Live Thread: Cavs at Raptors
2015-11-25
Note from Editor Nate Smith: I feel like the stuff that our commenters contribute is better than the stuff other blogs publish. This site is a labor of love, and you guys make it worthwhile. Thanks so much. I know I speak for everyone at CtB when I say that we are truly thankful for your readership, interaction, and the sense of community that you’ve instilled here. Please, everyone, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Skinny Kyle Lowry is as good as chubby Kyle Lowry. It doesn’t really matter how cut up the nine year veteran is as long as he is healthy. After Lowry’s 2014 playoff performance, the gritty point guard led the Raptors to a very strong start of the 2014-2015 season before he and his team lost steam. When Lowry is right, the Raptors are a tough-nosed defensive squad with a giant heart. When he is off, the Raptors are a soft, perimeter oriented team that is as fuzzy as the picture above.
So far, Lowry is right and that in tandem with a bit of effective DeMar DeRozan is enough for a decent start. Unfortunately for the Drakes(Zach Lowe, we miss you), DeMarre Carroll hasn’t quite found his Canadian groove, Jonas Valanciunas hasn’t quite made the leap, and superstar Anthony Bennett hasn’t … ok, forgot I mentioned our dear Gum Drop Bear. A favorite of Nate and mine, James Johnson has strangely gotten very little burn. As one of the few guys in the league who can physically matchup with LeBron, that could change tonight.
Kevin Love and the Cavaliers cross Lake Erie with more confidence than they have ever had as a single unit. Since Kevin’s rough shooting night in New York, the Cavalier bigman has averaged nearly 25 points per contest. He is doing damage on early seal post-ups and three point bombs. All of Blatt’s men are feeding Love the rock and it has worked beautifully. With Mathew Dellavedova questionable with a balky calf, the Cavs will welcome Mo Williams back into the fray after his three game absence.
Whether you are watching with old high school friends at your hometown bar, with your family while prebaking pumpkin pie, or hiding from said family in an attempt to stay sane, enjoy the game.
Not much Danger …
MDN can’t buy a call, but really needs to learn how to finish better at the rim…
Refs giving a lot of love for the home team tonight
Wait.. I don’t want jinx but.. It’s been a loooooooong time since Lebron made all his free throws in a game.
If that was any raptor lowry would have been called for the foul
Dunk the gd ball, Jared.
We need Delly back. Our two best front court defenders are out.
Backcourt*********
Strong drive by Mo… needed that
Where the crap was the foul?!
Okay… that was a bad attempt by MDN that time…
Ninja needs to attend the Uncle Drew finishing school.
Another phantom call.
Where was the foul on that? Bad call…
Ball don’t lie!
RJ HAVE A QUIET NIGHT
He heard you lol
I don’t trust MDN handling the ball. Lowry is getting away with bullying defense and MDN can’t look up
Nobody came to the ball on that possession…
This unit is trash. Team needs to get healthy.
F***ING Lowry
Wow I haven’t been this annoyed w another team since Houston last season.
How great is it to go to a random cutaway and see Gum Drop Bear playing cheerleader?
They should make him wear a pink outfit…
T up Bismack, Lauren!
Seriously… aren’t you supposed to get a T for slamming the ball to the floor like that?
That replay on TT’s block clearly showed it should have been a block and not a goaltend…
Crap call.
I have almost never seen Lebron get angry enough to nearly fight another player. B****smack almost made the list
Bismack trying to talk smack…
Anyone else think Tristan plus mustache equals giant state trooper?
Lauren to Lowry: That’s one bump too many, son.
Raptors are a bunch of real whiners
Will we see much MDN second half?
Hope so… need his D on Lowry and Derozan…
Yes. He’s the bench for guard rotation.
DID KEV’S DAD (STAN ) TRAVEL WITH THE TEAM–EVER SINCE DAD HAS BEEN AROUND –HE HAS BEEN ON A TERROR —DETROIT PUTTING AN OLD FASHIONED WHUMPING ON THE HEAT- UP BY 26
Carroll got the best of LBJ that time… for once…
Carroll is not jimmy butler but he competes like hell. Needed a reverse kraken w mo cutting to hoop
Or a three ball in his grill from the King… like that one…
Kev gotta toughen up the interior D…
Smith is basically solely responsible for derozan struggling tonight. Great effort to keep in front of him
Wtf. Did anyone else see the double dribble.
Obviously not the refs… sheesh…
Looked like Jr got his hands on the ball
Omg double dribble!
JR SWISH!!!!
Somebody not rotating to cover Carroll on the arc…
KLove is $$$$ from that spot tonight…
Second lazy pass I’ve seen from KLove tonight…
Bismack just camping out in the middle…
Flop! I haven’t seen acting that bad since Kimmy Gibbler!
