Raptors face Bulls in meeting between best of the East | Toronto Sun
The new-look squad has not needed much time to gel, rocketing out to a 6-2 start and looking far more potent than usual offensively. Rose, playing in four of the eight contests after suiting up just 49 times over the past three seasons, has averaged 17.5 points and 5.8 assists (Kyle Lowry averages 18 points and 5.8 assists for the sake of comparison), shooting 10% better from the field than he did during his brief, 10-game return last year. Gasol has looked rejuvenated following his shaky finish in Los Angeles, the supporting cast is excellent and Tom Thibodeau remains one of the finest coaches in the game. Not surprisingly, the 7-1 Raptors see this one as a barometer of just how good they really are. “You’ve got to give them credit, to have a player like Rose back and the success they had last year without him. You’ve definitely go to continue to put them up there,” DeMar DeRozan said following practice on Wednesday.
Swirsky: Health key to Raptors’ success | Sportsnet.ca
It’s easy to get carried away in November and December about where you think [a team will end up], but the truth of the matter is it all depends on the health in April, and I’ve been through this with the Raptors many, many times. I went through this with Vince on a couple of occasions. In 2002, coming after the 2001 [Eastern Conference semi-final appearance], and I’m looking at the club and we had just added [Hakeem] Olajuwon, and I thought, “You know what, maybe we can squeeze just one year out of him and get to the Finals and this is worth it.” But it didn’t happen. If the teams [this season] stay healthy in the East I think you’re looking at the Bulls, the Raptors, the Cavaliers, the Heat, and Washington. This thing is going to be so competitive come playoff time that it’s going to depend on, again, health. If everyone’s healthy then I think this thing is wide open.
Raptors-Bulls: Thursday game preview | Toronto Star
This one’s for all the marbles. Well, all the marbles less than an eighth-way through the regular season; Chicago is 6-2 and nipping at the heels of the 7-1 Raptors . . . Rose should play barring any morning mishaps; his sprained ankles were good enough to let him play Monday against Detroit . . . All Gasol has done so far is average about 19 points and 10 rebounds as one of the top free-agent acquisitions anywhere in the league . . . Chicago’s defence isn’t operating at its usual other-worldly level but the Bulls still allow teams to shoot only 42.7 per cent against them, fifth-best in the league . . . Six-foot-10 rookie Nikola Mirotic of the Bulls is a solid stretch four who could cause serious matchup problems for the Raptors.
Raptors will be good barometer for Bulls | DailyHerald.com
The Raptors finished with the same record as the Bulls last season (48-34), so their fast start isn’t a big surprise. The team is well-constructed, beginning with rising star DeMar DeRozan. A college teammate of Taj Gibson at USC, DeRozan is averaging 21.9 points. Point guard Kyle Lowry is off to a good start. There’s another athletic wing in Terrence Ross, and size in the middle with Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson. The significant new addition is guard Lou Williams, averaging 10.9 points off the bench. Depth became a strength last season when Toronto landed Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez from Sacramento in the Rudy Gay trade. “They have a really solid 10-man rotation,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Lowry is terrific. I had a chance to be around DeMar DeRozan with Team USA and he’s a legit superstar.”
Lewenberg: Raptors taking advantage of early-season home cooking | TSN
“[We’re] all about protecting home court,” stressed Patrick Patterson. “Having the fans out there be behind us 100 per cent is not something we take for granted. Every single night we step out on that court here in Toronto, we want to win, we want to play hard, we want to protect home court and we feel like we have the best home-court advantage in the league. Every night we step out there we want to show the world why.” The Raptors have sold out three of their first five games at the ACC this season and rank seventh in the NBA in average attendance. After losing eight of their first 12 games at home last season, the Raptors became one of the league’s most daunting teams to face in their own arena once Patterson, Greivis Vasquez and company arrived in the trade from Sacramento. Since the start of the 2014 calendar year, Toronto owns a record of 26-7 north of the border. With four games left to go before they hit the road again on Nov. 22 – visiting the Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back – Dwane Casey has stressed maintaining a consistent approach and routine. Hosting games on alternating days, Casey has been holding practice at the same time each afternoon. The same can be said of morning shoot-arounds on game days.
