Detroit was what Casey wants his Raptors to be right now, and Billups believes Toronto has what it takes to get there. “There are some similarities in our teams,” he said. “One, they have a very strong leader with the ball in his hands in Kyle (Lowry). DeMar (DeRozan); fortunately he’s back going and getting himself back together. They got two guys that can close games. “Defensively, they communicate, they talk (and) the effort’s there so they do it. They have a very good nucleus. They’ve got something beautiful going on.” Billups knows from experience that a championship run won’t happen overnight. It’s a process. But if the right pieces are in place and the ultimate X-factor — gelling — happens quicker than expected, anything is possible. “I really believe in that team,” said Billups. “I believe in great leadership, I believe in talent, and (the Raptors) have both.”
James Johnson: The Toronto Raptors’ Mixed Blessing | Hoops Habit
Johnson’s inherent explosiveness, knack for timely cutting, post play, and ball-in-hand playmaking is truly a rare package of skills for a man 6-foot-8 (in shoes) and 250 pounds. His impact and presence is felt almost immediately every time he steps foot onto the court; good, bad, or otherwise. As such, his style of polarizing play is eerily reminiscent to Memphis Grizzlies’ guard, Tony Allen — affectionately dubbed as “Trick or Treat Tony” by Boston fans during his days of wearing the Celtic green. More specifically, both Johnson and Allen can infuriate their coaches with their precarious play. In particular, in an era that stresses speed and spacing, the twosome provides plenty of speed but little-to-no spacing. Explicitly, Johnson is a 26.1 percent career 3-point shooter and has only converted on seven of his 32 tries from beyond the arc this season — good for 21.9 percent.
Raptors Rise: The Growth of Basketball in Toronto | Baller Mind Frame
Back to my original point. Toronto isn’t short on people, it’s short on basketball interest, or at least it was. The playoffs last year put Toronto on notice that this team is not a joke. The seven game series against the Brooklyn Nets was one that showed heart and grit. Re-signing Kyle Lowry only shored up a sense of hope and optimism in the 416 (or if you’re a Drake follower it’s simply “the 6”). Drake signing on with the team too shows a level of celebrity involvement that the team hasn’t had before. The Los Angeles Lakers have Jack Nicholson. The New York Knicks have Spike Lee. Toronto needed someone at the games all the time that showed that this team was worth taking note of. The other big thing that has helped the Raptors this year is the continued mediocrity of the Leafs. Last year, the Leafs were sitting at home watching the playoffs, the Raptors were playing in the postseason, and the city took notice with their heart as well as their wallets. Team gear is flying off the shelves, season tickets are being sold in record numbers, and attendance is up. In 2006, the Raptors ranked 17th in the league with 17,056 fans per game in attendance. In 2011 that number dropped to 19th with 16,566 fans per game. The team is ranked 5th with 19,731 fans per game for 2015. When you consider the capacity of the Air Canada Centre is 19,800 for an NBA game that’s a pretty sterling number.
Projecting the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs – The Washington Post
The Toronto Raptors pair the second most points scored per 100 possessions (112.2) with a top 10 shooting performance (51 effective field goal percentage), giving them a 72 percent chance at the No. 2 seed. Then things start to get murky. Among the four other “sure things,” any one of them could be as high as the No. 2 seed or fall to No. 6.
Photo Credits: David Dow/NBAE, Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE, Noah Graham/NBAE, Brian Babineau/NBAE, and Tyler Kaufmani/NBAE via Getty Images
I can haz yo linkz??!! rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
