1-1 – too many days off between games…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vulZmBCDIeU
3 adjustments the Raptors should make for Game 3 – Yahoo
Siakam needs to be smarter against Embiid
The Raptors are at the point where they’re dead in the water if Siakam is having an off-night, and they saw the result of that in Game 2.
Siakam followed an electric 12-of-15 outing with a ghastly 9-of-25 performance, in which he shot just 6-of-17 against his countryman. Embiid kept Siakam from spinning his way into the restricted area, stayed down on Siakam’s fakes, left him free to fire away from outside the corners, and it helped that Siakam also wasn’t able to find his range.
However, Siakam also played into Embiid’s hands by forcing his game and making bad decisions. Siakam went 0-for-4 in the mid-range, and more to the point, he took 13 contested shots with most of those hopeful attempts over a 7-foot-3 behemoth. Siakam was more focused on rushing to get his shot over Embiid’s outstretched arms, rather than to actually put it softly up on the rim as he normally would.
“If it was me, I probably wouldn’t go to the rim and try to take him on. But there’s some other things he can do, maybe,” Nurse said cheekily of Siakam’s shot selection.
Being more selective will go a long way for Siakam, and he should focus his attention to opportunities along the baseline. Siakam can either take the shorter corner three, or draw Embiid out to the perimeter and beat him with his quickness. Siakam’s best play came early in the game when he beat Embiid with his signature spin move, but then he never tried that baseline drive for the rest of the night.
Better yet, the Raptors should try to attack the space that Embiid is giving Siakam in the same way that the Sixers do with Simmons. Any solid screen involving Siakam will result in a 2-on-1 scenario, and dribble hand-offs with Siakam will create the same advantage. Pairing up Siakam and Leonard should make the Sixers think twice about sagging Embiid into the paint. And if he does come out, the paint is once again open for Siakam to slip to the basket.
It helps to have the best player in a series, as the Raptors do with Kawhi Leonard
Because really, how many times have the Raptors had the clear-cut best player in a playoff series? Vince Carter against New York in 2001, yes. Not against Allen Iverson, though. Chris Bosh? Terrific. Never the best guy in a series.
Maybe Kyle Lowry against Brooklyn in 2014, though Joe Johnson memorably cooked them. Not against Washington in 2015, when everything went splat. Not against Indiana’s Paul George in 2016, though Lowry bested an older Dwyane Wade in Miami in the next round, to be fair. Until Game 7, though, it was close.
Toronto certainly didn’t have the best player against Giannis in the first round in 2017, and not against Washington’s John Wall last year, and never against LeBron. That’s the whole list.
But now, Kawhi. Unless the rest of the offence falls apart, Toronto should be able to ride him and the defence past a talented Philadelphia squad with so many red flags it could be a high school chemistry class for the gifted in which everyone is on drugs.
“They did a good job on him,” said Nurse, of Kawhi’s 35-point Game 2. “I still think he made a lot of good plays, and made some good decisions … We had some kickouts from him that were really good shots, and some of those things we are going to have to live with. He can’t take on everyone. He has to make the right play, and I think for the most part he really did.”
When team president Masai Ujiri made the trade he steadfastly believed he was getting one of the top three or four players in the world. Not top 10; top four. Leonard can’t take on everyone, but when you have a player this good, your team has a chance to take on the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hu-M5kQXdA
Embiid vows to be patient offensively vs. Raptors – ESPN
“I think anytime anybody feels comfortable, you’re in trouble,” Brown said. “There can be zero comfort level in anything, and it’s the dynamics of human beings, let alone athletes. It’s just how at times people are wired. It’s my job, and it’s truly the way I think, so it’s not force-fed. There is no level of comfort. … Whether it’s Game 3, 5, 2, whatever. The comfort level after a win cannot exist.”
Sixers forward Mike Scott, who was upgraded to questionable for Game 3 after practicing Wednesday for the first time since he missed the start of the series because of plantar fasciitis and a heel contusion in his right foot, said he wants Philadelphia fans to make the Raptors feel uncomfortable.
“That s— better be crazy,” Scott said. “It better be loud. I know it’s going to be crazy. I know it’s going to be loud. I’m just trying to amp them up. Trying to use some reverse psychology. But I already know it’s going to be crazy. Fans going to be wild, going nuts. Talking their s—. Cheering, hopefully booing the hell out of the other team. Holding us down like they always do.”
Jimmy Butler, coming off a team-high 30 points in Game 2, is sure to hear cheers from the Philly crowd when he’s announced in the starting lineup Thursday. Much like Embiid, though, he doesn’t want to force anything.
