Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Raptors fire away in third quarter to defeat Hornets

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November 7

New Orleans Times-Picayune

"With early signs of momentum carrying over from Wednesday night's overtime victory against Dallas, Hornets point guard Chris Paul appeared pleased as he headed to the locker room with his team holding a two-point halftime lead against the Toronto Raptors. However, four minutes into the third quarter, Paul had the same frustrating glare as he did during Monday night's loss to the New York Knicks when the Hornets were thoroughly dominated in the fourth quarter, surrendering 40 points at Madison Square Garden. On Friday night, not even the home-court advantage could save the Hornets as they were undone by the Raptors' franchise-record eight 3-pointers in the third quarter that led to a ..."

Calderon leads the charge

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November 7

Toronto Sun

"In the midst of Jose Calderon's slow start to the season, Jay Triano had heard enough of the second guessing. Following an up-tempo Saturday afternoon practice recently, question No. 2,000 about Calderon's laboured start left Triano shaking his head. With a pained expression Triano pointed out: "It's not as if he woke up this morning and became a bad player." Last night in the Big Easy, in Game 5 of an 82-game season, Calderon didn't need anyone to defend his abilities. They were in full view on the court. With even the most faithful of Raptor followers predicting a long night with a red-hot Chris Paul lying in wait for Calderon and the Raptors' much-maligned defence, the wee Spaniard ..."

Raps defence puts brakes on Paul

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November 7

Toronto Sun

"A team-high 21 points and 18 assists is a good night at any level, but last night those numbers belonging to New Orleans' Chris Paul were actually good for the visiting Raptors. Paul, who came in averaging 30 points and just over eight assists a game, came out firing last night and appeared to be on his way to another top effort when he took a 17-point, 10-assist line to the locker room at halftime. But some key adjustments by the Raptors saw the visitors hold Paul scoreless for the third quarter and limit him to just three assists as they took over the game. Ask Raptors head coach Jay Triano and it took a consummate team effort to pull it off."

Sharp-shooting Raptors fly past Hornets

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November 7

Toronto Star

"For 12 minutes they were as good as they can be right now, efficient on offence, solid on defence, and if there's a sign the Raptors are on the right course, it came in the third quarter Friday night. Blistering the New Orleans Hornets with an awesome shooting display and holding Chris Paul in check in the second half, Toronto put on a 34-14 blitz in the third frame that led them to a 107-90 victory in front of 15,010 fans. The Raptors made eight three-pointers in the decisive third - a single-quarter franchise record - and held New Orleans to 5-for-17 shooting from the field. In all, the Raptors shot a remarkable 14-for-29 from three-point range."

Raptors' fiery Jose Calderon silences critics

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November 7

Toronto Star

"Jose Calderon knows what was being written and what was being said and what was being suggested. And as the Raptors' point guard pumped his fists and let out a primal scream and showed more outward emotion than he usually does, he was striking out not just at the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night but at the circumstances over the past week and a half that had led to so many questions. He was angry, at himself and the spot he found himself in, and he took it out on the Hornets."

Starting slowly

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November 6

Toronto Sun

"It's obvious that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo did not sign point guard Jarrett Jack this summer because he's a big fan of alliteration or because Jack is a buddy of Chris Bosh. Colangelo acquired the former Georgia Tech star (he played with Bosh during the 2002-03 season) because Jack gives the Raptors a second, quite able, ball-handler at the point, something extremely valuable if Jose Calderon is out or having an off day. That was exactly the situation in Toronto's 110-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. Calderon struggled, managing nine points and just one assist in almost 32 minutes of play. But Jack, along with others on the bench, including Antoine Wright and Amir ..."

Raptors face test in sizzling Paul

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November 6

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"Jay Triano, the Raptors coach, pointed out a statistic that's pertinent to understanding the challenge his team faces in Friday's game in New Orleans. Triano noted that Chris Paul, the point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, went 3-for-4 from behind the three-point line the other night – and yet Paul's three-point field-goal percentage dropped. Scary as it is for opponents to contemplate, Paul came into Wednesday's game shooting 82 per cent from behind the arc; this from a guy who's a lifetime 35 per cent shooter from deep. And while the sample size is small (Paul has now made 12 of his 15 three-balls in five games), the alarming success rate suggests Paul has carried through on his vow ..."

Raptors could use another Oak

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November 5

Toronto Sun

"In the 15-year history of the Raptors, players have come and gone quicker than Charlie Villanueva's happy trigger finger from the perimeter. Moves have been made that exposed management's incompetence, much in the same manner as Jose Calderon gets exposed on defence. The trade with Indiana to get Antonio Davis for a lottery pick that would become the bust that was Jonathan Bender ranks among the most astute and impactful deals in Raptors history. Losing Tracy McGrady for nothing in free agency is among the worst ever. The low-water mark must be Raptors' inability to get basically anything for Vince Carter. JURY IS OUT No one knows what the future awaits the Raptors and the jury is ..."

