2015-16 Raptors…What a Ride It Was – Raptors Republic
I’m not a very emotional person, but I am going to miss this season. I am going to miss following this group day-to-day. I am going to look back and remember the (likely) one magical season that Bismack Biyombo came to Toronto. I am going to remember watching Norm slowly cement his position as a starter in round one and a potential key building block for the future. I am going to remember Masai Ujiri, because this season showed again how much of a basketball genius he is. I am going to remember watching Dwane Casey fight for his players on every possession. I’ll remember Cory Joseph coming back to Toronto and becoming, as a Canadian, a key contributor and a badass back-up point guard who took pride in putting on a Raptors jersey.
I won’t forget any of it.
Game 6 ended in a 26 point blowout, with the Raptors season ending with it, and all I feel is thankful for the ride that we just had.
Thank you, Raptors.
A proud end to a great season – Raptors Republic
The ACC crowd, who had a terrific and fan-base defining postseason run of their own, showering Lowry and company in applause and chants of Let’s Go Raptors and We The North was the perfect end to the season. Or, rather, a championship would have been. But assuming that wasn’t in the cards, Lowry being appreciated for one last attempt at a KLOE performance, and for being the leader and the catalyst of an Eternal Sunshining of a moribund narrative around the franchise, was. The Raptors are not a joke. They, led by Lowry, doubted for nearly as long as the franchise itself, proved they belonged. Maybe not at the very top, but in the conversation, as a threat. They outperformed their talent level, particularly given injuries. They out-kicked their coverage, so to speak. They redefined what would be a successful season for themselves all year long, and in the process, redefined what this franchise can be. They redefined what it should want to be.
And no, the Raptors didn’t win the title, which is all that matters to some, it would seem. The players are disappointed, and justifiably so, for this moment. Not all seasons can be defined solely by a ring, and the Raptors aren’t there yet. There are a lot of difficult questions to be asked entering the offseason about how to get there, and the Raptors may look a little different whether to take a step forward or in taking one back to take a larger one – the toughest one left to take – down the line. Those questions will be asked in due time, here and within their offices.
The question that needn’t be asked is whether or not this season was a success. Ask the front office, whose jobs are now much more difficult than they may have been six weeks or six months ago. Ask LeBron James, who had a real moment with the crowd as he conducted his post-game interview. Ask the bars full of people engaging in Raptors chants and spilling into the street, hugging, knowing they were just a part of a special year. Ask the ACC crowd that poured their hearts out for Lowry and company as the 102nd game of the season came to a close. And eventually, you’d hope, ask the players, who three years ago bonded together over being the forgotten, the written-off, and the unwanted, stumbled upon a strange, unexpected, ethereal chemistry, and by sheer force made the organization and the fan base commit, again and again, and rewarded all of that leash and all of that faith in unrelenting fashion this year.
The Raptors lost on Friday, ending the best season the franchise has ever known
*Norman Powell wants to play in Summer League. I have no idea if that’s in the plans but I don’t see why they wouldn’t let him, unless they’re worried about fatigue. Someone compared my grind to Powell’s in a comment and I can’t remember ever receiving a higher compliment – he told reporters Friday that he was already asking to get back in the gym Saturday and work.
DeMar DeRozan driven to be quintessential Toronto Raptor: Arthur | Toronto Star
Barring something unexpected, Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri will try to sign him. And barring something unexpected, DeRozan wants to stay. Whatever the benefits or drawbacks, they will figure it out later.
“I never seen someone do something and said I want to do it that way,” DeRozan says. “I want to do it my way. For the longest time, there was no surpassing Vince (Carter), and in my head for the longest, I always told myself, ‘I’m going to have an opportunity to be one of the greatest Raptors of all time, to do something that hasn’t been done yet, to do something that hasn’t been dreamed of.’
“And for me, to be second all-time scoring, the most wins as a Raptor, that’s something — you might not see it now, but that’s a legacy. Unless you go there and win seven championships, there’s no overshadowing who played there for 20 years. That’s that. My whole mindset has always been, what can I do here that’ll separate me from others? And maybe someday, somebody will say, I want to try to pass DeMar. I want to do what DeMar did.