He got to 30 points in part by going 4-for-10 on 3-pointers. It was the most attempts from deep he has launched in 573 games in the regular season and postseason.
“I don’t like shooting 3s,” Butler said Wednesday. “I’m going to continue to play the game the right way. If I’m open, I’m going to shoot it. If not, I’m going to pass it. I’m always going to look for the open guy.”
Meanwhile, the Raptors surely would like some more success from the outside. During the regular season, Toronto ranked sixth in 3-point percentage (36.6) and eighth in made 3s per game (12.4). Through the first two games against Philadelphia, the Raptors are shooting 29.7 percent from 3 and averaging 9.5 made 3s per game.
“It’s a game of adjustments,” Embiid said. “They are going to make theirs. We got to respond to it. End of the day, all about playing hard.”
It helps to have the best player in a series, as the Raptors do with Kawhi Leonard | The Star
“It’s amazing,” Nurse said. “It’s the best part of the job without doubt, to be able to stand right there on the court and watch guys like him play.”
Guys like him are a small category. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry in Golden State. James Harden in Houston. Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, Nikola Jokic in Denver, Damian Lillard in Portland but shooting from Idaho, LeBron on a Warner Bros. production lot, Embiid if he was in shape and healthy. That’s about the list. LeBron-Kawhi would have been fun.
Because really, how many times have the Raptors had the clear-cut best player in a playoff series? Vince Carter against New York in 2001, yes. Not against Allen Iverson, though. Chris Bosh? Terrific. Never the best guy in a series.
Maybe Kyle Lowry against Brooklyn in 2014, though Joe Johnson memorably cooked them. Not against Washington in 2015, when everything went splat. Not against Indiana’s Paul George in 2016, though Lowry bested an older Dwyane Wade in Miami in the next round, to be fair. Until Game 7, though, it was close.
Toronto certainly didn’t have the best player against Giannis in the first round in 2017, and not against Washington’s John Wall last year, and never against LeBron. That’s the whole list.
But now, Kawhi. Unless the rest of the offence falls apart, Toronto should be able to ride him and the defence past a talented Philadelphia squad with so many red flags it could be a high school chemistry class for the gifted in which everyone is on drugs.
“They did a good job on him,” said Nurse, of Kawhi’s 35-point Game 2. “I still think he made a lot of good plays, and made some good decisions … We had some kickouts from him that were really good shots, and some of those things we are going to have to live with. He can’t take on everyone. He has to make the right play, and I think for the most part he really did.”
When team president Masai Ujiri made the trade he steadfastly believed he was getting one of the top three or four players in the world. Not top 10; top four. Leonard can’t take on everyone, but when you have a player this good, your team has a chance to take on the world.
The day-to-day routine for Raptors coach Nick Nurse is tweak to tweak | The Star
Nurse’s decisions, like who to play when and for long and with whom, are daily fodder not only for the masses but for himself as well. Second-guessing is not the sole domain of those who watch the games from afar.
“Don’t think that I’m not tinkering with those in my head all game long,” Nurse said of the in-game moves that he could or could not make. “And then of course, when it’s over, some of the suggestions and things I was thinking about doing, I wish I would have done. You always do that.”
It’s a delicate balance, though, and he works at it every day. He gauges the temperature of the game, the history of his team, the personalities of the men he’s in charge of, and he makes his calls.
Does he match Marc Gasol and Joel Embiid minute for minute? It’s not like Embiid is killing the Raptors, regardless of who is defending him, and is it worth disrupting what has been so successful for Toronto when it’s not a major issue?
He certainly can’t change the substitutes he’s using like Philadelphia’s Brett Brown did in Game 2, with surprise appearances from Greg Monroe and Amir Johnson and zero minutes for T.J. McConnell.
It’s folly to think Nurse would go to Jeremy Lin over Fred VanVleet or someone like Eric Moreland instead of Ibaka, and Norm Powell has physical attributes and a track record that say he must play a bit.
Sure, it’d be nice to see OG Anunoby but that’s not going to happen. The suspicion is that the earliest Anunoby will be seen would be the NBA final, and next fall’s training camp isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
So Nurse does what Nurse does.
4) Continue helping off capable shooters until punished for it
This isn’t a counter for the Raptors, it’s more of one for the Sixers. But I expect Toronto to continue to aggressively help off shooters, even ones like Tobias Harris. Philly misses Harris when he’s open for a couple triples pretty much every game. He might want to speak up for himself because the Raptors have had success gambling that the Sixers will miss him (or Jimmy Butler) once Joel Embiid predetermines to shoot, or once Jimmy Butler has determined to shoot.
