9 reasons why you should cheer for the Raptors | Getting Benched
Four years, two All-Star nominations, and 36 win shares later, Lowry’s tenure with the Raptors has been nothing short of a fairytale. It’s the rags to riches story, the old trope of how hard work pays off that even includes the cliche turning point where a wise mentor (Masai Ujiri) sits down with Lowry to famously issue the challenge of whether he wanted to be a $1 million dollar player, a $5 million dollar player, or an All-Star. Never has an average player figured it all out at the age of 27 to then hit his peak as an elite player at 29, but here he is, the chubby bulldog that sparred with the puppies by day who’s now a lean greyhound running with the wolves by night, No. 7 out of Villanova, Kyle Lowry the franchise player.
If you can’t respect that then your whole perspective is wack.
(And not to dive too much into the nitty gritty of schematics, but Lowry is actually everything for this team. The Raptors are 10 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court. That’s on-par with Durant (+10.8) and several of the best players in the league. Lowry is a mastermind on the court, he’s a brilliant defender, he’s so smart at creating opportunities for himself and others, he’s their best 3-point shooter. Everything you could possibly want out of a sub-6-foot guard, Lowry gives it to you.)
The growing pains of Raptors’ Bismack Biyombo | Toronto Sun
“I’m going to make it very hard for him,” said Masai Ujiri, the Raptors general manager and a fellow African. “I’m going to try and do whatever I can to get it done. There are going to be other people who want this player. My job is to try and get it done.”
The two are close, Biymbo and Ujiri, because of their backgrounds, because of their sensibilities, because of the pride they take in the accomplishments of the other.
“I left home to make something of myself and throughout the journey, I’ve met a lot of amazing people who have helped me,” said Biyombo. “I never wanted to be just a guy who put on a jersey and played basketball. I wanted to be more than that, the way Masai is more than that.
“I knew Masai going way back to the year I got drafted. I knew all the things he was doing and how great that was. He became like a mentor to me. He wants to change the way people think. I want to change the way people think.
“To be here right now is amazing and it’s a blessing. To tell you the truth, I haven’t thought about (free agency). I love Toronto. I love the fans. I love everything about it. But the focus for me right now is for us to go as far as he can.
“I don’t see why (I wouldn’t sign here). But really, I haven’t thought about it. “
Raptors defender Bismack Biyombo still marvels at life in the NBA | The Globe and Mail
The player who grew up in such a needy part of the world has brought valuable talents to this Raptors team. The energetic, rebound-grabbing, rim-protecting big man has filled some of the team’s biggest needs, and the club considers him one of the NBA’s elite defenders. Recently, while starting in place of the injured Jonas Valanciunas, Biyombo has capitalized on every opportunity he’s been given. And he appreciates what basketball has done for him.
“I think at this level, we lose a little [sense of the] value of things because we have a lot of money and hundreds of pairs of shoes,” said Biyombo. “So I take all of my shoes to Africa in the summers, and Jordan Brand helps give lots of shoes to kids there too. I know what a blessing I have, so I’ve learned to give things a lot of value.”
Compiling an extensive list of Bismack Biyombo’s many nicknames. | Reddit
Biyombs over Baghdad
Norman Powell shoots over a Patrick Patterson close-out.
A photo posted by Blake Murphy (@eblakemurphy) on
Casey: Raptors a different team with Joseph, Biyombo | Sportsnet.ca
“We appreciate what Pat Patterson does, we appreciate what T-Ross has done, but the addition of Cory Joseph and Bismack Biyombo has been above and beyond. It’s not the glamorous addition. They weren’t the superstars out there that we were recruiting but they were the role players that came in, accepted their role, bring it every night. Every time Cory Joseph walks on the floor, every time Bismack Biyombo walks on the floor they do their job and do it at a high level.”
The Raptors’ strong defensive play is far superior compared to last season with Joseph and Biyombo being major contributors in that area. Biyombo was selected seventh overall by the Kings (later traded to Charlotte) in 2011, while Joseph went 29th to the Spurs that year. Both signed multi-year deals with the Raptors last July.
“Those two guys have come in together collectively and really gave us a shot in the arm with the physicality,” the Raptors head coach explained. “You have to [play with force] to have a successful program.”
Dwane Casey Discusses Team Success | Raptors Rapture
“Biz has an incredible spirit, he is playing the game for the right reasons.” Coach Dwane Casey said Tuesday morning. “He knows what his role is and he does it. He is going to continue to get better and improve as a player and a person.”