That’s a low blow nate
B****slap is such a flopper…
Bismarck has refs in his pocket!!! He’s friggin James harden tonight
I (bleeping) despise the Warriors. They are so damn lucky they don’t have our type of injury luck.
Sorry about the language, I’m drinking and it slipped and there is no delete button…
Fixed!
Hands up, who isn’t drinking.
Were you watching a replay or something JMay? Or did you have a flashback?
Thanks for the fix. And no it was a flashback. Seriously though, it just makes me angry how healthy they’ve been while the injuries just keep stacking up on us. In typical cleveland fashion
Forget it, Jake. It’s Cleve-town.
Kinda reminds me of the constantly injured Wilkens-era Cavs against Jordan’s always health Bulls.
I often have thoughts similar to this when I see that injury report at the beginning of every game: cavs missing fifty points, over half their starting lineup, and their water boy has to stay home to study tonight
I see LeBron is making free throws. Dude rules. I love him.
Lebron is 7-7 at the free throw line. Thats a first this year!
Defensive shot clock awareness by JR!
The Champ giving motivational speeches on the sidelines… I like it!
Shump’s jacket game is on point tonight
Imankamun looking like an Egyptian prince.
Somebody punch Lowry plz. It will be worth the suspension.
I’d do it if I was there… ;)
I wish Lauren would do it
And celebrate with a Tim Horton’s donut…
Schooled. S-C-H-O-O-W-E-L-L-E-D.
Clutch freebies by the king.
NBA refs are absolutely horrible. The whole lot of them.
Lebron…ugh. Make-up call
LeBron fouled by the predator.
DeMarre wishes he was the Predator… bet he’d like to be invisible right now…
COULD THIS BE THE NIGHT THE 76ER’S GET THEIR 1ST WIN —LEAD THE CELTS BY 6—-
that is INSANE!!! Not on kevin at all
Bismack literally just fell to the floor on his own… nobody touched him… if anything, he cleared KLove out…
I’m out on Cunningham. He earned his spot, and I don’t mind him at the end of the bench, but I doubt he sees any real time when the Cavs are healthy. He’s a bad offensive player and his defense is decent, not great.
I will diametrically oppose you on that point, Mike…
He’s hit two threes already and has played some stellar D so far tonight, and usually does…
He’s not a point guard, has six points on eight shots, often plays out of control.
He’s not supposed to be a PG… he’s an SG who can handle the ball a little… and it’s mostly his finishing that needs work. He never gets foul calls when he drives, but still draws foul calls on defense… He had a cut and pass earlier that was a thing of beauty… Also, you are underrating his D…
You know who this sounds like? Dion Waiters. Cunningham is a solid defender, but he’s not good enough on that end to make up for the offense. I’m not saying cut him, I’m saying that he’s overrated because there’s something there where most people though there was nothing.
Dion was NEVER good a defense… and MDN doesn’t take off balance long twos… don’t get the comparison at all…
He also wasn’t taken 4th overall in the draft…
He would end up on the bench as a 12th man anyway when all healthy. Of course he’s not gonna flourish that much as a starter but what can we do? We’re just happy for him. He’s average at best, maybe less. But the praise for a good output isn’t exclusive to all-stars.
And he never played out of the structure just to get his..
Dion makes dumb plays despite the talent.
It would be great if they never needed Cunningham, but look at their injury history last spring and this season. Who would you rather have for depth, Cunningham or Harris? Cunningham is holding his own against Lowry and DeRozan.
I’m not disputing that Cunningham is better than Harris. I’m disputing that he’s good enough to be a regular rotation player on a contender.
Lowry pushes off on every play…
Cavs need to stop caring whether they find an open three. Cut to the bucket
Literally the last piece the Cavs need to figure out… closing out quarters…
Sink the Bismack…
He needs to buy an R.
How does byombo grab the rebound with ease, and there’s a foul?!
“UNCLE ” DAN GOING TO DIG INTO HIS POCKETS ( AGAIN ) TO KEEP MDN ON THE TEAM—–TOO VALUABLE ( MORE THAN THE SMOKIN ONE ) TO LET GO
That call was s*** Bismack initiated all the contact.
I am quite excited for the time when the Cavs’ second unit is something like Mo, Delly, J.R., Tristan and one of Jones, Jefferson, or Andy.
Quick note to say I agree with the Editor’s note above – this blog is awesome for so many reasons. We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia, but in honour of you guys I may try to find some turkey n stuffing & have a lil tipple anyway. Will raise a glass to y’all.
Ok guys finish strong now.
Do t know how that was a foul on Mo diving after the ball.
DeRozan’s size is a challenge. This is another night where 20 or 30 minutes from Shump would be huge.
Cavs need to start practicing closing out quarters strong…
Lowry is a card carrying member of the Draymond Green “How was that a foul on me?!” club…
My least favorite club of overachieving opponents