What are the good spots in town for wine/dine/nightlife? Preferably near Scotiabank Arena. Is Harbour Square Park any good?
RIP Warriors
In the first four seasons of the Steve Kerr era, the Warriors went 39-6 at home in the playoffs. Their trendsetting combination of bombs-away offense and suffocating defense generated the game-breaking runs that fueled the fervor of a raucous fan base, creating arguably the NBA’s best home-court advantage.
This postseason, though, they’ve had a much tougher time. The Warriors entered Friday just 6-3 in the Bay in the 2019 playoffs. Two of those losses came in the opening round against the Los Angeles Clippers, before Kevin Durant suffered the calf strain that has irrevocably altered these playoffs. The third came Wednesday, when Toronto outclassed a short-handed Golden State to take a 2-1 lead. The Raptors added a fourth on Friday, dusting the Dubs 105-92 and sending a nervous shiver through everyone who’s been waiting for the champs to show up.
Then the third quarter started.
”Kawhi Leonard came out and hit two big eff-you shots to start the half,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said. “There’s no defense for that. There are no schemes for that.”
The Warriors responded to Leonard’s “eff-you shots” and held a slim lead with five minutes to go in the third. But the Raptors would grab the game by the scruff of its neck, closing the quarter on a 20-6 run ignited by Leonard’s excellence, Serge Ibaka’s energy, and a locked-in defense
Durant’s presence unlocks the Death Lineup, providing the length, wing depth, and versatility necessary for Golden State to roll with Draymond at center for extended stretches without compromising the integrity of the defense. His absence means heavier reliance on flawed wing alternatives—an aging Livingston, an ineffectual Jonas Jerebko—or more minutes with true bigs who range from hurt to bad and who are getting eaten alive by Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam, and Ibaka.
“In our locker room, we’re talking about believing—everybody out there, believe that we can get this done,” Curry said. “Until the final buzzer sounds and somebody gets the four wins, we still have life and have an opportunity to win.”
Belief can carry a team a long way, but it only gets you so far when the other guys believe, too, and they’re better. Right now, the Warriors aren’t the juggernaut we’ve come to know. Right now, they’re a game of Jenga, and the Raptors, and the injuries, and the toll of five straight years of 100-game seasons all keep sliding out, piece after piece after piece
On June 08 2019 02:26 JimmyJRaynor wrote: This is a nice look at the "game within a game" between Leonard and Popovich. Steve Kerr needs to learn how to be a better liar. Kerr looks so bad in this interview.
How does your theory about Ibaka being much older than listed look now in your opinion?
Now that Ibaka is coming off the bench and his minutes are way down he is definitely being utilized by Nurse as an aging player. The Raptors rotation is so tight and yet he only gets 20 minutes a game. I think Woj and Lowe made good points at the time of Ibaka's signing with TO. Athletes BS about their age to get more money or a higher draft position. Marv Levy even did it to get a coaching job.
I mean JJR constantly posts these racist conspiracies, but now I'm not sure after our last little chat about his video if he even understands what a conspiracy theory is or what a fact is. It is like he does not understand the difference between assumption and fact. Someone else did it sometime so Ibaka did it, because.... ????? I mean WTF????
The Ibaka thing is racist as fuck. The only reason is because of where he is born, zero other proof. Ibaka himself addressed it and said it was racists and for people to stop.
This is his at least third racist post here, he is perma banned from US politics thread for the same thing. It is probably just best for the rest of us to just ignore him when he does it because nothing stops him and he never would even consider the fact that he is wrong at times.
On June 08 2019 02:26 JimmyJRaynor wrote: This is a nice look at the "game within a game" between Leonard and Popovich. Steve Kerr needs to learn how to be a better liar. Kerr looks so bad in this interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiYW_pdcYWA
How does your theory about Ibaka being much older than listed look now in your opinion?
Now that Ibaka is coming off the bench and his minutes are way down he is definitely being utilized by Nurse as an aging player. The Raptors rotation is so tight and yet he only gets 20 minutes a game. I think Woj and Lowe made good points at the time of Ibaka's signing with TO. Athletes BS about their age to get more money or a higher draft position. Marv Levy even did it to get a coaching job.
WOW!!! I cant believe I'm reading this.
Per NBA, Ibaka was born in 09/18/1989, and is currently 29 years old.
JJ, please state your position clearly: in your opinion, how old is Ibaka and what is your source on that?