Casey, Biyombo among Raptors with most at stake down the stretch | Sportsnet.ca
Given his play of late and his player option for a measly $3 million next year, it’s safe to say that Bismack Biyombo has increased his open market value considerably.
Which is interesting because prior to arriving in Toronto, Biyombo was never held in high regard around the NBA—he just hadn’t shown an ability to do anything that stood out. For those who scouted him during his draft year, it was their worst fears realized.
His agent at the time overthought the draft process and wouldn’t let Biyombo work out for any teams. Instead, he arranged a solo workout during a break in sessions at the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. Over my years I have learned if you really want to piss off a GM before the draft, tell him you won’t let your client work out against anyone else—only assistant coaches and pylons. Nothing infuriates them more.
In Biyombo’s case it was a strange decision given that his skillset cannot be clearly displayed in an empty gym and a ball in his hands; the running joke for years among people who had saw this infamous Treviso workout was that Biyombo played 1 vs. 0 and lost. In some ways, that stink stuck to him for the first part of his career.
Raptors must juggle importance of rest and wins | Toronto Sun
With a back-to-back around the corner following Wednesday’s game in Boston, someone will sit and receive some much-needed rest.
Barring a complete implosion, which is extremely unlikely, the Raptors won’t finish any lower than second
Raptors will get to record one play at a time | Toronto Star
Even while resting bodies, whether it’s by design or by injuries, the Raptors have continued to win. They topped the Milwaukee Bucks on the road last week without DeMar DeRozan and are on a four-game win streak with Jonas Valanciunas (hand) out the last four and James Johnson (plantar fasciitis) missing the last three. Sunday’s win at home over Orlando came with Cory Joseph getting the day off.
“I just want them to compete, that’s all that matters,” Lowry said of the players filling in for those resting or injured right now. “As long as you can be competitive and follow the game plan and make sure we’re out there and just giving effort and competing, that’s all that matters.
“You’re not going to be perfect every night, you’re not going to win every single game but you go out there, compete and do your job and that’s all that matters.”
Casey undoubtedly wants the wins to continue rolling in over the next three weeks. The key to that is having the same focus that he’ll want his players to have in the playoffs.
Keeping up with the Cavs: What are the chances the Raptors steal the East’s top seed? | Raptors HQ
Some people will look at the standings, see Chicago waiting in the 8-seed, and ask the inevitable question in bold above.
The answer: unequivocally, absolutely yes. While the Raptors have a season series belt against the Cavaliers, the only shot they have of beating them in a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup is home court advantage. Getting one or both of the first two games will be absolutely critical to pulling off an upset. It’s the task Atlanta couldn’t pull off last year, and one Toronto would have to do this year.
The bottom of the East is fluid too — two games separate Indiana in seventh from Washington in tenth. While the Bulls might have the Raptors number (which, as history tells us, means nothing come playoff time), there’s no guarantee they’ll finish in the eight-seed.
It’s not too early to discuss chasing the top seed, but it is too early to fear potential first-round opponents. Let’s cross that bridge of doom when it comes.
The Benchwarmer Report: Raptors Must Continue Winning Ways | The Iron Warrior
This is a much better team than the one that flopped in four games to John Wall and the Washington Wizards in the first round one year ago. Sloppy defense ultimately led to the sad end of that series. With that memory fresh in their heads, the returning Raptors appear to have tuned in to head coach Dwane Casey’s defense-first mantra. New faces Bismack Biyombo, Cory Joseph, and Luis Scola have also been instrumental in this year’s improved defense. Case in point: Biyombo snagged a franchise-record 25 rebounds in last week’s game against the Indiana Pacers, a potential first-round opponent.
The addition of Biyombo has also pushed starting centre Jonas Valančiūnas to new heights while giving the Lithuanian big man a break when he needs it. Jonas had been productive with 17 double-doubles so far. For those who may not be familiar with basketball jargon, a double-double means scoring double digits in points and in rebounds (typical for centres and forwards) or assists (typical for guards). For Jonas, the rebounding has come a long way as he appears to have taken a page or two out of Biyombo’s book.
Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics: Wednesday game preview | Toronto Star
Key matchup:Kyle Lowry vs. Isaiah Thomas. Five days later, the two all-star point guards meet again, with Thomas having pulled the Celtics out of their four-game funk. He had 26 points and eight assists in a Saturday win over Philly and scored 28 points and had seven assists in Monday’s win over Orlando. Lowry is coming off a five-game stretch (27.2 points, 6.8 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game) that earned him Eastern Conference player of the week.
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