $1000 down on them to win. I love live betting haha ....... ohhhhh yeah and FUCK CLEVELAND

See that's the thing. LeBron has being racking up the assists and playing the role of PG, and Kyrie has sort of taken over the scoring. I can't wait for this game. Haven't been this pumped for a game since the playoffs. Fuck Clevland indeed.

[NaijaBoy17]

Disagree. No team has ever won a championship without a top 10 defence.

Kyrie is AWFUL on D
Kevin Love? AWFUL
Varejao? Meh, plus he's injured a lot
Marion? So so now that he's older and less athletic, plus he's literally no threat on offense so what he gives u on D he takes on O.

Name me another player on Cleveland that is average or above on D outside of LeBron.

That's not true.

It's been a long time since it's happened, but the 2000-01 Lakers were a bad defensive team and had the 21st I repeat 21st ranked defense, and still won the title (almost went fo-fo-fo-fo in the playoffs to boot). They didn't even have the best offense to go with it (they were 2nd).

[Bonus Jonas]

Disagree. No team has ever won a championship without a top 10 defence.

Kyrie is AWFUL on D
Kevin Love? AWFUL
Varejao? Meh, plus he's injured a lot
Marion? So so now that he's older and less athletic, plus he's literally no threat on offense so what he gives u on D he takes on O.

Name me another player on Cleveland that is average or above on D outside of LeBron.

Not trying to start arguments but Dellavedova is an above average devender. He is out for tonight though so that's a positive for us.

[rocwell]

Ya, that's him #GiantsofAfrica pic.twitter.com/PVT8A76Y4R

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) December 5, 2014

Magic Johnson in the house for Nelson Mandela tribute.

[rocwell]

Amazing Nelson Mandela piece made out of 3550 feet of yarn and nails #madiba pic.twitter.com/Sg9WxpJ7ru

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) December 5, 2014

wow.

[rocwell]

T-Mac was great, as usual, top 20 quote ever. Said if Raptors management was what it is now, never would have left. Regrets leaving

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) December 5, 2014

McGrady said had he known he'd turn into the player he did, he would have teamed up with Vince and done great things.

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) December 5, 2014

Kinda reminds me of my ex from high school. lol

[bryan colangelo]

It's a flawed line up who's only bet is to score you out of the gym with 3 of their star players.

We're going to win this game because we're a better TEAM. LeBron and KLove are the only players I'd prefer over our starters. And I'd take the rest of our starters and entire bench over the rest of Cleveland's starters and their entire bench. Not to mention, despite what some might think, our Coach is better

Just because we're the better team doesn't mean we can't lose to Kyrie having a 40 pt game.

We're talking about regular season Raptors here. We lost to the Lakers who played TERRIBLY against us. While I know in my heart we should win you never know if Terence Ross was up all night playing Dragon Age.

I'm going to keep my expectations in check.

[rocwell]

This just in: Charles Barkley just pronounced "Valanciunas" flawlessly. @NBAonTNT @jvalanciunas #WeTheNorth #RTZ

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 5, 2014

EDIT: Vasquez is starting.

[Bendit]

Just because we're the better team doesn't mean we can't lose to Kyrie having a 40 pt game.

We're talking about regular season Raptors here. We lost to the Lakers who played TERRIBLY against us. While I know in my heart we should win you never know if Terence Ross was up all night playing Dragon Age.

I'm going to keep my expectations in check.

MU should put a wrist bracelet on TRoss which transmits electronic/movement pulses from his gamer hand device to his Blackberyy after 11pm game nights.