Big hole, free-throw deficit doom Detroit

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November 5

Detroit Free Press

"The Pistons had their best offensive performance of this young season Wednesday night, with 99 points Unfortunately, they yielded more than 100 points for the first time this season in a 110-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Pistons were done in by a Toronto parade to the free-throw line (36-for-47) and a second quarter in which they allowed 44 points and 75% shooting. "Needless to say, if you let anybody in the league score that many points, it's going to be tough to kind of counter that," Pistons guard Ben Gordon said of the second quarter. "I thought we did a good job of kind of rallying back in the third, and we had a lead for a short period of time, but we could never hold them ..."

Pistons hurt by letdown on defense, fall to Raptors

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November 5

Detroit News

"A night after a stout defensive effort, the Pistons were a little more lax Wednesday against the Raptors. Toronto exploded for 44 points in the second quarter, keying a 110-99 victory. The Raptors held as much as a 17-point lead in the second half, but saw the Pistons (2-3) rally to take a 91-90 lead on Will Bynum's bucket with 7:39 left. But Jose Calderon made a 3-pointer to regain the lead, and Toronto didn't look back. Ben Gordon scored 30 and Bynum had 17 points. Rodney Stuckey had 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds."

Strong start only a beginning for Bosh

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November 4

Toronto Star

"Chris Bosh has had fast starts to NBA seasons before – he was blistering at this time last season, evoking thoughts of any number of individual awards – but he's more concerned these days with big finishes. So, yes, his 31 points per game over the first three games are nice and his 14.7 rebounds per game are pretty special, but it won't matter a lick if he's only average when the NBA season really gets going."

The Oakley show rolls back into town

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November 4

Toronto Star

"Charles Oakley's phone went to voicemail for the umpteenth time the other day. Still, a repeat caller never tired of hearing a four-word message delivered in the former Raptor's gruff mumble. "The President," Oakley announced, before a dramatic pause. "Not in." He's expected to be in the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night, when Toronto's NBA team, as part of its 15th-season festivities, reportedly plan to honour him."

Bosh sees

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November 4

Toronto Sun

"Before the first question was launched Chris Bosh's way following practice at the Air Canada Centre yesterday, the Raptors' all-star forward noticed the sun had peeked through the windows located on two sides of the practice facility. The big forward was trying to keep things upbeat. However, it didn't take long for the media to add a little grey to the surroundings. Bosh was asked if tonight's game at home against the Detroit Pistons was crucial, given the fact that, afterward, they play seven of the next eight games on the road, all against Western Conference teams. A loss against Detroit tonight would put Toronto at 1-3 heading into the tough road swing. Bosh, who, individually, ..."

Status quo suits Triano

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November 3

Toronto Sun

"Forget any notion of a lineup shuffle. Jay Triano isn't interested in even discussing the pros and cons of any potential shakeup. Ditto for a change in their core defensive or offensive principles. For one thing, it's three games into the season. Triano doesn't do panic. For another, the Raptors have been down that road of knee-jerk reactions before and it hasn't worked. Triano was asked specifically yesterday if he had entertained any thoughts about getting Antoine Wright, who couldn't practise because of a minor ankle sprain, into the starting lineup. "Not for a second," Triano said. " I think the rookie (DeMar DeRozan) has been very good in limited minutes and we're happy with where ..."

V.C. Mulling plan to be feted at ACC

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November 3

Toronto Sun

"As part of the club's 15th anniversary celebrations, the Raptors are hoping to honour, of all people, Vince Carter on Nov. 22 when Orlando returns. ''Everybody wants to know how we can do it, but Vince is part of the history here," GM Bryan Colangelo told the Orlando Sentinel. "Most of the people that he had problems with here are gone.'' Fans who love to bash Vinsanity may differ. Baffling Bargs Head coach Jay Triano says Andrea Bargnani's inconsistent shooting is letting it affect other parts of his game. "Like everyone, when your shot is not going, the key is do the other things -- get rebounds, defend and make sure you're coverages are complete," Triano said."

Inconsistent Raptors desperate for consistency

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November 3

Toronto Star

"It really should be so simple. Show up, work hard, give a maximum effort, dive for balls, play with aggression and intelligence, and do the little things that make the difference between winning and losing. And while that sounds easy, it is more difficult than many can imagine, and it is a constant battle the Raptors – and every other NBA team – must fight."