On June 08 2019 02:26 JimmyJRaynor wrote: This is a nice look at the "game within a game" between Leonard and Popovich. Steve Kerr needs to learn how to be a better liar. Kerr looks so bad in this interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiYW_pdcYWA
How does your theory about Ibaka being much older than listed look now in your opinion?
Now that Ibaka is coming off the bench and his minutes are way down he is definitely being utilized by Nurse as an aging player. The Raptors rotation is so tight and yet he only gets 20 minutes a game. I think Woj and Lowe made good points at the time of Ibaka's signing with TO. Athletes BS about their age to get more money or a higher draft position. Marv Levy even did it to get a coaching job.
WOW!!! I cant believe I'm reading this.
Per NBA, Ibaka was 09/18/1989, and is currently 29 years old.
JJ, please state your position clearly: in your opinion, how old is Ibaka and what is your source on that?
He has no source, he is just stereotyping him because he is from the African continent. His proof is that others have done it in baseball from Latin America. This Bull Shit by him is so frustrating, I'm not sure why TL lets him get away with this type of posting.
JimmiC, can we report racist stuff and general misinformation and abrasive and deceitful behaviour?
I really don't care about ignoring him or not, in fact I believe plurality of perspectives is always healthy. For sure his opinions are odd but they are no less welcome than others, even though and especially that they are different. But I am alarmed that he holds these bankrupt ideas in his head and cannot even be engaged in a rational discussion when challenged.
Anyway, JimmiC, I'll leave that debate with him for you, as I really dont care what JJ says or does, I might even have a beer with him Monday night if he is anywhere near Scotia in game 5. What little I expect from JJ is he replies to my queries to a position he himself just made, and I repeat:
Per NBA, Ibaka was 09/18/1989, and is currently 29 years old.
JJ, please state your position clearly: in your opinion, how old is Ibaka and what is your source on that?
On June 10 2019 00:34 Twinkle Toes wrote: JimmiC, can we report racist stuff and general misinformation and abrasive and deceitful behaviour?
I really don't care about ignoring him or not, in fact I believe plurality of perspectives is always healthy. For sure his opinions are odd but they are no less welcome than others, even though and especially that they are different. But I am alarmed that he holds these bankrupt ideas in his head and cannot even be engaged in a rational discussion when challenged.
Anyway, JimmiC, I'll leave that debate with him for you, as I really dont care what JJ says or does, I might even have a beer with him Monday night if he is anywhere near Scotia in game 5. What little I expect from JJ is he replies to my queries to a position he himself just made, and I repeat:
Per NBA, Ibaka was 09/18/1989, and is currently 29 years old.
JJ, please state your position clearly: in your opinion, how old is Ibaka and what is your source on that?
Plurality of opinion is fine on things like who is better and so on. When it is birtherism it just needs to be shut down.
I wish I could hit up T.O. for the game tomorrow but if I left now and drove all night I might make it but then I would be exhausted and have to take the whole week off work, not gonna happen. Just going to enjoy it here at home!
Durrant is giving it a go for practice today hopeful to play tomorrow. I think the warriors know they cant win without him. I wonder how healthy he will be if he does play.
On June 08 2019 19:35 Dante08 wrote: Haven't been following NBA but what's up with KD leaving?
So the popular opinion is his 2 rings with GSW have asterisks because he joined a 72-win team (although thats a shit argument from the start, for a lot of reasons - LEAST among them is how KD is badly needed by the team now in order to win the championship. If you fault KD for joining GSW, then fault Lebron a hundred times over for doing the pussiest move in NBA by ganging up with 2 rivals in the already weak-ass Eastern conference at that, to ensure a clear path to the finals, until Kawhi yeeted him again and again). This obviously annoys him and he'd want to definitively affirm his one of the GOAT legacy.
He joined a 73-win team and you can't tell me you don't see the difference between joinig a back-to-back finals super team that you lost to vs forming a super team. Lebron did the latter. KDs move was way weaker, he took the easiest path there was.
On June 08 2019 19:35 Dante08 wrote: Haven't been following NBA but what's up with KD leaving?
So the popular opinion is his 2 rings with GSW have asterisks because he joined a 72-win team (although thats a shit argument from the start, for a lot of reasons - LEAST among them is how KD is badly needed by the team now in order to win the championship. If you fault KD for joining GSW, then fault Lebron a hundred times over for doing the pussiest move in NBA by ganging up with 2 rivals in the already weak-ass Eastern conference at that, to ensure a clear path to the finals, until Kawhi yeeted him again and again). This obviously annoys him and he'd want to definitively affirm his one of the GOAT legacy.