“But now I’ve really got to sit down over the next couple weeks and think logical about it. Decide what matters. But talking to you now, this is my home. I was 19 when I got drafted. I did a lot of things here, but there’s still so much to be done, and that’s what it’s about.”
DeRozan leaning toward staying with Raptors? | Toronto Sun
“My mind-set has always been Toronto. I always preached it. I was passionate about it when we was losing. When we was terrible, I said I’m going to stick through this whole thing and I want to be that guy who brings this organization to where it is now. I definitely don’t want to switch up after we win,” he said. “I think one thing that’s always greatly said about me is I’m a loyal person. That’s just how I live my whole life. Period. And at this point in my career, it’s all about winning. That’s the only thing that matters.”
DeRozan, a Kobe Bryant disciple, loved how Bryant spent his entire career in one place.
“I think that’s the most incredible thing you can do. That’s awesome,” he said of imitating the likes of Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan.
DeRozan, a Raptor since being selected with the ninth pick of the 2009 draft, will become the franchise leader in games, points and minutes played next season, if he returns.
“I haven’t changed, not one bit. I took pride in putting that Raptors jersey on when people counted us out or when people said, ‘Why go to Toronto? Why this, why, that?,’ … You hear it so much, that gave me the motivation to want to prove people wrong or prove critics wrong why this organization can’t be a winning (one),” he said.
Head coach Dwane Casey wants the two-time all-star back.
“He’s a loyal guy. He loves this city. He loves the team. He loves the growth pattern that we’ve had the past few years and he’s a big part of that,” Casey said. “He’s grown as a man and as a player over the last few years and that’s been a big part of our success. How he’s gotten bigger, stronger … A guy like Kyle, you watch a guy like Kyle grow as a man, as a player, he’s gotten better every year. He’s turned himself into an all-pro. Why can’t DeMar DeRozan do that? He can do the same thing, become an all-pro … He’s brought something new back every year he’s been here.”
Just how much is DeRozan’s love for Toronto worth? – Sportsnet.ca
Staying with one franchise for his entire career? The idea energizes DeRozan. No Raptor has ever done it – unless you count some one-hit wonders whose lone NBA cup of coffee was in Toronto. But player drafted, developed and launched to stardom here? Not even close.
“I think that’s the most incredible thing you can do,” said DeRozan of the idea of going cradle to grave with one team. “Me personally. That’s awesome.”
The Raptors have reached a nearly astonishing moment in their roller-coaster history. More than the records set for wins and playoff wins and every other possible benchmark, this season marks their transition into an organization that stands for something, that has an identity and no longer needs to be explained to people around the NBA.
As various Raptors met with the media for one last time before dispersing – “have a great summer, don’t call me,” was Kyle Lowry’s joking farewell – every one of them spoke about how this season felt different than other seasons in their professional careers, this organization different and this city different. All in the best way possible.
“It’s just the locker room, the energy around the locker room,” said Bismack Biyombo, himself a pending free agent. “It was great. After practices, people would stay in the locker room and just have conversations. Sometimes the conversations would be kind of stupid but we would still have fun with it and enjoy it. People would come early before practice and just sit around the locker room, and then on the road.
“The whole thing, I’ve been in the league, but this is the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been in the league.”
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has some big decisions to make this off-season | Toronto Star
While so many burgeoning talents wish their days on the bench away for a starting role and a fresh start, Biyombo wasn’t in that headspace.
“It’s not as big as it sounds, really,” he said of the importance of being a starter. “I just want to win and obviously here the opportunity that was given to me was to win. For me it’s about winning. Starting or not starting, it doesn’t matter. I know I can start but with that being said it’s not the most important thing to me.”
The exit interviews were strange in a way.
Saturday was an opportunity for the pending free agents to sell themselves publicly, but DeRozan and Biyombo both ended up discussing their love of their place here and the opportunity afforded them. Their coach was no different, as there’s a team option on the final year of Casey’s contract for next season.
Casey cut the assumption he’d want to talk with Ujiri about the contract this week.
“It’s about the team, I’ll let my agent handle all that,” Casey said.
Luis Scola, James Johnson and Jason Thompson also head into free agency this summer.
