Post All-Star break Raptors schedule; Predict each outcome

[Legends66NBA7]

30 games left. 17 Home games, 13 road games, and 7 back to backs (Current record on a back to back is 6-5; lost the last 3).

@Washington
Chicago (back to back)
Cleveland
Orlando
@Cleveland
Washington
Golden State
Sacramento
@Minnesota
@Brooklyn (back to back)
Detroit
Memphis
Phoenix
@Atlanta
@New Orleans (back to back)
Oklahoma City
Atlanta
@Cleveland
@Boston (back to back)
Boston
@Orlando
@Miami (back to back)
Houston
Indiana
@Milwaukee (back to back)
Philadelphia
New York
@Detroit
Milwaukee (back to back)
@New York


Miami is the only team we face on the road that has a above .500 record. Golden State, Memphis, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Houston, and Indiana are the above .500 record teams we face at home.

[Grey Dawn]

Mine


30 games left. 17 Home games, 13 road games, and 7 back to backs (Current record on a back to back is 6-5; lost the last 3).

@Washington W
Chicago (back to back) L
Cleveland L
Orlando W
@Cleveland W
Washington W
Golden State L
Sacramento W
@Minnesota L
@Brooklyn (back to back) L
Detroit W
Memphis L
Phoenix W
@Atlanta W
@New Orleans (back to back) W
Oklahoma City L
Atlanta W
@Cleveland W
@Boston (back to back) L
Boston W
@Orlando W
@Miami (back to back) L
Houston L
Indiana L
@Milwaukee (back to back) W
Philadelphia W
New York W
@Detroit W
Milwaukee (back to back) L
@New York L


Miami is the only team we face on the road that has a above .500 record. Golden State, Memphis, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Houston, and Indiana are the above .500 record teams we face at home.

[Jballer]

Fun exercise but too much at once...

Break it down to 5 gave stints.

The big thing is
1) You need to look for travel schedule both Toronto and other team
2) You need to look at injuries both Toronto and other team
3) The above will determine match ups.

Globally I hope they win around 65% down the stretch to "close out" an Atlantic title and 3rd position play of berth.

But individually game by game this team could beat Miami - i.e. the Heat in a let down game after a long western roadtrip or something etc.. and still loose to Bobcats.

[kmart]

I'm really hoping that they can stay ahead of Brooklyn. Also hope they can avoid Chicago and Brooklyn in the playoffs.

[Legends66NBA7]

I'm really hoping that they can stay ahead of Brooklyn. Also hope they can avoid Chicago and Brooklyn in the playoffs.

Chicago, yes. Just because their a well coached team and have better chemistry.

I'm not even sweating Brooklyn right now. If Garnett and Pierce continues to shoulder heavy minutes, their going to fall apart, they've clearly lost a step. Joe Johnson outside of 04 and 08 has shrunk come playoff time. Deron Williams can't defend worth a lick and is also injury prone. Not to mention, Kidd makes a lot of mistakes with his subs.

But they still have that talent, so you never know. Best bet is Toronto faces Washington and hopefully avoid the Bobcats like the plague. :oldlol:

[kmart]

Chicago, yes. Just because their a well coached team and have better chemistry.

I'm not even sweating Brooklyn right now. If Garnett and Pierce continues to shoulder heavy minutes, their going to fall apart, they've clearly lost a step. Joe Johnson outside of 04 and 08 has shrunk come playoff time. Deron Williams can't defend worth a lick and is also injury prone. Not to mention, Kidd makes a lot of mistakes with his subs.

But they still have that talent, so you never know. Best bet is Toronto faces Washington and hopefully avoid the Bobcats like the plague. :oldlol:

Chicago would be worst case scenario.

I just don't like Brooklyn as a match up for the Raps. Garnett and Pierce have played terrible in the regular season, but those guys turn it on in the playoffs regardless of what happened in the regular season. Last time the Raps played the Nets in the playoffs (although they were younger) the Raps lost to the older more experienced team.

[Legends66NBA7]

Chicago would be worst case scenario.

Yup. It would be a dog fight, talent wise. But the coaching aspect ? Thibodeau would run circles around Casey, especially tight games, which is inevitable come playoff time.

Oh, stuff like this:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rOBFg9eHJpA/UwVgsbYj4mI/AAAAAAAAC2M/yzyFhLQ2az4/s1600/1.gif

Yeah, fans would love this. :oldlol:


I just don't like Brooklyn as a match up for the Raps. Garnett and Pierce have played terrible in the regular season, but those guys turn it on in the playoffs regardless of what happened in the regular season. Last time the Raps played the Nets in the playoffs (although they were younger) the Raps lost to the older more experienced team.

