His defence in that first game was pretty appalling; however, I love how he uses the fans and the crowd, always trying to build momentum and hit a big shot. He has grown on me.
His defence in that first game was pretty appalling; however, I love how he uses the fans and the crowd, always trying to build momentum and hit a big shot. He has grown on me.
He's also the most emotional player on the team, every foul/point/turnover/threepointfadeawaydunk to occur, he's right there screaming his ass off. He's one of those players you love on your team and hate to play against when he's hot
“He’s not (afraid),” Head Coach Dwane Casey said. “I thought he came in and gave us a jolt. Being afraid is not in Greivis’ vocabulary. When he speaks Venezuelan, he doesn’t know the word afraid, so he is going to put the pedal to the medal and that is what we need in certain situations. I thought he played an excellent ballgame.”
Vasquez came off the bench for 29 minutes in game one of the playoffs against the Nets and was a team best +8 points while on the court as he put up 18 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and hitting on 3 of 5 three-point attempts.
“I can tell you this, I am not afraid at all,” Vasquez said. “I am not going to be afraid of the moment. I like big moments - It’s all about confidence and believing in yourself and I got all of that.”
Nice piece done by Holly MacKenzie via Raptors.com this morning on Greivis. He's one of those character guys that every team in the league needs. He wants to be here beyond this season, but at what cost? Last thing we need is to have a large part of our cap tied up in 2 guys that play the same spot.
“I feel like I have to prove myself,” Vasquez said. “I’m not Kevin Durant. I’m not Kobe Bryant. I’m not one of those guys. My spot in this league could easily be taken away. That’s why every day I step on the court, I step on the court like I haven’t done anything. I know eventually it’ll get me where I want to be. I just have to have the same mentality. I can’t change that. I have to be myself.”
Keeping that mentality means never shying away from the big moment when he is given the opportunity to be on the floor.
“I’m not the most athletic or fastest guy on the court,” Vasquez said. “I can’t show any fear at all. I’ve got to go out there and show that I can compete and do my job, by myself. I love this team. I really identify myself with this team and the way we do things. I just have to leave everything I’ve got on the court and help my team win. Come off the bench, foul somebody, score, pass, whatever. Rest Kyle, whatever it is. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win and coach Casey knows that.”
In addition to the camaraderie he has found in Toronto’s locker room, the 27 year-old has developed a strong bond with Casey. This has helped him adjust into his new role with the Raptors.
Nice piece done by Holly MacKenzie via Raptors.com this morning on Greivis. He's one of those character guys that every team in the league needs. He wants to be here beyond this season, but at what cost? Last thing we need is to have a large part of our cap tied up in 2 guys that play the same spot.
Quoted from Sportsnet.ca Article 'Vasquez steps up for Raptors in Game 2
“I’ll tell you this, without this bench – and I don’t say this for me, I say it mostly for guys like Steve Novak, Landry Fields…(Nando) De Colo – that’s huge when you have real professional players in this locker room. That’s why we win,” he said, without taking anything away from the starters and their importance or impact. He spoke with pride for his fellow reserves, not disrespect for what the first five provide for Toronto. (...)
“As long as we win, and beat these guys and win this series, I can come off the bench for 10 more years,”
I used to think this kid thought he had Kyle's spot wrapped up. I might have jumped the shark; the point guard discussions of the last 7 years have been infuriating. Calderon wasn't/isn't/never will be a playoff caliber starting point guard in the NBA. Stereotyping is bad, and I may have been quick to lump Grevis Molasses in with'em.
He's been consistent: porous defence, willing and capable of taking and making the big shot and a great teammate (it would seem). Now it seems he's humble and willing to take a back seat.
Can we fix Greivis Vasquez name in the thread title? We're here to praise the man and his name isn't even spelled right.
I also found it funny Casey said Vasquez speaks Venezuelan. We call that Spanish Coach Casey, he speaks Spanish.
I'm totally down with bringing Vasquez back as long as the deal is reasonable. Anything under $5M per year would work for me. He's basically our 6th man and he plays just as well with Lowry as he does running the show solo. Having 2 competent PG's is a huge advantage in the NBA. A teams offense can really go to shit if their backup PG is useless. For a perfect example, see the Raptors this year before the Gay trade.
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