“Masai, he’s one of those guys who is quietly going about his job,” Casey said.
“I’m sure he’s got ideas already about what he wants, or what wants to add to the team already. How he wants to handle Bismack and DeMar.”
Raptors centre Biyombo wants to stay in Toronto | Toronto Sun
All things being equal, the pending free agent would sign back here in a second.
The problem is, all things aren’t equal. Unless salary is moved out, the most Toronto can offer is a bit over $5 million a season. On the open market, Biyombo is expected to command more than three times that amount.
Still, Biyombo believes he’ll be back, that Ujiri will figure it out.
“I love it up here, I think I’ve said it before. I would love to be back here,” Biyombo said at his final availability of the season on Saturday.
“The one thing I believe is, in the office there are the right people and I have the right people in Masai and Dwane, so I’m not too concerned about that. I’m sure … I’ve heard Masai say he’d do whatever it takes a couple of times. At this point I’m just thankful that the organization gave me the opportunity to come here and enjoy a different experience since I’ve been in the league.”
Biyombo and Jonas Valanciunas, who will see his own salary more than triple when his lucrative extension kicks in next season, formed one of the best centre combinations in the NBA. And Biyombo was a lifesaver when Valanciunas went down to injury both in the regular season and in the playoffs.
Biyombo isn’t sure if they will be able to play together, but he insisted being a starter, which won’t happen at centre in Toronto with Valanciunas here, isn’t his priority.
“It’s not as big as it sounds, really. I think that at the end of the day I just want to win and obviously here the opportunity that was given to me was to win,” Biyombo said. “For me it’s about winning. Starting or not starting, it doesn’t matter. I know I can start but with that being said, it’s not the most important thing to me.
This man doesn’t mess around #wethenorth
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Raptors in Review: Dwane Casey silences critics – Sportsnet.ca
The Year That Was: Dwane Casey came into 2015-16 season with questions surrounding his job security and ability to get past the first round of the playoffs. The Raptors’ head coach resoundingly cleared up any of those concerns.
Despite rumours about the length of his tenure throughout the season and a team dealing with significant injuries, Casey’s team played well above pre-season expectations. The now-all-time-winningest coach in franchise history led Toronto to a record 56 wins and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Casey not only got out of the first round, he went toe to toe with two of the best coaches in the NBA in Frank Vogel and Erik Spoelstra and came out victorious.
Not only has the team improved every year during his time in Toronto, Casey brought the team within two wins of the Finals, showing some of his best in-series adjustments in his coaching career. Further solidifying an already improved defence is the number one task for the defensive-minded Casey as the Raptors were 0-9 in the post-season when surrendering 100 points.
Raptors would be wise to take care of coach Casey | Toronto Star
According to league sources, there were discussions in the middle of the season about an extension but they never came to fruition, which could be financially lucrative to the 59-year-old Casey, who just wrapped up his fifth year in Toronto.
Scott Brooks got about $7 million in Washington on a five-year deal, Frank Vogel was fired in Indiana and got a reported $22 million deal over four years in Orlando, Terry Stotts signed a new deal in Portland that will pay him $5 million a year for three years and Dave Joeger left Memphis for $4 million a year in Sacramento.
So Casey is a relative bargain after the Raptors to a 56-win regular season and a berth in the conference final.
“I’ll let my agent handle all that,” Casey said.
“That’s the last thing on my mind as far as wanting to sit down and talk about that. That won’t be the first subject I hit on . . . that’ll be how to make our team better.”
Raptors’ Carroll was dealing with many injuries | Toronto Sun
Turns out the plantar fasciitis and knee injury during the regular season that cost him 54 games in total were just the beginning.
In the playoffs the injury bug just kept on biting the prized off-season free agent signing.
“My elbow this series it got hyper extended, a lot of swelling in the joint, but first it was my elbow, then it was my wrist, then I had a hip pointer and then I twisted my ankle but the training staff did a good job,” Carroll said. “My hat goes off to them … I was like I don’t know if I can play and they got me ready, they got me out there. I gave all I could give and I’ll live with the result.”
Carroll really hasn’t begun to scratch the surface of what he can do for this team and that occurred in a year where they went further than they have ever gone before.