He joined a 73-win team and you can't tell me you don't see the difference between joinig a back-to-back finals super team that you lost to vs forming a super team. Lebron did the latter. KDs move was way weaker, he took the easiest path there was.
The Heat were as talented as GSW, LeBron is just a way worse for working with elite teammates. People act like, " not five, not six ..." was a joke. It wasn't, it was reasonable expectations for that group, and they massively underperformed.
On June 08 2019 19:35 Dante08 wrote: Haven't been following NBA but what's up with KD leaving?
So the popular opinion is his 2 rings with GSW have asterisks because he joined a 72-win team (although thats a shit argument from the start, for a lot of reasons - LEAST among them is how KD is badly needed by the team now in order to win the championship. If you fault KD for joining GSW, then fault Lebron a hundred times over for doing the pussiest move in NBA by ganging up with 2 rivals in the already weak-ass Eastern conference at that, to ensure a clear path to the finals, until Kawhi yeeted him again and again). This obviously annoys him and he'd want to definitively affirm his one of the GOAT legacy.
He joined a 73-win team and you can't tell me you don't see the difference between joinig a back-to-back finals super team that you lost to vs forming a super team. Lebron did the latter. KDs move was way weaker, he took the easiest path there was.
This is one of those topics that has a clear definite conclusion yet due to the nature of online discussion never get resolved. So might I suggest that we do this in a fun and different manner, ok?
You present your best argument, I present my best argument. At the end of the discussion, the one with the weaker argument will concede and accept some penalty. I'll let you decide on the penalty. (Needless to say, we have to observe some conditions: we have to be honest, rational, and argue based only on evidence.) Game?
So, If I understand your statement correctly, your argument is this: KDs joining a back-to-back finals superteam that he lost to is weaker than Lebron forming a superteam.
Correct? You may clarify your argument if you like, and let's start from there.
I wrote my full reply already before I realized we havent decided on the penalty yet. I'll leave that decision to you. Name it and then I will edit this with my reply.
I take Paljas acceptance in good faith, and even while he is thinking of a fun-yet-significant punishment "loser" of this debate, I will nonetheless post my arguments ahead of the said punishment. My intention is 1) to give a definite resolution to this issue, whether it is the position I hold now or the ones Paljas will bring forth that will make me reconsider my take on this matter: 2) To introduce a different kind of discussion, better than what we are used here with JJ and all his abrasive techniques whenever he is asked to rationally defend his takes and opinions. JimmiC, yes, up to you buddy. The core issue here is determining the weaker move. or, to restate it in more specific and measurable terms, which player resorted to the easier way out (compared to both each others career and their predicament at that time).
Item 1a: I'll start by addressing your (and every "snek" commenters) main contention: the 73-win Warriors. - Didn't this 73-win Warriors team almost lose to OKC in the WCF, overcoming a 1-3 deficit? YES/NO? - Didn't this 73-win Warriors team lose players to injury and suspension, underhanding them in the finals? YES/NO? - Didn't this 73-win Warriors team eventually lost to the Cavs? YES/NO?
Item 1b: - Wasn't Lebron then considered the best player in the NBA? YES/NO? - Aren't Bosh and Wade then considered top 5 players in the NBA? YES/NO? - Aren't all three in the prime of their careers, and leaders of their own respective teams? YES/NO? - Wasn't it then considered unprecedented (therefore anomalous) for three prime players to gang together and tilt the odds astronomically in their favor (see clutZ point about "not 1, not 2")? YES/NO?
Let's add another dimension to this.
Item 2a: - Is the Warriors superteam formed by good team management and player development? YES/NO? - Is the Warriors superteam composed of superstars in their prime joining forces to unbalance the league? YES/NO?
Item 2b: - Is the Cavs superteam formed by good team management and player development? YES/NO? - Is the Cavs superteam composed of superstars in their prime joining forces to unbalance the league? YES/NO? Preliminary conclusion. The point of Items 1a/1b is to assess the concept of "superteam". For sure the Warriors got the most regular season wins record in the NBA, but them losing in the finals proved that they were not the best team. Although regular season wins is a strong indication of strength, the playoffs are a different monster entirely (ask all those 60+ wins East team that Lebron massacred on his way to 8 straight finals appearance). Lebron's Miami, on the other hand, was created precisely to dominate the league and win championships. Again re: clutZ, people brush it off in jest now, but the universal opnion in 2011 was that Miami was gonna be the Bulls of the 2010s. That is until Lebron got exposed by (2011 Mavs and Spurs), and got derailed by the emerging Warriors. In short, Lebron and Miami was unequivocally the best team with the best talents in the NBA but massively underperformed way beyond their available talent and expectation.
