Basketball in Canada - Page 26

isaidso · #**501** Posted **Mar 8, 2018, 7:50 PM**

It's the earliest the Raptors have ever secured a playoff spot.

Denscity · #**502** Posted **Mar 9, 2018, 2:43 AM**

BC high school championships on now from the Langley Events Centre. It's a big enough deal every year that TSN Vancouver is broadcasting live from it.
Steve Nash and Kelly Olinick among others came through this tournament.

TorontoDrew · #**503** Posted **Mar 9, 2018, 3:34 PM**

I wonder if you had the Grizzlies now if they would be a more successful franchise?

osmo · #**504** Posted **Mar 9, 2018, 3:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I wonder if you had the Grizzlies now if they would be a more successful franchise?

Absolutely.

Grizzlies were doomed from early with bad strategy and leadership. Vancouver market is perfect for NBA basketball and would be similar to Dallas IMO. Mavericks have a very strong and loyal following in Dallas but it isn't the main show in town.

GernB · #**505** Posted **Mar 10, 2018, 7:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by osmo

Absolutely.

Grizzlies were doomed from early with bad strategy and leadership. Vancouver market is perfect for NBA basketball and would be similar to Dallas IMO. Mavericks have a very strong and loyal following in Dallas but it isn't the main show in town.

IIRC the Grizzlies averaged 14,000 per game their last year in Vancouver despite years of lousy basketball caused, as you point out, by lousy management. If the Griffiths family hadn't had to divest itself of its major sports and media assets, the team probably would still be there. It's a damned shame they were moved, as they haven't exactly lit the association on fire either attendance- or record-wise in their years in Memphis. I agree that given a reasonably entertaining product, Vancouver would be a very successful NBA franchise.

GernB · #**506** Posted **Mar 10, 2018, 7:39 PM**

Watching Calgary v McGill in the USports (hate that name) semis from Halifax. Lots of turnovers and poor shooting from both teams, though it's settled down a bit in the second half. Unfortunately looks to be only a few hundred in attendance.

isaidso · #**507** Posted **Mar 11, 2018, 5:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GernB

Watching Calgary v McGill in the USports (hate that name) semis from Halifax. Lots of turnovers and poor shooting from both teams, though it's settled down a bit in the second half. Unfortunately looks to be only a few hundred in attendance.

The lower bowl in the other Semi-Final looks full so that's weird. There seems to be people in the upper bowl too. Any way, big upset. Carleton is out with Ryerson moving on to meet Calgary in the national championship game.

Ryerson 84 Carleton 76

Courtesy of larongenow

isaidso · #**508** Posted **Mar 11, 2018, 5:10 AM**

In other news, RJ Barrett named Naismith High School player of the year in the United States. It's only the 2nd time a Canadian has won; the other being Andrew Wiggins.

GernB · #**509** Posted **Mar 11, 2018, 4:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

The lower bowl in the other Semi-Final looks full so that's weird. There seems to be people in the upper bowl too. Any way, big upset. Carleton is out with Ryerson moving on to meet Calgary in the national championship game.

Ryerson 84 Carleton 76

Courtesy of larongenow

For the second semi between Ryerson and Carleton there was a half decent crowd. I was referring to the first between Calgary and McGill.

Glad to see Ryerson win. Diressa played very well and was the best player on the floor. Can't see Calgary coming close today but who knows.

blueandgoldguy · #**510** Posted **Mar 11, 2018, 9:00 PM**

Raptors sure look like the real deal. I think they have a better than 50% chance to qualify for the finals this year.

isaidso · #**511** Posted **Mar 11, 2018, 10:44 PM**

^^ They have a very good shot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GernB

For the second semi between Ryerson and Carleton there was a half decent crowd. I was referring to the first between Calgary and McGill.

Glad to see Ryerson win. Diressa played very well and was the best player on the floor. Can't see Calgary coming close today but who knows.

The 2 Semi-Finals are usually sold as a double header but I guess a lot of people skipped the first one.

isaidso · #**512** Posted **Mar 11, 2018, 10:45 PM**

4:37 left in the 4th and it's Calgary 65, Ryerson 63. Looks like this one will go down to the wire.

FrankieFlowerpot · #**513** Posted **Mar 12, 2018, 12:45 AM**

Tremendous game between the Dinos and Rams earlier

suburbanite · #**514** Posted **Mar 12, 2018, 1:39 PM**

Don't want to get my hopes up too high for the Raptors since playoff Lebron is a completely different beast and all bets are off. That being said, this team is completely different than those of the last 3 years, and the Cavs have the worst record for a Lebron-led team since he left Cleveland the first time. The opportunity is there, but it won't be easy.

That Houston/Toronto game on Friday was awesome though and would make for a great finals.

TorontoDrew · #**515** Posted **Mar 12, 2018, 1:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Raptors sure look like the real deal. I think they have a better than 50% chance to qualify for the finals this year.

Charles Barkley seems to think so.

• Video Link

TorontoDrew · #**516** Posted **Mar 12, 2018, 1:59 PM**

Here is the full debate between him and Shaq. At the end Barkley says Toronto is his favorite city in the world.

• Video Link

suburbanite · #**517** Posted **Mar 12, 2018, 2:09 PM**

Barkley's always been pretty vocal about how much he liked Toronto whenever he was playing here. I remember when we had the All-Star weekend here he was pretty much saying "I told you so" to everyone on the national broadcasting crew who was surprised at how vibrant and basketball crazy the city was.

He's a little bit old school in his thinking sometimes, and I don't put too much weight on his predictions, but as far as panelists go Chuck is pretty great.

TorontoDrew · #**518** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 3:26 PM**

From CNN today
The team that could stop LeBron's Finals run at 7

How DeRozan, Lowry and Raptors Ditched 'Same Old Crap' to Dominate the East

NEW YORK — While the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors were once again battling for NBA supremacy this past June, the Toronto Raptors' on-court brain trust—coach Dwane Casey, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry—got together in Oakland, California, to come up with a new plan.

Not that the old plan wasn't working. It just wasn't sustainable in the new basketball landscape dominated by fast-paced offense, three-point shooting and multiple weapons being brought to bear on increasingly hapless and helpless defenses across the league.

"It was time for a change," a person familiar with the dialogue at the meeting told Bleacher Report. "We couldn't just keep doing the same old crap."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...aign=editorial

GernB · #**519** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 6:33 PM**

^They have a chance to gain some respect south of the border tonight on national US TV against the Cavaliers. Second night of a back to back; they have to come up with a much better performance than they gave against Orlando. If DeRozan and Van Vleet are in the lineup it will help.

suburbanite · #**520** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 9:38 PM**

I really want to believe this years Raptors will be different in the playoffs. The team is the most complete I've ever seen it. I still see signs of them reverting to the old ways of Derozan/Lowry iso plays or JV post-ups when things aren't going their way though.

I'm hoping some of the new guys come through big when we need them. CJ Miles has been clutch, stringing together consecutive threes at the end of big games. VanVleet always seems to make the right play and hit the shot when you need him too.

Raps biggest advantage is that they can send out wave after wave of fresh players when other teams tighten up their bench in the playoffs. Make Lebron play an exhausting 40 minutes by continually rotating OG, Siakam, and Powell covering him on defense.