“I probably was at the best maybe 70-75% at the best,” he said. “That’s what I felt. A lot of times I knew that my body wasn’t (right) and me not playing the whole season my body didn’t get the strength that it needed, especially my knees, so I think the biggest thing this offseason I gotta get healthy. Whatever it takes, I gotta get healthy so I can play at 100%.”
Carroll is headed home to Atlanta to rest up and get the healing started, but he has every intention of finding his way to Toronto or wherever the Raptors’ staff sets up this summer to work hand-in-hand with them to ensure he doesn’t have another injury-plagued year like this past one.
Even before the surgery that cost him 41 games or the bulk of his season, Carroll was playing at far less than 100%. Following one game he called a reporter over to his locker and showed him a picture of his swollen right knee.
When asked if that was after the past game, Carroll just shook him head back and forth. ‘Nope, that was before this one,” he said.
Raptors in Review: Kyle Lowry has season to remember – Sportsnet.ca
Off-season Outlook: Lowry wants to improve even further on his ball handling and distance shooting to lessen the pounding on his body playing among the trees in the paint.
His chief roll might be as a recruiter as not only is his good friend DeMar DeRozan going to test the free agent waters but now Lowry, solidifying himself as the face of the franchise, has become a player that opposing players around the league may want to team up with.
United front served Raptors well this season | Toronto Star
It goes back to fit,” he said. “Not only as a player, but as a person. A guy who embraces the country of Canada, a guy who embraces the diversity of the city of Toronto. If you bring somebody in who doesn’t fit, it doesn’t work.”
And that’s where the Raptors are headed this summer as they try to close the gap between themselves and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were just more prepared for and consistently better in the conference final that ended Friday at the Air Canada Centre.
There will be roster moves to be sure — Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has to deal with impending free agents like DeMar DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo, and there will be other holes to fill.
A stud would be great, and the Raptors definitely need more consistent outside shooting, but when the playoffs roll around and the games get to a grind, maybe it is experience and familiarity that decides things. And maybe that discipline comes from shoelaces and shirttails.
“We’re not missing much at all,” DeMar DeRozan said Saturday. “We had to go through an experience like this to understand how hard it is to get to this point and what we need to do to be better, as individuals and as a team.
“That (Cleveland) team was disciplined. They executed. They did every single thing they needed to do to win the game. We had too many lapses. They took advantage of that. That’s where you have to grow as a team. And with that, adding a couple more pieces that would solidify that.”
Raptors’ Lowry still hurting over tough loss | Toronto Sun
Lowry’s summer is going to be shorter than usual but just as busy. He’s got to figure out whether that bothersome elbow needs surgery or not: “It’s not a serious concern, but it’s a concern,” he said. He’s got to get back into his off-season program that made his lighter and leaner and more capable of avoiding injuries this season.
And he’s going to be a listener, to his friend DeMar DeRozan who will opt out of his contract and is free to go to any team that wants him, assuming of course anyone still believes DeRozan wants to leave, which he is doing his best to convince everyone is not the case.
DeRozan was there for Lowry when he was a free agent two seasons ago and Lowry now says he’ll be there for DeRozan.
“It’s a stressful time, but as a friend, I’m not even going to give him advice,” Lowry said. “I’m going to let him experience it and if he needs my ear, it’s there.
“I had my chance to go through free agency, he was unbelievable, in a great way, just being a friend,” Lowry said.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey has just one wish for his starting point guard and the man he refers to as “the head of the snake.”
“The one thing for Kyle is for him to get healthy, to get his body healthy again, to go through the same routine that he went through this past summer, first rest his body a little bit, then get back into his routine to get back where he was, get his shooting where it’s consistent, where it was during the season,” Casey said. “I have no doubt that Kyle Lowry will be somewhere, after he takes some time off and rests, he’ll be somewhere working.”
Casey and Lowry haven’t always been on the same page but their growth together has mirrored the growth in the Raptors fortunes.
“He has grown so much as a person, as a man, as a teammate that I enjoy coaching Kyle Lowry,” Casey said Saturday. “And that’s something that coaches wouldn’t have said five or six years ago. He’s been a joy to coach. You even embrace it when he’s in a bad mood, because you know he’s ready to play.”
