knicks1248 wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

fishmike wrote:Toronto is in great shape. They have good players, a good cap and extra picks. With decent management they should be a 2nd round playoff team for man years. The problem is they remind me a bit of the Hawks of the 90s. Steve Smith, Mookie, Willis, they had lot of good teams, always made the playoffs, often advanced, and everyone knew they were did not have the ponies to contend. Toronto is facing similar. The problem is their best players are a notch below the elite guys and its tough to grind out 7 game series against teams that have the 2 best players on the floor.

I think the Knick optimism is just that with KP you have the unicorn player (potentially) and building around that is always easier than building around 3-4 really good players.

Sounds like a great situation for a superstar FA to go join. They have many more paths from their current position to championship contention than we do.

I kind of agree with you both, but how many big name FA go to Toronto, and the seem to lose their picks once they become FA, Bosh, Mcgrady, Carter......bargiani and calderon did nothing for them.

They were a (dolan nod) away from losing lowry

Bonn1997 wrote:

knicks1248 wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

fishmike wrote:Toronto is in great shape. They have good players, a good cap and extra picks. With decent management they should be a 2nd round playoff team for man years. The problem is they remind me a bit of the Hawks of the 90s. Steve Smith, Mookie, Willis, they had lot of good teams, always made the playoffs, often advanced, and everyone knew they were did not have the ponies to contend. Toronto is facing similar. The problem is their best players are a notch below the elite guys and its tough to grind out 7 game series against teams that have the 2 best players on the floor.

I think the Knick optimism is just that with KP you have the unicorn player (potentially) and building around that is always easier than building around 3-4 really good players.

Sounds like a great situation for a superstar FA to go join. They have many more paths from their current position to championship contention than we do.

I kind of agree with you both, but how many big name FA go to Toronto, and the seem to lose their picks once they become FA, Bosh, Mcgrady, Carter......bargiani and calderon did nothing for them.

They were a (dolan nod) away from losing lowry

OK but the big name FAs don't go to the Knicks either.

amare?

mreinman wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:Derozan really impressed me this series. Didn't think it was possible for a shooting guard in today's NBA to score back to back 32 point games efficiently without taking 3s.

yes but its a bit feast or famine with him especially since he can't shoot 3's.

I wouldn't want him on the Knicks or anything, even though he'd be our best player by far, just observing what he's been able to do against the Cavs the last 2 games is incredible.

Maybe he throws a goose egg in Cleveland, but either way when he's on, he seems unstoppable with that mid range game. Definitively helped his free agency stock with these 2 wins.

ChuckBuck wrote:

mreinman wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:Derozan really impressed me this series. Didn't think it was possible for a shooting guard in today's NBA to score back to back 32 point games efficiently without taking 3s.

yes but its a bit feast or famine with him especially since he can't shoot 3's.

I wouldn't want him on the Knicks or anything, even though he'd be our best player by far, just observing what he's been able to do against the Cavs the last 2 games is incredible.

Maybe he throws a goose egg in Cleveland, but either way when he's on, he seems unstoppable with that mid range game. Definitively helped his free agency stock with these 2 wins.

He's a Kobe cloan....Phil will jump all over him in free agency.

blkexec wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

mreinman wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:Derozan really impressed me this series. Didn't think it was possible for a shooting guard in today's NBA to score back to back 32 point games efficiently without taking 3s.

yes but its a bit feast or famine with him especially since he can't shoot 3's.

I wouldn't want him on the Knicks or anything, even though he'd be our best player by far, just observing what he's been able to do against the Cavs the last 2 games is incredible.

Maybe he throws a goose egg in Cleveland, but either way when he's on, he seems unstoppable with that mid range game. Definitively helped his free agency stock with these 2 wins.

He's a Kobe cloan....Phil will jump all over him in free agency.

I see a poor mans D. Wade

ChuckBuck wrote:Wow. Maybe Toronto is actually good?

Always after a thread like this is made guys wake up and start playing. I bet DJSUNYC drove to Lowry house and personally showed him this thread.

Lowry awake is the spoon that stirs the drink. Great last two games. Biyombo is going to get a 400% raise

blkexec wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

mreinman wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:Derozan really impressed me this series. Didn't think it was possible for a shooting guard in today's NBA to score back to back 32 point games efficiently without taking 3s.

yes but its a bit feast or famine with him especially since he can't shoot 3's.

I wouldn't want him on the Knicks or anything, even though he'd be our best player by far, just observing what he's been able to do against the Cavs the last 2 games is incredible.

Maybe he throws a goose egg in Cleveland, but either way when he's on, he seems unstoppable with that mid range game. Definitively helped his free agency stock with these 2 wins.

He's a Kobe cloan....Phil will jump all over him in free agency.

I am hoping this is true.

Bonn1997 wrote:

mreinman wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:Derozan really impressed me this series. Didn't think it was possible for a shooting guard in today's NBA to score back to back 32 point games efficiently without taking 3s.

yes but its a bit feast or famine with him especially since he can't shoot 3's.

He's not really that good at 2s either (in the last 3 years, .447 overall and .405 in the playoffs).

His efficiency comes from getting to the line and being a very good FT shooter.

we survived two game 7's. i think those were huge in terms of our development. after blowing an 18 point lead and then actually giving up the lead in the 4th, we still came back to win. probably the best win in franchise history.

this is the same team that got swept last year in the first round.

ujiri did not panic - believed in it's core and added to it with 3 tough defensive minded guys - biz + dec + cojo.

i have criticized casey thoroughly for many year but he has this team 1 win away from being 1 win away. he was the defensive coordinator for the mavs when they beat miami in the finals so maybe he has a good idea on how to contain a lebron team?

still think the smart money is on the cavs winning the series but that's why you play the games.

eny is right - if lowry is hitting shots, we have a chance to beat any team. that was also dd's best game i've ever seen him play considering the stakes.

i think casey + staff anticipated cavs going to mosgov a bit to put a big body on biz. that's why we activated jonas in case that happened. if jonas can come back healthy - we have a legit shot at anyone. playoffs man - throw everything from the regular season out the window - it's just one possession at a time. anything can happen.