Canada announces roster for men’s national team camp, Wiggins will not play | Raptors Republic
Again, some additions can still be made (including for the Olympics, should Canada qualify), but those absences loom large. R.J. Barrett may ultimately lead the next great Canadian men’s team but won’t turn 16 until next week, Melvin Ejim has made really nice strides as a player, and there’s otherwise a nice mix of youth and international experience, but this team will need some additional high-end talent to make a serious run for an Olympic berth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGfYf0eS1RU/
Raptors’ Cory Joseph headlines Canada Basketball prelim roster | Sportsnet.ca
Despite the obvious dearth of the program’s top talent, there’s still hope that the big guns will show up.
“Given the time of year, player availability is always changing. We’re continuing to talk to teams and players may become available as the summer progresses,” Canada Basketball men’s national team general manager Steve Nash said in a statement. “Playing for your country is an honour, we have a deep pool of talent who are committed to playing for Canada and we’re ready to get to work.”
This is an important point to take note of. A player like Thompson is still trying to win an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers right now so he has his hands tied, and Murray is busy going to workouts, doing interviews and getting himself ready for the draft.
As for the other NBA players, it’s entirely possible they’re simply resting before joining the team or Canada Basketball hasn’t secured their insurance yet, meaning they couldn’t participate even if they wanted to.
The roster as it currently stands will convene in Toronto at Air Canada Centre for a six-day training camp between June 10-15. Afterwards, the team will head to Italy to play in a five-game exhibition tournament starting June 17 that will see it square off against Croatia, China and Puerto Rico.
Lucas “Bebe” Nogueira on Instagram: “Go Jays go!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGdRGrJr-BR/
NBA Free Agency Sliding Doors: What if DeRozan and Biyombo both stay? | Raptors HQ
Terrence Ross is the clear answer to me in this scenario. With the emergence of Norman Powell, and if we’re retaining DeRozan and are assuming a full year of DeMarre Carroll, paying 10.1M for a guy that’s going to play 15 minutes per game isn’t ideal. He’s also got enough upside that you could certainly find a taker. It’s worth noting that he’s still only 24 years old. He’s also the only guy who makes more than the 7.9M floor number you mentioned, so any other scenario would involve moving out multiple assets. I’d much rather move out Ross than a combination of Patterson/Bebe, or CoJo plus a rookie contract.
Toronto Raptors on Instagram: “📸’s of the season: JJ #WeTheNorth”
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Is there an All-Time Raptors Dream Team that could beat the Warriors? | Raptors HQ
SF: 1999-00 Doug Christie
This was the trickiest spot in the starting five to fill. With Carter being a decent-not-great wing defender, I wanted to compliment him with a lock-down option who could spell Lowry for some possessions against Curry, and navigate the forest of screens that the Warriors like to set for Klay Thompson.
Morris Peterson, young Tracy McGrady and even Anthony Parker all had years that could have earned them this spot, but Christie gets it thanks to his 40-plus percent three-point shooting and surprising ability to create for his teammates. If in this never-gonna-happen game the Warriors wanted to try and coax the ball out of the hands of Lowry and Carter, Christie could be a dependable option to keep the offense moving. He averaged an impressive 5.1 assists per 36 minutes in the 1999-2000 season.
I’m putting way too much thought into this…
Toronto Raptors 15/16 Alternative Grades – The Bench Mob – PoundTheRockBlog
Another case of a player asked to do more than his skill-set would suggest. A bolded question mark hung above the starting power forward position going into training camp, as there were conflicting reports regarding who would get the starting nod. Once the first pre-season game arrived, Patman was chosen to fill the role on the back of his defense, 3-point stroke, and pass-first attitude. Casey never fully bought in and on numerous occasions cited the need for Patterson’s scoring off the bench, as in the prior two seasons. After a poor early preseason showing, the experiment proved to be short-lived. Patrick Patterson was relegated back to a 6th man bench role, which he would fulfill for the remainder of the regular season.
Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan’s Future Becoming Clear | Hoops Habit
He and Lowry have developed a great chemistry over the past couple of seasons both on and off the court. If DeRozan decided to leave, it would give the notion that he was turning his back on Lowry and all they have created in Toronto, which is a true playoff contender.
Los Angeles would be an attractive landing spot for DeRozan, not only because it’s his hometown, but also because they will have one of the most exciting cores the NBA can offer.
On the flip side, DeRozan will be entering his eighth season as a professional (all with Toronto) and they have finally inserted themselves in the contender conversation, so why would he give that up to possibly take a step back and waiting for the young players to develop in Los Angeles? Not to mention it will take years before the Lakers are true contenders in the stacked Western Conference.
If it’s money that DeRozan is concerned about, Toronto will have the room to throw a max contract his way, but it may mean crippling them to do much else besides a veteran’s minimum contract and a mini mid-level exception.
The Best Trade Offer Series: Terrence Ross | RealGM
Ross and 27 to Philly for Covington
Philly needs a 2
Raps save money for Biz
The Cavaliers should trade Kevin Love this summer, but where? | SBNation.com
Rivals don’t usually make trades involving stars, but Toronto is potentially the perfect match for Cleveland in a Love trade. The Raptors can offer a cheaper forward who will happily come off the bench if needed (either DeMarre Carroll or Patrick Patterson), the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft and a young asset, including maybe Norman Powell. Love would be a perfect counterweight to Kyle Lowry and (hopefully) DeMar DeRozan, and would allow Masai Ujiri to pay through the nose to keep Bismack Biyombo knowing he can be a starter with a high-scoring power forward in place. Cleveland saves tons of money, gets a grinder in place of Love and up to two young pieces. Win-win!
Raptors Player Review: Jason Thompson, the journeyman at the end of the bench | Raptors HQ
Role Next Season
Having left his long time home in Sacramento, Thompson, at 29, is now firmly in the journeyman portion of his career. He won’t improve anymore, he won’t do anything that wows you, he might not even play for long, long stretches. But every so often, Thompson will be called in to play a few minutes to finish a quarter, or he’ll be pressed into service during some garbage time game deep in the winter months. There are worse fates for a 12th overall pick, I suppose.
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