Why am I Excited about this Season

[DanH]

Come on guys. Even I am optimistic. DeRozan would be hard pressed to have as bad a year as last year, and considering how many possessions he uses that alone should mean an improvement. We know the defensive system is changing - and it might not be great, but it can't get any worse. Lowry should be able to stay a little healthier, so there's improvement there.

And frankly I'm not going to have to watch Vasquez this year. So that's good.

[Puffer]

...I'm not going to have to watch Vasquez this year. So that's good.

I'm with you Dan.

Lots to look forward to. This is a team that should be significantly better in the second half of the season.

[GLF]

Yeah, I'm with you.

People might be shocked by this, but I have zero faith in Casey to get the most out of this roster or reign in DeRozan's chucking.

That's the thing, I feel this team could and should be better but Casey will find a way to fuck it up. He's a horrible coach and I would SHOCKED if he gets the most out of this team and uses everyone correctly.

[Axel]

Not to be a buzzkill, but I'm not as excited going into this season as I was last season.

Last season, there was hope that the team learned from their heartbreaking loss to the Nets. That internal growth, plus extra motivation would equate to better results.

This season, with most of last year's core coming back, I don't think there were enough roster changes to make a significant difference. I still see a sub-50 win team who will struggle to make it past the 1st round.

I'm excited for this year because we have far fewer Matador defenders. That should make the team compete on a daily basis.

I'm also excited because it should finally be the release JV season, and that alone is worth tuning in to.

Regular season wins aren't a huge concern, it's all about playoffs this year and winning a series.

[Uncle_Si]

Guys, Mudiay looks awful. That's great. Now we need Melo to force a trade and we can all start planning who we draft with our top 3 pick.

[Puffer]

Yeah, I'm with you.

People might be shocked by this, but I have zero faith in Casey to get the most out of this roster or reign in DeRozan's chucking.

Has it been DeRozan's uncontrolled Chucking, or has it been Casey's green light? I have always gotten the impression that DeRozan would do whatever he is asked to do, to the best of his ability. We all still remember the post-Gay ball movement phase. Basketball being played the way it is supposed to be. I suspect somewhere along the way, Casey suggested to DD that "We need a scorer out there." If Casey tells DD that "We need you to flash, then pass, cut and be ready for the pass back at the hoop," he would be more than happy to do it.

In no way shape or form to I think DeMar's style of play is the result of being selfish or lazy. That is the sad thing. I think it is the result of an offensive system that is stagnant, and over past years may have been the result of limited personnel.

Certainly there are no excuses this year for a lack of assists on the team. I truly believe there are 15 guys on the roster who are ready to give it up to the other guy. The fact that GV went from being assist leader in the league to stagnant chucker suggests to me it is on the coaching staff.

[DanH]

Has it been DeRozan's uncontrolled Chucking, or has it been Casey's green light? I have always gotten the impression that DeRozan would do whatever he is asked to do, to the best of his ability. We all still remember the post-Gay ball movement phase. Basketball being played the way it is supposed to be. I suspect somewhere along the way, Casey suggested to DD that "We need a scorer out there." If Casey tells DD that "We need you to flash, then pass, cut and be ready for the pass back at the hoop," he would be more than happy to do it.

In no way shape or form to I think DeMar's style of play is the result of being selfish or lazy. That is the sad thing. I think it is the result of an offensive system that is stagnant, and over past years may have been the result of limited personnel.

Certainly there are no excuses this year for a lack of assists on the team. I truly believe there are 15 guys on the roster who are ready to give it up to the other guy. The fact that GV went from being assist leader in the league to stagnant chucker suggests to me it is on the coaching staff.

I would love for you to be correct. But note that even in that ball movement phase post-Gay, DeMar had tremendously high usage (even more so than last year). I hold out hope that it is simply another adverse effect from Casey, but there's little evidence to suggest there is a lower usage, higher efficiency, pass-oriented version of DeRozan in there somewhere.

[mjt20mik]

People are actually grouchy and depressed before we've even tipped a ball off? You know why I'm excited for the season? Because basketball is back! Isn't that why we're all here? Or do people just cheer for transactions and draft picks nowadays?

This X 100

[Uncle_Si]

That's the thing, I feel this team could and should be better but Casey will find a way to fuck it up. He's a horrible coach and I would SHOCKED if he gets the most out of this team and uses everyone correctly.

This argument is so over blown. He used the skill set of the players he had last year, that was the whole problem! The skill sets were the opposite of what you want in a basketball team. It was a severely flawed team that we just talked ourselves into thinking was good.

No + defenders besides JJ who obviously did something stupid we don't know about and Amir who couldn't walk.

Casey exploited the "skills" of the types of players he had, and it was a mess.

This year with the new types of players if he works to exploit their skills it should be more in line with what most would consider good basketball.

I still think Casey has to go, but honestly look at last years team and tell me it didn't achieve exactly what it should have.

[Scraptor]

I am excited cause there is a VERY GOOD CHANCE, this is the last season I have to watch Demar Derozan basketball.

Conversely, there is an equally good chance that we sign him to a five-year deal and the rest of us get to watch your head explode.

[DanH]

Casey didn't exploit the skill sets of his players. He exploited the skill set of Lou Williams. And then allowed the rest of the guards to parrot him instead of exploiting their skill sets. Never mind the complete and total ignoring of the skill sets of the various bigs on the team.

[GLF]

This argument is so over blown. He used the skill set of the players he had last year, that was the whole problem! The skill sets were the opposite of what you want in a basketball team. It was a severely flawed team that we just talked ourselves into thinking was good.

No + defenders besides JJ who obviously did something stupid we don't know about and Amir who couldn't walk.

Casey exploited the "skills" of the types of players he had, and it was a mess.

This year with the new types of players if he works to exploit their skills it should be more in line with what most would consider good basketball.

I still think Casey has to go, but honestly look at last years team and tell me it didn't achieve exactly what it should have.

I hope you're right man

[GLF]

Casey didn't exploit the skill sets of his players. He exploited the skill set of Lou Williams. And then allowed the rest of the guards to parrot him instead of exploiting their skill sets. Never mind the complete and total ignoring of the skill sets of the various bigs on the team.

That's the thing. He pretty much let everyone play like Lou Will and because none of our other guards are good one on one players it looked horrible. Also you make a good point about the bigs. They weren't used correctly at all.

[MACK11]

This argument is so over blown. He used the skill set of the players he had last year, that was the whole problem! The skill sets were the opposite of what you want in a basketball team. It was a severely flawed team that we just talked ourselves into thinking was good.

No + defenders besides JJ who obviously did something stupid we don't know about and Amir who couldn't walk.

Casey exploited the "skills" of the types of players he had, and it was a mess.

This year with the new types of players if he works to exploit their skills it should be more in line with what most would consider good basketball.

I still think Casey has to go, but honestly look at last years team and tell me it didn't achieve exactly what it should have.

So at the beginning of last season you wouldn't mind if the team ended up getting Swept with home court advantage?

[SkywalkerAC]

Casey didn't exploit the skill sets of his players. He exploited the skill set of Lou Williams. And then allowed the rest of the guards to parrot him instead of exploiting their skill sets. Never mind the complete and total ignoring of the skill sets of the various bigs on the team.

He exploited the skill sets of players that followed in that suit. Also, Hansbrough played well above his pay grade, albeit on the same concept - get the ball and draw the foul.