Embiid has been much better lately as a passer and willing screener but there are still points on the board to be had which would probably buy himself even more room to work with over time. Punishing the Raptors for leaving Tobias would earn himself better spacing. Here, the quick swing to Tobi was probably the right play:
Brett Brown should anticipate these counters and have his guys ready for the chess game on Thursday night.
Practice notes: Joel Embiid may have to solve Raptors’ puzzle by passing | PhillyVoice
It is a bit easier to accept that now than it would have been for Embiid last playoffs. With a supporting cast consisting of all role players and Ben Simmons, Embiid really had no choice but to beat his head against the Boston wall in the hopes it would break. Now they have Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris to help shoulder the load, easing the pressure on Embiid to dominate.
If Embiid was a one-way player, there’d be more room for concern heading into the first home leg of the series. But a switch of defensive assignments placed Embiid on Pascal Siakam in Game 2, and it had a game-changing effect for Philadelphia. He has said many times over the years that he believes he is the league’s top defensive player, and Siakam could not get anything going against him in Game 2.
Embiid was on Siakam for 41 possessions in Game 2, and the Raptors scored just 37 points as a team on those possessions, with Siakam shooting 6/17 from the field himself. That is an aberration for a player in the middle of his best season as a pro, but it’s the sort of break from routine Embiid can cause on the defensive end.
Toronto will have spent the last couple days developing a gameplan to work around Philadelphia’s strategy, which will bring the pressure back to Embiid and the Sixers on the offensive end. They have been far from their best on that end of the floor, and the issues extend far past the big man there.
But the maturity of another full season in the league and the reinforcement of the supporting cast seems to have eased Embiid’s mind. Everyone from Philadelphia’s owner on down has made it clear this team is pushing to win and win now, and Embiid says he will not let his own individual struggles impact the team’s ability to win.
“I’ve been in these type of situations before, so I’m going to figure it out,” Embiid said. “It’s all about doing whatever I’m asked to. If it’s setting screens, and rolling to the basket and finding guys when I’m double and triple teamed, I’m going to keep on doing that. I’m not going to force the issue because I haven’t gotten a certain amount of points…if I only have to take five shots a game, but also to make sure I make the right decisions, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Sixers returning to Philly after Game 2 win relieved, revived and confident – Philly.com
Shots don’t always fall, but effort is something that is expected to be consistent. So on the other side, there was an admission that the Raptors didn’t leave everything they had out on the court.
“We didn’t come out with a super sense of urgency,” he said. “We didn’t play well tonight and they played really desperate.”
On a night when the Sixers’ leading scorer (Embiid) made only two field goals and the team committed 19 turnovers — 10 more than the Raptors — they were able to make up for deficiencies, mainly due to adjustments made by Brown and the effort shown by his team.
The biggest effort stat is rebounding, and the Sixers owned a 53-36 advantage. At halftime, when the Sixers led 51-38, backup center Greg Monroe had more offensive rebounds than the entire Raptors team.
Afterwards Monroe, who suffered a left ankle sprain, insisted he would be ready to go for Game 3 on Thursday at what should be a charged-up Wells Fargo Center.
Of any emotion, most of all, there was a sense of relief as the Sixers departed Scotiabank Arena. A Sixers team that looked so down and out after Saturday’s loss was revived after snaring home-court advantage from the suddenly shell-shocked Raptors.
NBA Playoffs 2019: Toronto Raptors Temperature: Big decisions for Nick Nurse in Game 3 – Raptors HQ
Looking Down the Bench
Since the Raptors have been clingy to their current nine-man rotation, it feels like a good exercise to look down the roster and see what players might fit into a playoff series. Who would be the 10th man that Nick Nurse uses versus Philadelphia?
Since the Raptors are deep on guards (Fred VanVleet, Jodie Meeks, Norman Powell, Jeremy Lin), one would expect the tenth man to be a forward, and someone who could slide into the OG Anunoby role. Malcolm Miller and Chris Boucher come to mind. Miller is an intriguing option for his low usage shooting and stellar defense, but Nurse favoured other players during garbage time down the stretch of the regular season, so it doesn’t seem likely that he will play. Boucher is intriguing as an energy spark off the bench, but it doesn’t look like he will play either as he has drawn multiple inactives and is dealing with back spasms.
The bet, it would seem, is that Patrick McCaw gets some run in this series. He is not a traditional forward, standing at 6’7 and weighing 185 pounds, but he is quick and wiry strong. He might be able to guard some bigger players like Jimmy Butler, James Ennis III, or J.J. Redick. There is also a trust factor with McCaw, as he received some rotation minutes from Nurse down the stretch of the regular season.
