Saki Pathmasiri

@NBA @BR_NBA @ZachLowe_NBA @ESPNNBA This is how you fix tanking. You take the winning percentage of teams, after they are officially eliminated from the play-in, and the Play-in losers get placed in the middle. As of now this is what it looks like. Make every game matter.

@PensareBBall Most players have 1 path to development. Scottie's path is very multi-layered, I wish people had the patience to see this through.

@PensareBBall Scottie's been trying to find balance since year 3. Before OG was traded, he's was able to play the full game. OG was traded he took the role, and it took out his legs. Year 4 Do everything from the jump, The stats didn't rise, but the balance did. Year 5 heavier Defense

I'm not even mad at it. Scottie was amazing. He took the Raptors to top 5 in defense without the elite defensive talent the other 3 had. He should still make 1st team. If we're being absolutely real, his defense has been meh for a month. Just ran out of gas late.

@RaptorsShaq your 24 hours begin....right now.

Watching Darko try to make lineups with this roster is like watching an episode of Chopped. “Your mystery basket includes: 1 injured Point Guard, 1 debilitated 7 footer, a busted lottery player, and three on-ball Wings…”

@RaptorsShaq You can't tell me, after watching game 1, that this Cavs teams is actually scary. Game 1 looked like a scout game. They were clicking on thier strengths. We scored 113 without our main strength, the fast break. It feels like we can win game 2, by 10.

There’s just no way to overcome the talent gap between Spida/Harden and Shead/Barrett

@SBGreatestPF You can't tell me, after watching game 1, that this Cavs teams is actually scary. Game 1 looked like a scout game. They were clicking on thier strengths. We scored 113 without our main strength, the fast break. It feels like we can win game 2, by 10.

Would we beat the Cavs if we had prime Kyle Lowry?

@william_lou Isn't strange that we scored 113, with barely any fast breaks? This felt like a scouting game. It feels like we can win game 2 by 10.

Brandon Ingram on only taking 1 shot in the second half: "Well, coach wanted to use me as a screener. Also he noticed that my man wasn't coming off me so he wanted me outside of the action and being a receiver. At the end of the day, me shooting 9 shots is not going to win basketball games."

@PensareBBall This game didn't feel as bad as the score made it seem. There's a lot of interesting to pull from the game. Remember everyone, it's first to 4 wins.

Shoulda done this sooner. This was the ONLY path to victory. Why wait till the 4th to push?

@theXExpert @PensareBBall Lull them into a false sense of security.

@PensareBBall We outplayed these guys by a mile and they are up 4....

Toronto's star players have shown up.

@PensareBBall It's smart, you lull the Cavs into a false sense of security.

Idiots.

@NorthsideNabeel @Raptors So that he can provide a pop off the bench. You get to test Shead's 3 point shooting early if you want.

@Raptors Why aren’t we starting Walter?

@PensareBBall Do we see Point Scottie right away?

Today is the day.

@anthonyVslater I wonder how things would have gone if stuck with initial Knicks job that he accepted.

Steve Kerr said he will take a week or two to think about his future and discuss it with Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy. He acknowledged there is an “expiration date” on the job and it’s possible new blood is needed. Said he may return or may not. Doesn’t know yet. Full sound

@SpursCulture If I remember correctly, Clippers were trying to lose near the end, so that would get Home Court Advantage as the 6th seed.

Imagine winning 60 games, and being a lower seed than a 44 win team 2006 was wild

@PensareBBall Scottie and CMB can also scale down to guard comfortably on the perimeter. With a small rotation, there are a bunch of options.

Btw CMB + Scottie lineups had a higher defensive rating than Allen/Mobley lineups this year. Do with that what you will.

@raptor10340 @PensareBBall You hope Harden goes into early iso mode. There's been a few first quarters where RJ is amazing defensively. Maybe you get that. You'd "Freeze out Mitchell" early on, as much as you can. and you have both of them take part of every defensive action.

@PensareBBall RJ on Harden a good idea?????? Wtf are you saying

Scottie guarding their guards* plural means Ingram and Poeltl will guard the rim and Evan Mobley/Jarrett Allen. I believe Scottie on Mitchell and RJ on Harden is the right idea. But it opens the paint up for a world of pain and gives 2 of your 3 best offensive players dead legs

@ohdamn444 @PensareBBall I just think it's easier to slow them down as a unit than people think.

@SakiPathmasiri @PensareBBall Also the cavs aren't a stagnant offense there's movement and they have shooters that benefit from that so letting dmitch drive into a moving offense while your other players are focused on cutting players and suddenly it's alot more complex

Harden, Mitchell, Strus, Mobley, Allen. Now tell me which Toronto Raptor is the best match up for each player? Did you say Barnes, Barnes, Barnes, Barnes, Barnes? Good. Now you understand his defensive impact.

@ohdamn444 @PensareBBall I know Mitchell can make the pass easily, I'm saying if you don't help there's less of window to pass. If he tries to dunk it, let him waste that energy. the key is limiting those catch and shoot 3s. CMB is a special defender, and it's game 1, great time for development.

@SakiPathmasiri @PensareBBall He DEFINITELY will Donovan Mitchell is a very confident passer and can make that pass easily If cmb is on Harden he will foul out in 10 minutes he's an extremely skilled defender Harden is too much for him rn

@ohdamn444 @PensareBBall If you encourage Mitchell to drive, he won't burn you with a kickout pass. The goal is to prevent catch and shoot 3s, and clog the lane. If CMB is guarding Harden, it takes the ball out of Mitchell's hand. You may get a tug of war going when they're both on the floor.

@SakiPathmasiri @PensareBBall Rookie cmb vs James Harden is suicide encouraging Donovan Mitchell to drive is insane imo

@PensareBBall Also, Force Harden and Mitchell into defending the pick and rolls, on the same play, whomever they're guarding.

@PensareBBall CMB (vs Harden craft), Ja'Kobe (encourage Mitchell to drive or launch contested deep 3s), BI (don't leave Strus), Scottie (rover off Mobley), Jakob (around the paint, let Allen roam, and encourage mid range shots) offense is funky, post up the guards. IQ off the bench like Curry