Official Toronto Raptors Offseason Thread . First (preseason) game in 2 days! Season Thread is up!

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marco stallone, opposing apollos are gonna be hit with Js and 3s in the face allseason long!

bosh has definitely added some muscle mass. enough to perhaps reduce the effects of getting banged by some of the other bigs but at the same not not enough tolose his speed and agility. hes going to be performing at his very best, money motivates like words never could. im excited to see what jose can do forderozan's game. when healthy he distributes the ball as well as anyone in the league, he should be able to facilitate well for demar. hopefully derozan canwork on perfecting his fundamental game, not rely too much on his jumper (which is still in the work), use his atheleticism to take it to the basket and findthe bigs to dish it to. the start of the season cannot get here soon enough!
 
Originally Posted by BrOwNiN187

triano banned smartphones from practice for everyone (players, coaches, media)..you can bring it but you have to leave the gym to reply to texts....derozen and bosh stay updating their twitter all day and i haven't seen colangelo NOT on his burry..

...shots fired
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You would think that players cant have their smart phones at practice... they are there to practice, arent they?

I think BC is the exception, because dude works on his blackberry alllllllll day.
 
Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Raps will make the playoffs this year. I'm 90% sure of it. What we wont do is win a playoff series if we finish 6th-8th.

C's, Cavs and Magic have the top 3 locked up. Unless we finish 4th or 5th, we have no chance at advancing out of the first round. If we finish 4th, I like our chances against anyone of the following playoff contenders: Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Miami, Washington, Charlotte, Philly.

Right now I'll guess that (key word is 'guess' since that there are so many mediocre teams in the East) Atlanta, Washington, Charlotte and Philly join us as one of the filler teams in the Eastern playoffs.

NYK, Nets, Pacers and Bucks wont even come close to sniffing the playoffs.
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[size=+1]T E A MN E W Y OR K K N IC K S
[/size] [size=+1]BANWAGON TRIAL MEMBERSHIP[/size]
[size=+1]LeBron and Bosh in 2010[/size]

eh?

but in all reality, you buggin.
bosh does look like he really got bigger, dude wants that
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. props to him.
 
Michael Grange

OTTAWA - Globe and Mail Update Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 01, 2009 04:33PM EDT

The Toronto Raptors aren't exactly sure what role DeMar DeRozan will play when they break training camp and begin the regular season.

But the high-flying rookie from the University of Southern California has already been stamped 'approved' by NBA royalty.

The final negotiations were still being done yesterday, but DeRozan said he expects to be signing an endorsement deal with Nike and more significantly will bethe only NBA player this season to wear the signature shoe of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star and reigning NBA Finals most valuable player.

"That's great, that's big, being able to wear one of my favourite player's shoes," DeRozan said yesterday as he sat in the bleachers atCarleton University where the Toronto Raptors are holding training camp. For the second successive day Hedo Turkoglu (knee) and Chris Bosh (hamstring) wereidle, leaving more work for the remaining group.

DeRozan is glad of it as he works to get up to speed. He is hardly awed by his surroundings, though. His connection with Bryant stems from his days working atthe Laker star's basketball camp. He scrimmaged with Bryant for the first time as a 16-year-old heading into Grade 11; not bad for a kid from Compton, theinner-city Los Angeles suburb.

"He's actually a really good guy when you get to know him," said DeRozan, who has maintained a casual relationship with the Lakers star, eitherworking for him at his camps or occasionally working out with him; often attending Lakers games and visiting with him.

It's the presence of the likes of Bryant and the NBA's other dominant wing scorers across the NBA that made drafting DeRozan a priority for theRaptors. The healthy dose of athleticism he brings should make the Raptors a better transition team in the short term and could pay dividends defensivelyagainst the game's top scorers as DeRozan develops.

Toronto was thrilled to get him at the ninth spot and hopes he can progress in his first professional season in the same way he did during his first and onlyseason at USC.

One of the most highly sought recruits in the United States, DeRozan was considered a mild disappointment when he didn't instantly average 20 points a gamelike his predecessor - current Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo - did in his one year for the Trojans.

But his rapid improvement toward the end of the season caught the eye of the Raptors as he averaged 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds on 52.3-per-cent shooting forthe year, and averaged 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds over a four-game stretch to end the season that included the semi-finals and finals of the Pac-10tournament - he was chosen the tournament's most valuable player at the Staples Center, no less - and the first two games of the NCAA tournament.

Similarly, his NBA Summer League stint started slowly, but DeRozan improved steadily.

When you're 6-foot-7 and have a 40-inch vertical jump superlatives tend to flow fast and loose, but most significantly DeRozan also has adjectives likepatient, mature and thoughtful follow him around.

He opted not to get caught up in his own hype when he arrived at USC, a program that has experienced its share of scandal - his coach Tim Floyd had to stepdown after revelations he paid off those close to Mayo to land him - and instead focused on improving his game.

"I really started maturing," he said. "I started watching film of myself, film of other players, studying, trying to get the advantage on thenext player and the next team so I know going out there what I have to do and what they like to do. You hear about how great players prepare and that'swhat I wanted to put in my game."

His shooting is a work in progress. After practice he's been doing a drill with development coach Eric Hughes in which he catches passes sitting in a chairand then stands up into his shot to incorporate his lower body better. As of now he's got some excess arm motion and the result is an obvious weakness onshots 18 feet and out.

Raptors head coach Jay Triano has options at shooting guard. He can go with Antoine Wright for defence or Marco Belinelli for offence, while Jarrett Jackoffers a little of both, but, long-term, the Raptors hope DeRozan makes the position his own, although he appreciates DeRozan's willingness to listen andlearn.

"We'd like him to have an impact right away because it would help our team to have that athleticism," Triano said. "But at the same time wedon't have extremely high expectations of him right away, but we expect him to grow into a solid NBA player, for sure."

At the very least he's got the shoes.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/raps-rookie-has-ties-to-kobe/article1308075/
 
Tickets went on sale today, main games I care about

Cavs - Here 2x
Lakers
Magic - Here 2x
Celts - Here 2x
 
Is Pops back on the sqaud this year? I'm watching Raps TV and they're showing the Bulls Game @ the ACC where Pops had a Dunkfest.
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