DeRozan on free agency: My mindset has always been Toronto, not switching up – Sportsnet.ca
At just 26 and now with a handful of impressive performances deep into the playoffs on his resume, DeRozan is a lock to earn a max deal worth north of $20 million. And there are 21 NBA teams expected to have the money available to offer him a deal.
Whether or not the Raptors should be the team to do so (it’s worth noting that Toronto is allowed to offer slightly more than other teams), has been a topic of contention among Raptor fans for much of the season.
Earlier this week, I wrote about why it’s a no-brainer that the Raptors lock DeRozan up long-term, noting that DeRozan’s sense of ownership in bringing the franchise back to relevancy and his loyalty to the team and city are part of why DeRozan wants to re-sign with the Raptors. That means the decision will be Ujiri’s to make.
Today while meeting with the media for the last time this season, DeRozan, naturally, was asked about the decision he faces this summer. He wasn’t exactly cryptic about his desire to come back to Toronto and continue to play a major role in a budding title contender.
Raps in peace: Toronto is out, but its future has never been brighter – CBSSports.com
DeRozan is all about resilience these days. Last year, he read The Undefeated Mind, a book by Alex Lickerman about building strength through adversity that is grounded in Nichiren Buddhism. When the Raptors’ star backcourt was mired in a playoff shooting slump, DeRozan told Lowry about what he’d learned from it: They had to be comfortable being uncomfortable. The conference finals loss hurt, DeRozan said, but he is already looking forward to trying to get back there.
“What those two guys have done for this franchise and this city and this fanbase, nothing short of amazing,” Cleveland superstar LeBron James said after beating Toronto 113-87. “Being two All-Stars, carrying those guys through a first-round seven-game series, a second-round seven-game series and then a conference finals Game 6 in their home building, they were spectacular. They were great. These fans here, I know they know what they have, and they sure appreciate talent like DeMar and Kyle.”
No Raptors will be ashamed of losing to James and the Cavs, even if they are not satisfied with the result. “We’re a step ahead in the process,” Casey said, adding that the next step — good to great — is the toughest. Internal improvement is essential, and Toronto must make some more moves.
Fortunately, the front office has a track record for finding the players the Raptors need. Last summer, after the Wizards debacle, Ujiri added DeMarre Carroll, Bismack Biyombo and Cory Joseph to address their defensive failings. He also selected promising guards Delon Wright and Powell, an absolute steal, in the draft. Toronto is not only a balanced and dangerous team, but a relatively young one. Thanks to Ujiri’s first move on the job, trading Bargnani to the Knicks in July 2013, the Raptors have the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, too.
Raptors End Of Season Interviews | Toronto Raptors
As the day went on, players continued to mention the growth of the program and the culture that was being created. Lowry said he thought the state of the franchise was unbelievable, with 56 wins in the regular season, making it to the Eastern Conference Finals and pushing Cleveland to six games. When Casey, he, too referenced the culture as well as the identity that the team is developing while laying out the steps to creating it.
“Build a culture first,” Casey said. “Here’s what kind of team we want to be or we are. This is what we stand for, these are our rules and regulations. I’m not a big rule guy, but we do have specific rules and things that we do that are expected once you become a Toronto Raptor and I think that’s a big part of this league.
“If you bring somebody in who doesn’t fit, it doesn’t work,” Casey continued. “That’s one thing Masai has done a great job of. Last year he brought guys in that fit the city, the brand, the culture, the team. Everything. Even Jason Thompson, the guy we got at the trade deadline, [he] fit. Came in and accepted his role. All of those things help build your culture, your program and ultimately your goal is to win a championship. We took a big step this year toward that. Are we there yet? No, but we’re probably a year or two ahead of schedule as far as we need to be.”
In a season of unparalleled success for the franchise, time will make it easier for players to look back at the year and see the happy moments, rather than the fresh sting of disappointment from the morning after. Collectively and individually, the group of guys in the Raptors’ locker room created history for professional basketball in Toronto this season. Their success also highlights a bright future for the years to come.
