Category Archives: The Athletic

Seven thoughts ahead of Game 7: ‘Elimination Game Lowry,’ evaluating Nick Nurse and more

Title: Seven thoughts ahead of Game 7: ‘Elimination Game Lowry,’ evaluating Nick Nurse and more
Date: May 12, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, I answered some reader questions after the Raptors dropped an ugly Game 6 to the 76ers, trying to help settle anxieties ahead of Game 7. Read an excerpt!

Beat writers discussion: Identifying key adjustments for Game 7 of Raptors-76ers

Title: Beat writers discussion: Identifying key adjustments for Game 7 of Raptors-76ers
Date: May 11, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, I collaborated with Mike O’Connor of The Athletic Philadelphia to break down the tactical adjustments made through  the first six games of Raptors-76ers and what might be in store for Game 7.
Read an excerpt!

Raptor Recalibration, Game 6: Reverting to bad habits, Embiid’s non-scoring dominance and more

Title: Raptor Recalibration, Game 6: Reverting to bad habits, Embiid’s non-scoring dominance and more
Date: May 10, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, my playoff day-after playoff column looked at a blowout Game 6 loss that saw the Raptors revert to a bunch of bad habits and put themselves in a Game 7 scenario they could have avoided. Read an excerpt!

Murphy Mini-Mailbag: Talking through it as a Game 7 looms for Raptors and 76ers

Title: Murphy Mini-Mailbag: Talking through it as a Game 7 looms for Raptors and 76ers
Date: May 9, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, I answered some reader questions after the Raptors dropped an ugly Game 6 to the 76ers, trying to help settle anxieties ahead of Game 7. Read an excerpt!

Raptor Recalibration, Game 5: Getting the little things right, shooting regression, targeting Redick and more

Title: Raptor Recalibration, Game 5: Getting the little things right, shooting regression, targeting Redick and more
Date: May 8, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, my playoff day-after playoff column looked at a blowout Game 5 victory for the Raptors that gives them two chances now to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Read an excerpt!

‘Being who I am, not thinking about being injured’: Pascal Siakam’s resurgent Game 5 lifts Raptors

Title: ‘Being who I am, not thinking about being injured’: Pascal Siakam’s resurgent Game 5 lifts Raptors
Date: May 7, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, I wrote about Pascal Siakam bouncing back and fighting through a calf injury to help lift the Raptors in Game 5 against the 76ers. Read an excerpt!

How the Raptors are trying to guard J.J. Redick and why Joel Embiid complicates it

Title: How the Raptors are trying to guard J.J. Redick and why Joel Embiid complicates it
Date: May 7, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, I wrote about how the Raptors are trying to handle a difficult J.J. Redick matchup and why Joel Embiid’s presence makes a certain two-man game so hard to handle. Read an excerpt!

The Raptors Reasonablists Podcast – Grinding it out, old-school: Leonard shines, Raptors even series with Sixers

Title: The Raptors Reasonablists Podcast – Grinding it out, old-school: Leonard shines, Raptors even series with Sixers
Date: May 6, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In the latest edition of The Raptors Reasonablists Podcast, Eric Koreen and I check in on Raptors-76ers locked at 2-2 and discuss what needs to change for Games 5-7. Read an excerpt!

Raptor Recalibration, Game 4: Going big, fluid transition defence, McCaw minutes and more

Title: Raptor Recalibration, Game 4: Going big, fluid transition defence, McCaw minutes and more
Date: May 6, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, my playoff day-after playoff column looked at a tense Game 4 bounce-back for the Raptors that saw them upsize their lineup against the 76ers. Read an excerpt!

As Raptors and 76ers embroil in one of the tensest games imaginable, Kawhi Leonard reaches rarefied clutch status

Title: As Raptors and 76ers embroil in one of the tensest games imaginable, Kawhi Leonard reaches rarefied clutch status
Date: May 5, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, I wrote about an intense Game 4 between the Raptors and 76ers and tried to contextualize the tension and Kawhi Leonard’s clutch play statistically. Read an excerpt!