Again yes, the experience factor is going to be in Brooklyn's favour. Between their starting 5, they have something close to a 400 games of playoff experience, while 3 of our 5 starters have zero games of playoff experience.

I wouldn't really bank too much on Garnett and Pierce turning it up in the playoffs at this point in their careers. Garnett can still anchor a defense, but he's inept offensively. Pierce, as with the rest of the wing players on Boston, will have his up and down swings. Just remembering back at their playoff run last year vs the Knicks, Pierce and Garnett were terrible offensively. Livingston is a wild card, Joe Johnson will fade come playoff time, he always does. Deron Williams might turn it around, but that's about it.

As for the 07 Nets, yeah they were more experienced but had the better overall players too, Kidd and Vince > Bosh at the time. To me, it's clear that the 14 Raptors > 14 Nets from what I have seen. Our backcourt is better, our frontcourt is better, our bench is better, we are far more consistent on both ends of the floor, we show much better effort. The coaching is my only concern, but the same goes for the Nets here.

But for all it's worth, I would rather face a team like Washington or even Atlanta with them falling down the standings so fast. Check out what the Washington section was saying (just the major parts) after the game on Tuesday:

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/2/18/5424348/wizards-vs-raptors-score-final-recap


There's no question the Toronto Raptors are a better team than the Wizards. Significantly better, in fact. This 103-93 win -- the Raptors' third over the Wizards' this season and the second decisive one on Washington's home floor -- only drove home that point further. They are deeper. They are longer. They are more versatile. They are more physical. They play much more cohesively, both offensively and defensively. And frankly, they are better coached. This is simultaneously a credit to them and a black mark on the Wizards, who constructed a team that should have been as good as Toronto, but isn't.

And again, it's especially depressing to see all this happen against a team like Toronto, which is overachieving and very clearly more than the sum of its parts. The Wizards don't really underachieve. They just achieve. They have a mediocre roster and are a mediocre team. As tonight's game showed, team's best assets cannot cover that up.

This game felt like the young kid challenging his father to a game of one-on-one, only to find that his youthful exuberance is no match for the dad's many tricks. The Raptors kept plugging help defenders off non-shooters, clogging John Wall's lanes. They sent deadly traps Bradley Beal's way, completely taking him out of the game. They accepted the Wizards' pick and roll coverages and simply moved the ball, relying on their underrated bigs to make plays. Toss in some crafty play from an angry Kyle Lowry in the third quarter, and there's your recipe for success.

^Definitely a winnable series.

[Grey Dawn]

Brooklyn are poop. Garnett is finished ( which means Griffin can take over as biggest dink in the league)

Chicago is the one match up we really don't want

[Jballer]

If things go to plan - a win against the Cavs.

4-1 in last 5. 80%

Way to go Raptors.


The next 5:

Washington
Golden State
Sacramento
@Minnesota
@Brooklyn (back to back)

This is a stiff test for the team, home court not withstanding.

Washington with something to "prove". Expect them to be up for the game.
GS
A much improved Sacremento with Rudy likely playing with a chip on his shoulder.
Minny
A tired Nets team but on their home court.

I would be thrilled with 3-2 ; happy with 2-3.

[Legends66NBA7]

Raptors need to go on another long winning streak. I'm not even sweating this week. The next 2 weeks I agree.

Washington won't have Nene, so I can see a win there if the Raps are focused. Golden State is a little injured right now too. Sacramento I could still see a loss because we don't match up well with Cousins, not because of Rudy Gay playing pissed. The Kings are a terrible road team, though.

Brooklyn, Detroit, Memphis, and Phoenix. That's going to be a tough stretch. The toughest stretch will come at the end of the month, where the Raps got to play Miami (on a back to back), Houston, and Indiana. It's smooth sailing after that.

[Jballer]

If things go to plan - a win against the Cavs.
This is a stiff test for the team, home court not withstanding.

Washington with something to "prove". Expect them to be up for the game.

I would be thrilled with 3-2 ; happy with 2-3.

I would be thrilled with 3-2 ; happy with 2-3

[Legends66NBA7]

I would be thrilled with 3-2 ; happy with 2-3

You win again, sir.

[Jballer]

You win again, sir.

Detroit W
Memphis L
Phoenix W
@Atlanta W
@New Orleans (back to back) W




:cheers:

I do see a solid 3-2 stretch here with a potential 4-1

Thrilled with 4-1 happy with 3-2.