Solution to Raptors' weak defence? Start Jack

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November 3

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"You hear NBA coaches say it all the time: Offence is nice, but defence and rebounding wins games. And perhaps Sunday's Raptors' loss to the Orlando Magic was as good an illustration of that majority point of view as any. Toronto's hoopsters, after all, shot a more-than-respectable 54 per cent from the field. And yet they never really had a chance to win the game, digging themselves a 22-point hole and falling 125-116. So much for this corner's pre-season thinking the Raptors are offensively gifted enough to stay in any given game so long as they're shooting the ball well."

Hot shooting Magic down Raptors to improve to 3-0

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November 2

Orlando Sentinel

"As if winning the game wasn't difficult enough on Sunday for the Orlando Magic, who'd have thought there would be a need afterwards to also spell Krzyzewski correctly? The Magic (3-0) are doing things the hard way this early in the season to remain unbeaten, an NBA Finalist needing to rely on surprise performances. They overcame the loss of two starters and a scary moment involving superstar Dwight Howard on Sunday to beat the Toronto Raptors in a 125-116 shoot-out. J.J. Redick started for injured Vince Carter at shooting guard and provided the latest surprise after receiving a pep talk from his old college coach at Duke, Mike K-r-z-y-z-e-w-s-k-i. Prophetic Coach K should be on the Magic's ..."

Raptors fans' taunts for Magic SG Vince Carter will have to wait

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November 2

Orlando Sentinel

"Raptors fans with long memories didn't get the chance to boo Magic SG Vince Carter, who was scratched with an injury on Sunday. But that opportunity might come Nov. 22 at Air Canada Centre when the player who demanded out of Toronto after six-plus seasons will be ... honored by the franchise as part of their 15th anniversary celebration. The Raptors say they will first ask Carter if he wants to go through with a ceremony, realizing the back-story. "Everybody wants to know how we can do it, but Vince is part of the history here," Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo told the Sentinel. "Most of the people that he had problems with here are gone.""

Plenty of Magic to go around

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November 2

Toronto Sun

"One player was forced to fly home to central Florida because of flu-like symptoms. Another was unavailable because of a tender ankle. And yet one more was un able to play in the wake of a suspension that won't expire for another seven games. There has been a lot of talk about Orlando's depth and the off-season commitment the franchise made by exceeding the league's salary cap. As far as statements go, the Magic's win over the Raptors yesterday wasn't the most profound. Given Toronto's deficiencies on defence and lack of mental fortitude, even a short-handed version of the Magic, which still fielded healthy pieces in Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, was more than capable of producing a ..."

No Vince for Orlando today

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November 1

Toronto Star

"At least it'll cut down on the incessant booing. Just got finished listening to Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy say Vince Carter won't go Sunday afternoon against the Raptors. Carter's out with a mildly sprained left ankle suffered Friday in New Jersey We had seen Vince come down from the practice gym about 20 minutes earlier after trying to loosen up the ankle but it didn't work."

At least Raps won't underestimate Magic

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"How can the Raptors look so energetic and focussed in a win over an NBA-elite team like Cleveland, then look so lethargic and slow against the comparatively star-starved Memphis Grizzlies? The easy answer is that they underestimated, overlooked and disrespected -- pick your favourite verb -- the Grizzlies in a 115-107 loss on Friday. From head coach Jay Triano to Chris Bosh, to Jarrett Jack, the consensus was that, for whatever reason, the Raps didn't bring the intensity necessary to beat any NBA team. "Obviously when you play against guys the calibre of a LeBron and a Shaq, your focus might be a little more intense than say against a team like Memphis that does not have the same type ..."

Vince Carter ankle injury update: 'We'll see how it feels in the morning'

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November 1

Orlando Sentinel

"Across the hall in Air Canada Centre late Saturday afternoon, Jay-Z's road crew was performing ear-splitting sound-checks, seeing if all systems were go for the rapper's show that night. Inside the practice facility a few feet away, the Orlando Magic were doing some tests on the left ankle of VC — shooting guard Vince Carter. Carter was stretched out on a table, applying a flashing light of a laser device to the area he sprained Friday night while playing the Nets — his old team — in New Jersey. "This thing is incredible," Carter said of the laser's healing powers. Carter hopes modern science does the job. He said he's going to attempt to play today against the Toronto Raptors, the team he ..."

At least Raps won't underestimate Magic

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"How can the Raptors look so energetic and focussed in a win over an NBA-elite team like Cleveland, then look so lethargic and slow against the comparatively star-starved Memphis Grizzlies? The easy answer is that they underestimated, overlooked and disrespected -- pick your favourite verb -- the Grizzlies in a 115-107 loss on Friday. From head coach Jay Triano to Chris Bosh, to Jarrett Jack, the consensus was that, for whatever reason, the Raps didn't bring the intensity necessary to beat any NBA team. "Obviously when you play against guys the calibre of a LeBron and a Shaq, your focus might be a little more intense than say against a team like Memphis that does not have the same type of ..."