The imperfect Toronto Raptors | Hardwood Paroxysm
Losing to the Pacers would’ve been bad. Losing to the third-seeded Miami Heat in the second round would’ve been disappointing, but not unreasonable. Losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers? You can’t complain. The Cavs came in playing their best ball of the season, shooting 3s at ungodly rates. When the Raptors tried to take away the outside shot, the Cavs attacked inside. When the Raptors tried to protect the rim, the Cavs played Kevin Love and Channing Frye together. When the Raptors tried to play off the one guy who couldn’t shoot, it was LeBron James.
The Cavaliers just had too many options, while their pick-and-roll traps could stifle Lowry and DeRozan. The Raptors tried to counteract that by using one to screen for the other (instead of a big man), which worked to relative success. Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith botched switches, Lowry got to the rim a bunch and DeRozan looked good attacking a smaller defender in the post. There just wasn’t enough from the supporting cast this time, although you can’t blame them after the way they picked up the slack in the early rounds. The Raptors lost Game 6 by 26 points.
“I did think mental fatigue set in a little bit, which is no excuse at this time of year, but we put ourselves in that position with two hard-fought seven game series, which we learned from,” said Dwane Casey.
Imperfections and all, the Raptors took it to 20 games. They won Game 7 against the Pacers, Game 7 against the Heat and most improbably, Game 3 and Game 4 against the Cavs. Jonas Valanciunas got hurt and Bismack Biyombo stepped up with the best ball of his career. Everyone from Cory Joseph and Patrick Patterson to Norman Powell and James Johnson perked up at one point or another to chip in. I can’t say I like watching the Raptors all that much, but I sure like watching them win. And this team, so often beleaguered in its history, won a lot of games this season.
Now it’s about getting better, picking away at those flaws and tinkering with the roster. I think it’s been forgotten that DeRozan decreased his rate of midrange attempts, got more free throws, posted a career-high in 3-point percentage and developed his passing game this season. There was a bit of a step back during the playoffs, but what the Raptors have built here is worth sticking with. Biyombo has probably played his way to a bigger contract with another team, but Valanciunas — dominant before his injury in the second round, and a hugely improved pick-and-roll defender this season — cemented himself as the future at center. The Raptors are deep, young and own the Denver Nuggets’ ninth overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Raptors in Review: Biyombo bursts on the scene – Sportsnet.ca
The Year That Was: Biyombo was the afterthought signing of the 2015 off-season, so much so that he didn’t have an introductory press conference like Cory Joseph and DeMarre Carroll before him. Now Biyombo needs no introduction as he was the darling of the Raptors’ playoff run.
In his fifth NBA season, Biyombo changed his narrative from another Michael Jordan draft bust to elite rebounder, rim protector and great teammate. Biyombo broke the franchise record in rebounds in a game with 25 versus the Indiana Pacers in March. In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he broke that record and set a Raptors playoff mark with 26 boards in a single game. The common denominator in both performances is they came in relief of an injured Jonas Valanciunas.
The expanded role did wonders for Biyombo’s production. In just 22 minutes per game in the regular season, he put up averages of 5.5 points, eight rebounds, 54.2% field-goal shooting and 1.6 blocks. In the post-season he logged 25.3 minutes, averaging 6.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 58% field-goal shooting with 1.4 blocks.
End of the Season Wrap-Up: The Raptors reflect on their 2015-16 run – Raptors HQ
DeMar DeRozan:
Obviously the big question on everyone’s tongue was what would DeRozan say, if anything, about his impending free agency. To that point, DeRozan was effusive in his love for Toronto and while he didn’t exactly say with 100 percent certainty he’d be back, it definitely sounded like the ball is in Ujiri’s court. Best guess: if DeRozan leaves it will be because the Raptors decided to go in a different direction.
Listening to DeRozan talk, reflecting on how this team was four years ago (“We looked like a JV squad out there”), was touching. This is a young guy who’s been here for quite some time and clearly cherishes the fact that he is a Toronto Raptor, full stop. DeRozan called playing for one team your whole career “the most incredible thing you can do.”
We learned from DeMar that Lowry aspires to be an NBA GM some day, which would be awesome.
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