(worried 2-3 with the stretch run coming).

Detroit, Atlanta, and NO are largely in some 'team disarray' although all three are dangerous in their own way. The Paps have facets of the ball distribution that plays well against these 3 teams - or can play well against these team (inside vs Atlanta, NO - outside ball distribution vs Detroit).

Interestingly I think Memphis may be "the" winnable game here. The Raptors match up very well against the strong interior of theGrizz; further we dont depend on our interior to lead the way scoring. The Griz are weak at PG and small forward match up. If the Proline odds are good I will take Raptors for a win and under on the Griz.

I hate teams like the Suns. They show up with nothing to loose - overachieving - spotty talent that seems to invent ways to win. It would be nice if the Raps could out play them in this fashion but... welll see.

[Jballer]

Interestingly I think Memphis may be "the" winnable game here. The Raptors match up very well against the strong interior of theGrizz; further we dont depend on our interior to lead the way scoring. The Griz are weak at PG and small forward match up. If the Proline odds are good I will take Raptors for a win and under on the Griz.

I hate teams like the Suns. They show up with nothing to loose - overachieving - spotty talent that seems to invent ways to win. It would be nice if the Raps could out play them in this fashion but... welll see.

Detroit - called it +1

Grizz - called it +1

Suns- called it +1

Now lets hope this mental toughness is there for the next two... it would be great to see 4-1 as I hope.

[Jballer]

Well 3-2 and not 4-1 ... that Atlanta game was the mental lapse - they could had that one.

A real good stretch for the Raps

Thunder
Hawks
Cavs
Celtic
Celtic

A betting man looks for a "let down loss" against the Cavs. They should be up for Thunder and return on Hawks but may come out listless with the sandwhich game before the Celtic back to back.

Ill go loss , win , loss, win, win the betting line. 3-2

[Jballer]

Thunder
Hawks
Cavs
Celtic
Celtic

A betting man looks for a "let down loss" against the Cavs. They should be up for Thunder and return on Hawks but may come out listless with the sandwhich game before the Celtic back to back.

Ill go loss , win , loss, win, win the betting line. 3-2

Interesting play now on Cavs. Typical let down game but then Atlanta was almost a let down game. Raps seem to be tired and a little beat up - Cavs just aced the Knicks hot streak.

I'll hold my guns and wager on a Raps D effort letdown with the Cavs simply gunning lots of points ; KIrv with a hot hand. Not that I would ever bet money or anything :rolleyes: but the over might be the play.

[Legends66NBA7]

Kyrie Irving isn't playing on Tuesday. Patrick Patterson should be back from injury after missing 9 games.

[Jballer]

Cavs - Traditional let down game...

1 -1- 1

Now a good team mentally tough should be up for Celtics back to back. Klow is sick but the Celtics are not playing for anything..

Not that I recommend placing wagers but a 2 game parley win probably pays well. :rolleyes:

[Jballer]

Hope the Raps at home win.. baby needs a new pair of shoes.. :cheers:

[Jballer]

Thunder
Hawks
Cavs
Celtic
Celtic

Ill go loss , win , loss, win, win the betting line. 3-2

:cheers:

Next 5 are tough games not only because of the teams but also the let down with the playoff spot now confirmed.

@Orlando
@Miami (back to back)
Houston
Indiana
@Milwaukee (back to back)

I will go with 2-3 picking the win over the Magic and Bucks.

The Magic game could be a bit of a trap game given the tough wins over Boston but I think they will carry it and not look past Orlando.

Miami Houston Indiana - the Raptors could surprise one out of those games as the teams may be resting stars or frankly catch a team with a trap game of their own. If any of these teams are likely to mis fire verses the Raps I will pick Indiana as they have been playing uncharacteristically bad ball.

But 2-3 maybe 3-2 would thrill me.

[Jballer]

Better than expected.

Magic and Bucks as mostly predicted.

Wins vs Rockets and Pacers :cheers:

I would hate to be the Pacers going into the playoffs with so many questions. Frankly as weak as the Bobcats may be unless the Pacers find a new gear they could be in trouble

I am not sure if tha Raps dont coast now a bit playing the 2nd squad extensviely for minutes leading into paly off run.

I will bet ... er predict ... win win loss win loss.

Philadelphia
New York
@Detroit
Milwaukee (back to back)
@New York

[Legends66NBA7]

I would like to end it on an 8 game win streak, but it seems that we might rest our players if we clinch the Atlantic.