Ujiri: ‘Real’ Raptors are team from early season | Sportsnet.ca
“I think the real team is the team you saw at the beginning of the season,” Ujiri told Bob McCown and Stephen Brunt on Sportsnet 590 the FAN’s Prime Time Sports. “Are we as good as [24-7]? Maybe not. Are we as bad as losing 10 out of 12? No.” Additionally, despite the great expectations from the fan base to win a first-round series, Ujiri made a point to remind people that the team is still growing. “We haven’t done anything yet,” Ujiri explained. “Yeah there was the hoopla of ‘okay, we wen to the playoffs,’ but we haven’t done anything. These guys are actually young players learning to win. … “We’re learning to win and we’re going to win. These guys, they’re determined, they are fighting through it – I know coach [Dwane] Casey is fighting through it – and we’ll figure out a way.” Lastly when asked if he thought Raptors’ injured all-star Kyle Lowry, who has played a total of 37 minutes over the past six games with back spasms, will be back at 100 percent, he responded very confidently. “Yes he will. I trust that he will. … We have the best medical staff, we believe that Kyle Lowry is strong enough and will persevere with it and will get back on track.”
It has not been much fun for fans of the Toronto Raptors lately. After looking like a legitimate contender in a wayward conference for the first two months of the season, the Raptors have collapsed since the all-star break, winning just six of their 19 games. Despite a 3-1 record against Atlanta, the Raptors look to be clearly inferior to the East’s first class of the Hawks, Cavaliers and Bulls, the latter of whom handled the Raptors by 13 points at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night. However, Raptors supporters can find some consolation in Washington. Like the Raptors, the Wizards entered the year as an ascendant team with a chance to take advantage of its geography. Like the Raptors, the Wizards got off to a hot start, going 22-9 through December. Like the Raptors, the Wizards have been worse than ordinary since then. It is not set in stone, but the two teams seem to be heading for a first-round matchup against one another, a battle of the conference’s fourth and fifth seeds. Until then, there is a lot reason for commiseration.
Raptors don’t match up well against Wizards | Toronto Sun
There might be some solace knowing the Raptors went 3-0 against Washington during the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal, a best-of-seven where every possession is dissected, any weakness exposed and exploited, any slippage pounced on the opposition. Much was made of Toronto’s post-season from last spring, but the Wizards actually came out of the first round following their eye-opening series win over favoured Bulls, playing a second-round playoff game for the first time since 1982. If there’s any team built for the playoffs it’s Washington, despite its mercurial nature this season that has both teased and displeased fans. It has been proven, the latest evidence provided on Wednesday, that the Raptors can’t beat Chicago, the Bulls’ superior edge in size and physical play too overwhelming for Toronto to overcome. With 10 games left, the Raptors are almost destined to face Washington, the only unknown being home court.
Raptors: A look at Toronto’s most likely playoff matchups | Toronto Star
With 10 games to go in the regular season and the Bulls pulling ahead for the third seed in the Eastern Conference third seed, the odds are increasingly stacked in favour of a Raptors-Wizards matchup in the first round. Much like Toronto, the Wizards have been struggling of late, losing four straight games and posting a 7-11 record since the all-star break. But unlike the Raptors, Washington has proven to be a strong defensive team. The squad is eighth in the league with points allowed per game (97.7) and has held opponents to just .437 per cent shooting from the field, on average. On the other side of the ball, John Wall has been solid in the Washington backcourt, tallying 17.4 points and 9.8 assists per game this season, good enough for second in the NBA in that latter category. The team also has a veteran presence on the starting line up with Paul Pierce, who’s contributing more than 12 points and four boards every game. Toronto swept their series against the Wizards this regular season, defeating them in three meetings, though the final two games came down to a single possession. To secure home court advantage against Washington, the Raptors will have to maintain their hold on the fourth spot in the east. They’re currently two games ahead of the fifth-place Wizards.
Toronto Raptors limping into the playoffs | FOX Sports
They’ve gone 6-13 since the All-Star break, with embarrassing losses to the Knicks and Pistons. They failed to beat the Bulls in four tries this season, which is certainly not a good sign when it comes to playoff time. It’s not just the losses that are concerning, but it’s the way that the Raptors are losing. Dwane Casey is known as a defensive coach, but the Raptors defense has been their biggest problem. The Raptors rank 23rd in opponents points per game, behind teams such as the Knicks and 76ers. The amount of silly mistakes are making the losses even harder to swallow. Who can forget DeMar DeRozan missing a breakaway 360-dunk against the Knicks? Or his most recent pass to Joakim Noah, who he mistook as a teammate, as he stood on the Bulls bench? Then there was Lou Williams hoisting an incredibly long three pointer with a chance to tie against the Pistons, a shot that was so far back that his heels were touching the Pistons mid-court logo. Oh, and that was done despite the Raptors still having a timeout at their disposal.