Game 3 awaits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-te3HNZLOk
SIMMONS: The hometown kid, Kyle Lowry, looking for a rare big win in Philly | Toronto Sun
During the regular season, the trips to Philadelphia are something of an adventure for him. He goes home, checks out his house, sees his family, goes to dinner with friends, arranges all kinds of tickets, answer the calls that need to be answered. He’s busy.
Arriving here on Wednesday, he will go to his hotel room, close the door, and essentially disappear.
“I won’t hang with anybody,” he said. “I won’t talk to anybody. I won’t go to my house.”
He won’t call his mom.
“This will be just like Orlando for me. I’ll go to my hotel. I’ll get some food. I’ll watch TV. I’ll rest and hang around. That’s it.”
The series with the 76ers is tied at one game apiece. The Raptors blew out the Sixers in Game 1. They were somewhat beaten up and beaten down and couldn’t hit shots in a closer Game 2 that they could have won but didn’t. Some weren’t expecting this to be close if the Raptors won Game 2. Now it’s a dogfight. Philly style. Probably Lowry style.
“It’s disappointing we lost home court,” said Lowry. “At the end of the day, they made adjustments to what we did (in Game 1). Now we have to make adjustments to what they did (in Game 2). We lost a game, now we have to learn from it.
“I haven’t seen anything yet that tells us we can’t win the series. We’ve done a good job all year doing this. It’s playoffs now. It’s one game at a time. Game 3 is the only thing we’re working and looking at right now. That’s all we’ve been doing. You learn from everything you’re seeing.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxubySeoIZo
Composed Raptors didn’t need to lose Game 2 to get a wakeup call | Toronto Sun
The sentiment in Raptors-land overall seems to be: “Enough prep, enough talk, let’s get on with it.”
“I think we feel good,” Norman Powell said. “We’ve been here before. It’s nothing new to us. I think everybody is very confident, we came here yesterday, saw the film where we can improve and adjustments that need to be made going into Game 3 and I don’t think anyone is worried. I think we’re very confident in what we can do.”
“We watched some film yesterday and learned what we can learn, and now we’re gonna get out there on the court today,” Nurse added.
“No film today. We’re getting a little filmed-out here a little bit,” Nurse said about studying what has worked and what hasn’t.
Nurse talked about not “overloading” the Raptors with information, finding a balance, which can be a challenge with so much time off between games.
But, again, his players seem to know what they need to do in order to take back homecourt advantage.
“We missed a lot of shots in Game 2 that we normally make,” Powell said.
“We know that we’re going to make those shots in the next game and just stay with it and make a few adjustments on the defensive end and a few adjustments on the offensive end, how they switched it up, putting (Joel) Embiid on Pascal (Siakam) and trying to exploit that a little bit. I think we’re going to head down there and play pretty well.”
Powell knows it would be a big help if he, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka could get going.
“It’s a long series. Me, Serge and Fred have been talking about how we can make an impact offensively. Defence is just about energy and limiting the mistakes and breakdowns on what we’re trying to do with the gameplan,” he said. “But offensively it’s just trying to find a rhythm trying to find a flow, trying to find some more movement out there.”
Toronto’s bench depth was supposed to be an advantage, but it hasn’t been so far and now the Sixers say Raptor-killer Mike Scott and Greg Monroe — who was solid in Game 2 before spraining his ankle — went through practice and could play.
As the series shifts, things are heating up. Even as the Raptors keep their calm and cool.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Ibaka has no place in this series. If there’s one limitation Gasol has at this stage of his career, it’s defending pick-and-rolls, as he doesn’t quite have the foot speed to switch outright onto the likes of Simmons, Butler and Harris or consistently hedge and recover.
It’s something the 76ers took more advantage of in Game 2, particularly when Greg Monroe was playing centre.
Monroe is a more willing screener and roller than Embiid, and it freed both him and Philadelphia’s ball handlers for several open shots in the first half with Gasol on the court.
In total, the Raptors were outscored by four points in the 15 minutes Gasol played without Embiid in Game 2. That’s quite the difference from the 11 points the Raptors outscored the 76ers in the 11 minutes Gasol shared with Embiid.
Ibaka would likely fare better than Gasol if he were in more of those situations. Whereas Gasol is equipped to defend bruising, back to the basket centres such as Embiid and Nikola Vucevic because of his size and length, Ibaka has the speed and athleticism to guard more mobile bigs.
Did I miss something? Send any Raptors-related article/video to me at rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
