Stackhouse empathizes. Like DeRozan, he was a shooting guard who thrived on getting to the free-throw line and did not focus on three-pointers, shooting only 31 per cent from beyond the arc for his career. Stackhouse knows there is more pressure on DeRozan to develop that shot than there ever was on him. “The game has changed a little bit with the (perimeter-oriented power forward),” Stackhouse said. “You pretty much play four (shooters) around one (big man), so you want everybody around the perimeter to be a threat.” “I know I can shoot it. It’s just me doing it every night,” DeRozan added. “If I go 0 for 5 one night, that don’t mean nothing. The next night I could go 3 for 5. I’m willing to shoot them. I was always so comfortable feeling like I can go to the basket, get fouled or create for everyone else. I need to make it easier on my teammates now, being able to catch and shoot.”
Luis Scola more than just a mentor for Raptors | Toronto Sun
The 35-year-old native of Argentina understands the allure of a guy who knows the game inside and out and can be a positive influence on younger teammates for what is, by NBA standards, a pretty young team, but there’s the matter of what Scola is still able to bring on the court. And anyone who watched any of Argentina’s games at the recent FIBA Championships in Mexico knows Scola has plenty left to offer. He has an MVP award from that tournament to show you in case you have any reservations. “I am sure my experience can help but I also believe I can help on the court as well,” he says pausing to make sure his questioner understands he has inadvertently insulted the player he is interviewing. “To me if I am helping I am happy in whatever aspect of the game. If it’s in the court, outside the court, or both or in the locker room, all those things would be welcome to me.” Scola, though, has come here because he likes the situation both from a team aspect and what it can mean for him personally.
That follow through tho #WeTheNorth #TrainingCamp A photo posted by Toronto Raptors (@raptors) on
Training Camp Recap – Day 3 | Toronto Raptors
Not often does an NBA team enter training camp with most of their big men in mid-season shape. This is the scenario that the Raptors find themselves in with Jonas Valanciunas and Luis Scola playing for their countries this summer and Bismack Biyombo with the NBA Africa initiative. Valanciunas in particular believes this summer has set him up for a strong start, “My expectations for this season are high, I’m ready to play and I think we have a great team. I was working out with Jack Sikma a lot, we had a good offseason.”
Raptors prospect Powell willing to outwait his doubters | Toronto Star
“From my summer league performance, I feel like I’m that player, I just wanted to go out there and prove to everybody that I can be that . . . just to prove everybody wrong,” he said. “I had to come here, maintain the same confidence and be the player who I am and just fit the roles that the coaches want me to do and don’t put any extra pressure on myself. “I know what I can do, I know what my weaknesses are that I have to improve on, I have to just perform the way I need to perform.” Powell is still a long shot to make the Raptors out of training camp and the pre-season — his non-guaranteed contract isn’t helping him any and he’s likely destined to start the season in the D-League — but he’s not going down without giving it his best shot. “Norm is not your typical rookie mentally because he is a tough kid, mentally tough,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s not awed by the bright lights or who he is guarding.”
TSN 1050 Toronto Radio: The Bryan Hayes Show interviews Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri | RealGM
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