Nothing the same for once-surging Raptors | ESPN
They’ve gone 18-21 since the new year, dropping to fourth in the East, in danger of losing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, while the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks have turned into juggernauts. Lowry, who carried the team in DeRozan’s absence, has spent 2015 worn down and injured while DeRozan, mired by timidity after returning from a groin injury, is only now starting to pick up the head of steam that earned him countless trips to the free-throw line and a spot at the 2014 All-Star Game. And all of this is overcast by the big defensive elephant in the room. The ball-pressure and double-teaming defense, an undercurrent to their success after the Rudy Gay trade, has completely vanished this season. Since Jan. 1, only five teams have performed worse defensively. Post-whiplash, a fan base already heavy on emotional extremism — remember the frenzy at the Air Canada Centre during last year’s playoffs? — is reacting to something as overlooked as defense with a familiar refrain: panic. Overhaul the defense. Overhaul everything. Fire the coach. Fire Drake.
Vasquez: I’m not a loser | TSN
With Lowry’s playoff status possibly being up in the air, Greivis Vasquez could very well be the man head coach Dwane Casey looks toward to help fill the void. “I’m here to do whatever it takes to help the team win games and if I have to start or come off the bench, that’s what I got to do. I don’t mind at all,” said Vasquez, who paid a visit to TSN to promote his new exclusive edition of the ClutchFit Drive shoe, dubbed The North Six. Despite connecting with a career-high six three-pointers against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, 2014-15 has been an up-and-down year for the 28-year-old Venezuelan. Vasquez is averaging 9.5 points and 3.6 assists per game – which are fairly similar numbers to last season – but he has seen his field goal, three point and free throw percentages all drop. “Last year I had one particular role and this year I’ve had like one, two, three, four different roles. It really put me in a situation where I haven’t been able to be as efficient as I was last year,” said Vasquez. “I’m built for this. I’ll face any struggle. I’m not a loser. I’m not a complainer. I’m not going to coaches or people in management and say ‘I want to do this because that’s what I did last year.’ Every year teams are different. If I have to be the one taking the hit and adjusting to whatever the coaches want, I’ll do it.”
Raptors’ Greivis Vasquez represents a city, a brand, an entire country | Toronto Star
For Vasquez, the relentless promotion comes with the responsibility of having a sneaker named after him. Those honours usually accrue to superstars and not people like Vasquez, the Raptors’ backup point guard. But his marketing appeal runs deep in Toronto, and even deeper in his native Venezuela, where’s just the third homegrown born player to make the NBA. In promoting his shoe Vasquez sees himself as an ambassador for both Under Armour and his native country. “Canada has done a great job supporting me. This is going to be my platform, my bridge,” says the 28-year-old Vasquez. “I want to prove to Under Armour that I can make things happen and the shoe is a great start.” Back home, Vasquez moves the needle for marketers and sports media.
Joakim Noah tricks DeMar DeRozan into throwing the ball out of bounds? | RealGM
That was smartly done and completely on purpose. He was slick not to call for the ball and get a tech. The high fives at the end make it look like he told them it was going to work before the ball came down the court. That’s vet off-court defense for you right there.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Toronto Raptors Preview | VAVEL.com
It’s been a while since the Lakers and Raptors have faced off. In fact, the last meeting between the two was late in November when Los Angeles grabbed a seven-point victory in overtime led by Kobe Bryant’s triple-double of 31 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. In that game, Toronto was without DeRozan, who was nursing a groin injury. Kyle Lowry was the catalyst, putting in 29 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Surely the Raptors would love some revenge on the Lakers, but they may have to do it without their floor general, Lowry. He is currently having tests done on his back by Toronto’s doctors and is considered doubtful to play.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors – Preview – March 27, 2015 | ESPN Los Angeles
The Lakers (19-51) have won two of three, beating the league’s two worst teams — Philadelphia and Minnesota. They’ve been sparked offensively by Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson. Lin has averaged 22.3 points over his last three contests, while Clarkson has totaled 50 in his last two.
Lakers at Raptors: Friday game preview | Toronto Star
Jordan Clarkson is on a tear for the Lakers. He drained 30 points against Oklahoma City this week, shooting more than 60 per cent from the field, and followed that up with a 20-point performance in L.A.’s win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Alongside Clarkson in the backcourt, Jeremy Lin has averaged 22.3 points in his last three games.
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