NBA Roundtable: Raptors are rolling in Orlando

BetAmerica has teamed up with Covers and Oddschecker to break down the latest news and trends from around the Association. This week NBA columnists Jason Logan, Sam Farley and Ryan Murphy discuss Philly's Embiid-Simmons dynamic, the Raptors revelatory play in Orlando, and life in the bubble. 

Joel Embiid recently said that he wants to play with Ben Simmons for the rest of his career. Is he out of his mind?

Jason: I think that statement should come with asterisk, as in * If Simmons learns how to shoot from outside. But for now, it’s the right thing for Embiid to say, especially with the Sixers stuck together in close quarters in the NBA bubble. I’m interested to see how this Simmons at power forward experiment goes for Philly during the seeding schedule. 

Sam: I’m not sure I believe this at all. There are signs that perhaps they’re getting better at playing together, but it still doesn’t look like a great fit. Embiid and Simmons are both great players but would probably both be better off alongside different stars. I think the reality is that this is Embiid being a good teammate and building some unity ahead of the Sixers playoff push. I still feel like the Sixers can beat anybody on their best day, and a strong locker room is key to that happening.

Ryan: Are we certain Embiid wasn’t suffering from heat stroke when he made those comments? I understand the importance of having your teammate’s back, but Embiid and Simmons are a horrible stylistic fit and I suspect they both know it. As a center, how could you possibly want to play with a point guard whose woeful lack of range allows teams to double and triple team you every time you set up shop in the paint? Even if Simmons makes a successful transition to power forward, his defender will still be able to sag off him when he drifts to the perimeter. Today’s game is all about spacing, and Embiid won’t truly thrive until Simmons is spaced all the way out of town and on another team.

The Raptors cruised past the Lakers in their first game back. Do they have the talent and resolve to return to the NBA Finals?

Jason: They do. Toronto has multiple ways to win games, with a versatile lineup and a buy-in on defense from everyone. Nick Nurse is the best coach in the league, keeping this team in the championship conversation after Kawhi Leonard left. The mystery box for the Raptors is that missing superstar. Who takes  - and makes – the big shot in the playoffs?

Sam: I certainly hope not. I cashed out of a Raptors futures bet I had for cents on the dollar at the beginning of the season, and I’m what I’m seeing is certainly starting to worry me. Bettors are warming up to the Raptors too and our Oddschecker data has shown a large quantity of bets on Toronto in markets to win the conference and the finals. They may have lost their x-factor in Kawhi Leonard, but this is a TEAM. They’re a brilliant example of a team being greater than the sum of its parts. On paper you wouldn’t be too worried about them, but nobody is going to want to come up against them in the playoffs.

Ryan: Count me among the believers. The Raptors have looked phenomenal so far in Orlando, toppling the Lakers and Heat in their first two games. Sure, they no longer have Kawhi to bail them out at the end of possessions, but they've made up for his absence by playing tenacious team defense. That was evident against L.A., when they held Anthony Davis to 14 points on 2-7 shooting, and against Miami, when they kept the Heat to 30% from deep and forced a pair of key turnovers to seal the win. I’ll never love the Raptors as much as Drake, but I do love their chances of returning to the NBA Finals.

The NBA has done a spectacular job of keeping players and staff safe in the bubble, but what’s one thing the league can do to improve the on-court product?

Jason: It’s a weird transition for everyone, so I won’t be too critical of what we’ve seen from teams so far. I know it’s not on-court, but the TV commentary has jumped out to me. They’re used to calling games in packed arenas, not an empty gym. Sometimes I feel like the play-by-play and color commentators are trying a little too hard to fill the void. But honestly, I’m just happy to have NBA hoops back.

Sam: I’ve seen lots of moaning and debate on Twitter about the games but genuinely I think it’s better than it was previously. Would fans be an improvement? Obviously, but it’s not happening. What I think has been amazing is that these games all have a real feeling of importance to them. I think that’s a result of every team having some chance of making the playoffs, and nobody tanking, but there already seems to be a knockout vibe to the games.

I think the NBA might take some aspects of these bubble games back to normal NBA life, whenever that resumes. I’ve seen a few people hypothesise that the high scoring is, in part, down to not having fans so close to the court, and players being able to run full-speed and not risk going head-first into an A-Lister or photographer. It’s an interesting argument and I’d love to know what the players think.

Ryan: The NBA has tried to normalize its in-arena experience by partnering with Microsoft Teams to display up to 320 fans per game on the 17-foot-tall video boards surrounding the court. It’s a phenomenal idea in principle, but the execution has been seriously lacking. Not only is the software glitchy, but there is also a pronounced delay that causes oddly mistimed reactions long after a play. Some fans look like they’re in a coma even as their favorite players swat shots and throw down epic slams. There’s also the issue of proportions, as some fans cozy up far too close to their cameras, while others hunker down several feet away, bringing to mind this classic photo of Shaquille O'Neal and Earl Boykins.

If there's anything we've learned from movies like I, Robot and The Terminator it's that just because the technology exists doesn't mean we should use it.

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