E. Koreen: Lowry/DD/Ross/Amir/JV Are a Crappy Starting Five

[S.R.]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03...in-the-league/

"Most good teams lean disproportionately on successful lineups. Of the teams with the 13 best records in the league, only three — the Raptors, Bulls and Mavericks — have their most frequently used lineup rated below plus-7.9 points per 100 possessions."

Dallas is only in that mixing using Rondo - they're +9.9 when Harris replaces Rondo (1/3 of the sample size).

"As well, developing Ross and Valanciunas as players is a priority for the Raptors, hence their continued presence among the starters. However, they are two of the most uneven players on the roster."

Ross yes, JV no. JV is young and has a lot of development ahead, but you'll have a hard time finding stats that show he holds the team back when he's on the floor. Much easier to argue the opposite - he's underutilized.

Where do you go to pull out some other 5 man numbers for the Raps? I'd like to see the +/- with JJ, thought the sample size will be small. I can't get stats.nba.com to do what I want.

[Superjudge]

JV is a momentum and flow killer. Add to that he adds zero umph on the defensive end. Guys consistently blow by the guards and have a laugh as the elevate above his shoddy help efforts at the rack.

Like you said, he's developing.... but man, he's average at best most night as is

[mcHAPPY]

The seeds continue to be sown for drastic off season changes.

.....and I like it.

[Superjudge]

its always fun!!!!!!!

[mcHAPPY]

The Raptors having an inferior starting 5 is nothing new though.

It comes back to talent.

The Raptors don't have a lot of it.

Cue the best way to get talent debate aka Tank vs Build in 4-3-2-1.......

We've come full circle Raptors Republic!

[consmap]

Even when the team was winning they still got off to plenty of slow starts in previous games. The difference now is that they're losing a lot more.

[Bandit]

JV is a momentum and flow killer. Add to that he adds zero umph on the defensive end. Guys consistently blow by the guards and have a laugh as the elevate above his shoddy help efforts at the rack.

Like you said, he's developing.... but man, he's average at best most night as is

True enough, JV seems to hurt the team when he's out there when it comes to flow and momentum. I don't think that falls on him as much as it does the system he is in though, it's just not a clean fit.

Defensively I don't think the issue is fully on him. I think half the time the players are trying to scramble so hard to find the next guy on the perimeter that no one steps in to cover the guy that JV had to leave to stop the blow by. Most guys can't recover on that, so I don't think it's fair to lay it on JV. I also think that if the system was more focused on covering that switch then JV wouldn't look so horrendous on the PnR.

[McRealistic]

It is hilarious to me how some of these so called reporter, analyst who defended this team all summer long and early in the season, are now coming to the realization that this team was not put together the right way.

Some of us here while under attack from the majority of the fans, raised our concerns right from the first day that MU did not do a good job and did not assemble this team the right way.

MU has a lot of work to do this summer and F**K THIS and F**K THAT will not get it done this time.

[Cody73]

There are two reasons as to why we keep on losing (Note this is short-form):

1. Were no longer underdogs, and teams know it.

2. Our coaching/ decision making on the court is bad.

[Bandit]

It is hilarious to me how some of these so called reporter, analyst who defended this team all summer long and early in the season, are now coming to the realization that this team was not put together the right way.

Some of us here while under attack from the majority of the fans, raised our concerns right from the first day that MU did not do a good job and did not assemble this team right way.

MU has a lot of work to do this summer and F**K THIS and F**K THAT will not get it done this time.

I think it's hillarious that you think every thing these guys report is their original thought... Like McHappy alluded to, it's no coincidence that when the team needed support it was there and now that it needs a change the seeds are being planted... They for sure have their own thoughts occasionally but the media is first and foremost a tool. I get the impression that MU is good at using it as such as well.

I mean literally your post supports it as well, by saying that the majority of fans attacked you for your ideas that it wasn't constructed properly. The whole F*** Bkn thing was him using the media as his own tool again to create more hype and jack up the hugely succesful "We The North"

And as for "this team right way" do you mean "THE right way" or "right Away". Most people understand now that this team isn't constructed THE right way but I think most are happy he didn't try to construct it right Away.

[McRealistic]

And as for "this team right way" do you mean "THE right way" or "right Away". Most people understand now that this team isn't constructed THE right way but I think most are happy he didn't try to construct it right Away.

Thanks for the correction. I have fixed my post now.

As far as the first part of your post, good reporters are the ones who have their own thought, ideas and integrity who can criticize and evaluate a team without any bias.
However, just like Doug Smith, we are seeing many of these so called reporters, becoming just a propaganda machine for the organization which is a shame and it just makes them sound like a parrot.

I agree with you, MU is very good at using these tools to his advantage. However, I think he is OUT OF LUCK this summer as he has to actually show some real result and not just rhetorics.

[Bandit]

Thanks for the correction. I have fixed my post now.

As far as the first part of your post, good reporters are the ones who have their own thought, ideas and integrity who can criticize and evaluate a team without any bias.
However, just like Doug Smith, we are seeing many of these so called reporters, becoming just a propaganda machine for the organization which is a shame and it just makes them sound like a parrot.

I agree with you, MU is very good at using these tools to his advantage. However, I think he is OUT OF LUCK this summer as he has to actually show some real result and not just rhetorics.

Then we would agree as far as the first bold is concerned, it's just my belief that the majority who currently report on the raptors tend to lack the ability to be genuine.

I agree with you on the second bold as well. I believe that the lack of direction over the last year has been for the better, to let this team run its natural course and gain the fans support to build a true contender. I think he made the best out of a bad situation, and I'm hoping that he can make some great moves here this summer that will put his mark on the team. Mainly I want to know if he supports the style that this team plays, and if not I want to see how he thinks it should be played and what he does to accomplish that.

[golden]

The Raptors having an inferior starting 5 is nothing new though.

It comes back to talent.

The Raptors don't have a lot of it.

Cue the best way to get talent debate aka Tank vs Build in 4-3-2-1.......

We've come full circle Raptors Republic!

Not really. How Philly works out is truly the only way to end the debate. That's a tank rebuild in it's purest form.

See you in 10 years, or so.....

[Balls of Steel]

Here was his response to me via Twitter:

@NomadCreatives Probably not one that we'll see. Raps' best lineup would probably be: Lowry, Lou, DD, PP and Amir. Won't/shouldn't see it.

— Eric Koreen (@ekoreen) March 17, 2015

[DanH]

I've got a post up at the HQ that addresses exactly this issue.