Chicago Bulls (6-2) vs Raptors (7-1): 3 keys to victory | Raptors Rapture
Chicago has significantly rolled over their roster, and highly regarded coach Tom Thibodeau deserves credit for successfully integrating the new faces. He’s done so while welcoming back point guard Derrick Rose, whose last 2 seasons were lost to serious injury. Whether Rose can ever again be the unstoppable scorer he was in his MVP season of ’10-’11 remains an unanswered question, but he’s averaging over 17 points and 5 assists in ’14-’15. If he’s a spent force, you can’t prove it with those numbers. His backcourt mate is Jimmy Butler, who started his career as an energy & defense guy, but is displaying some serious scoring touch these days, averaging over 19 Points Per Game [PPG]. Pau Gasol moved over from the Lakers, and both he and his new team are happy he did. Chicago has had a reputation for years as a team of muckers who win ugly, low-scoring games, but not this year. They rank sixth in PPG at 104, three points behind the league-leading Raps, while still holding opponents under a century. Pau scores and rebounds at a double-double rate. He’s complemented nicely with another veteran gunner, Mike Dunleavy. Joakim Noah jumps centre, and everywhere else. He’s a perpetual motion machine on the boards, a fine passer, and will drive you up a wall when you try to score on him.
Bulls-Raptors Preview | SI.com
The Bulls’ supporting cast has had to step up at times as well with Rose being bothered by two sprained ankles that have limited him to half of the club’s eight games. Chicago (6-2) has gone 3-1 without Rose, but he was in the lineup Monday and scored 24 points in a season-high 32 minutes of a 102-91 win over Detroit. Rose said in an interview this week that his decision to sit out games has to do with thinking of his future and not just this season. He’s been a game-time decision since suffering his ankle injuries against Cleveland on Oct. 31. “Derrick’s a (heck) of a player,” said Joakim Noah, who had 13 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. “To have your best player on the court, floor general, means a lot. When he’s out on the court, he demands so much attention it opens up a lot of easy opportunities for everyone else.”
Dwane Casey Explains How DeMar DeRozan Has Evolved As A Player | Hoops Addict
Dwane Casey raved to the media how DeMar DeRozan has evolved as a player the past few seasons.
Another Rumored Kevin Durant Free Agent Destination: Toronto | SportsGrid
“We all know what a big-time market Toronto is in and of itself, never mind having the whole country, which has become increasingly basketball crazy… I wouldn’t be shocked if Masai [Ujiri] goes really hard at Kevin Durant in a couple of years and gets in the mix. I’m not saying they’re gonna get him but I think he’s unafraid in that way to really pursue the great player and sell them on a situation where there’s pieces around you, you can win here, we can chase championships, you can get all the big endorsements, all the big outside things that you want are available to you here.” Sure, we’re probably reading way too much into this little comment, a comment that doesn’t come from Durant’s camp, or Toronto’s camp, or anyone else’s. But just the idea of Durant in Toronto is exciting. If Durant is going to move on, Toronto’s roster is a great fit for him (a backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan with Durant at forward sounds deadly), and the fan base proved this past postseason that they’re arguably the most passionate in the league. It just makes sense. Now, we’re a long way away from Durant’s free agency, and the Raptors will likely join every other team in the league in vying for his services if and when the time comes. But if Washington isn’t a lock to get him, Toronto should be the next team up.
Raptors James Johnson Is Proud of His Passing | Pro Bball Report
“I think the big play for me today was either the throw ahead to Patrick Patterson or when I dropped it to Greivis or when I dropped to Patterson for the three-pointers,” Johnson said. “It changed the momentum of the game.” Those were all big plays and Johnson gave up his own potential run at the rim to drop a pass to Patterson for the uncontested three-pointer that capped an 11-0 run and tied the game at 83 early in the fourth quarter. What is surprising is Johnson had his own huge scoring play late in the game with a big time slam that put the Raptors up 97-95 and that wasn’t the play Johnson wanted to reminisce over. As has been noted before, this isn’t the same Johnson the Raptors saw two years ago. This Johnson knows and accepts his role and he has been excelling because of it.
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