The point of Items 2a/2b is to characterize the nature of "superteam". To sharply emphasize this point, imagine Jordan calling up Barkley and Olajuwon in the early 90s, or Kobe asking TMac and Duncan to join him post-Shaq Lakers. IMPOSSIBLE. Those players wanted to kill each other competitively. They'd rather die than be each others teammates on the way to a guaranteed ring.
Now on to the joining. Imagine yourself being Durant, what would you do offseason 2016? Stay with Westbrook and be in playoffs limbo forever? Join the Hornets? Suns? Nets? We all agree that he, or anyone else in that position, should make the best possible move. And we cannot fault Durant that the NBA income structure at the time, coupled with GSW organization management, made GSW the best decision for him.
Lebron's forming a superteam on the other hand - an in-his-prime superstar who people were considering a GOAT over MJ asking other in-their-prime superstars to join him for a sure chance at championship is unprecedented and anomalous (understandable only in the small context that he is desperate to live up to his Chosen One image and win a ring).
Conclusion: Both moves are equally weak moves, but understandable in the context of legacy and winning a championship for the players concerned. However, IF anyone should insist the one move is weaker than the other, then Lebron's forming a superteam is weaker than Durant's joining a superteam based on the reasons comprehensively given above.
All you have to do is look at Vegas pre-season odds to see how hyped the 2 teams are.
Heat after LeBron joined were +175 to win the championship
Warriors after KD joined were -125 to win the championship
Warriors were literally favorites against the entire field going into that season. They were hyped to be the greatest team of all-time and with KD they are the greatest team of all-time.
Hell, even before KD joined the Warriors were still the favorites to win the championship the following season. The narrative that they technically weren't the best team because they lost in the finals is bullshit. Upsets happen in every sport, it doesn't always mean that the team doing the upsetting is better than the team that lost.
If KD and Harden joined the Pels to team up with AD it would still be considered less weak than KD joining the 73-win title favorites with the reigning MVP
@BlackJack, your raising a different argument. You are practically saying this: Las Vegas preseason odds determine who the best team is. This is a bad take.
I really want to focus on Paljas point because that is the core issue, but let me briefly address your point here. Two things:
1. Curry's supernova 2014-2016 once-in-a-lifetime offensive performance is so awe-inspiring that it's easy to miscalculate the real strength of the team. No doubt this is a great team, but it is a product of Curry's superb performance paired with his good-to-very-good teammates overperforming (Green, Iggy, Thompson) who have the correct ego and personality that makes the team all-time great. But that greatness is more prominent in the regular season that in the playoffs when teams can construct specific counters against them. They shocked and awed the league in 2015, but their flaws were (and are being) exposed by good counter-planning, such as 2016 OKC, 2016 Cavs, 2017 Houston, 2019 Houston, and this year's Toronto. How? first, Curry is a defensive liability against playoffs elite team offense. His gambles and reach ins may convert to a steal of a deflection against Lillard, or Utah or Clippers, but against elite offensive teams with good passers and readers like Kawhi, Lebron, Harden, etc, he always gets displaced, leaving his man for open shots. He also wilts against heavy-handed bruising defense (see Lebron, Thompson, Dellavedova practically elbowing and wrestling him on screens and pins in the 2016 finals). This resulted in crucial mistakes like him missing rotations on defense, making amateur behind the back no look passes on life-and-death possessions, avoiding the usual elevator and blocking Kaly's exit, much to Klay's dismay many times in 2016 game 7. This year, see how FVV, Lowry, and Kawhi feasts on his bad instincts.. His only redemption is that Iggy is a beta superstar, Klay is volatile, and Draymond is a defensive genius. KD's arrival in god-sent for Curry and his legacy. With how hungry Lebron is in the last couple of years, and how improved SAS and HOU were last season, Curry would have been exposed much earlier, as he is in this year's finals, that he alone cannot carry this team. I hesitate to say this but he is what we may consider a system-great player. His submission to KD since 2016 is not an accident. The 73-win season was an illusion, and hid the holes of the team. KD is NBA's and GSW's best players and plugged all these holes. This is being made objectively undeniably clear this series.
2. Lebron paved the way for KD. If Lebron didnt make that original bitch move first, KD, as well as other superstars (Wall, AD, PG, Kawhi) would all hesitate to be seen as team/teammate-selecting divas publicly (privately its another matter).