Zach Randolph scores 30 as Grizzlies beat Raptors

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October 31

Memphis Commercial Appeal

"On opening night of the regular season, the Grizzlies didn't score enough points, put up enough resistance or even look as if they wanted to be in FedExForum. Friday night, Memphis got a mulligan and made up for its false start by beating the Toronto Raptors, 115-107, before an announced crowd of 10,563. "It's a sigh of relief. We came out with energy and guys are on the same page," power forward Zach Randolph said after tossing in 30 points to lead the Griz to their first victory this season. The Griz looked like a completely different team than the one that got pummeled by Detroit. From the start against the Raptors, the Griz accumulated deflections on defense, aggressively chased ..."

Sluggish Raptors tarnish great start

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October 31

Toronto Star

"The truth of the Raptors lies somewhere in the middle of what transpired here Friday night and the euphoria of Wednesday at home. They won't be as consistently excellent as they were against the Cavaliers; they won't be as terribly bad as they were here for stretches against the Grizzlies. But until they find that middle ground, until they are consistent in the work ethic and as accomplished on the defensive end as they are on offence, it is going to be a bumpy ride. Like it has been through two disparate season-opening outings."

Raptors' defence exposed

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October 31

Toronto Sun

"While walking in Memphis, the Raptors tripped all over their toes. Only to fall flat on their collective faces. This should have been a night to build on their opening-night win over Cleveland. Instead, it exposed the Raptors as a team that can't defend the backboard in crunch time, let alone defend an opponent. It exposed Hedo Turkoglu as someone who is far from being physically able to step up when the game is on the line. Above all, last night's 115-107 loss to the host Grizzlies exposed the Raptors' soft underbelly. Maybe in time the Raptors will get tougher on defence, not allow second-chance points and show a killer instinct when a foe appears vulnerable. But not now. Wasted ..."

Centre of attention

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October 30

Toronto Sun

"There are few things in life Andrea Bargnani appears to enjoy less than finding himself the centre of attention in a media scrum. Even in his fourth year in the league and his NBA credentials being further established with every game, his body language in a scrum screams: 'Get me out of here.' Yesterday, after a strong season opener when he led the Raptors with 28 points, Il Mago was, as expected, the story of the day. As the scrum began, Bargnani was stationed at least three feet from the wall of the Raptors practice gym. But as the scrum grew the 7-foot giant shrank backwards and wound up pinned against that wall trying his best to bring the conversation to an end. When it finally ..."

Bravo Bargnani, do it again

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October 30

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"In the first half of the Raptors' season-opening win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, it seemed as though Andrea Bargnani, Toronto's 7-foot centre of attention, was being introduced to a new defender every time he touched the ball. Shaquille O'Neal, the out-of-shape 37-year-old, tried guarding him, to laughable avail. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, another aged lumberer, chipped in for naught. Anderson Varejao, Cleveland's energetic power forward, took a turn and had his moments. Even LeBron James, perhaps the most dominant force in the sport, sidled up to Bargnani to try his luck. At that moment Bargnani, to the surprise of even his closest confidants, didn't meekly pass the ball away or rush an ..."

Key Raptor playmakers step up late in game

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October 29

Toronto Star

"With the game on the line, Jay Triano had a luxury seldom ever afforded a Raptors head coach and he took full advantage of it. Lacking enough playmakers to really make the difference down the stretch of a close game, Triano finished last night's 101-91 Toronto victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers with three of them on the court at the same time."

Big men come through for Raptors

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October 29

Toronto Star

"The 21-point lead had vanished completely with two minutes left in the third quarter, and the feeling around the Air Canada Centre had gone from delirious to dread. The Raptors had blown a big lead, the Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and more hype and swagger than anything remotely associated with the Raptors – were rolling."

Plenty for Raptors to build upon

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October 29

Toronto Star

"It's one game. Jose Calderon, the Raptors point guard, said it again and again and again Wednesday night. "It's one game." And it was. But the Raptors' resounding season-opening win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, a 101-91 roller-coaster in front of a raucous sellout crowd, was an awful lot of fun to watch"

One night to cherish

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October 29

Toronto Sun

columnist Steve Simmons

"All his life, Jay Triano waited for a night like this, with all this noise, with all this excitement. There is only one opening night, one first game of the first season of a coaching career he never saw coming. His passport doesn't matter anymore. This was no token appointment as the only Canadian head coach -- ever -- in the National Basketball Association. The job, Bryan Colangelo insisted from the beginning, went to the best man. THE BEST MAN Only it was hard to believe Jay Triano was the best man to coach the Toronto Raptors. So opening night began with Chris Bosh talking on a microphone to the fans, with former Raptor Anthony Parker getting a standing ovation, with LeBron James ..."

James preaches patience for struggling Cavs

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October 29

Toronto Sun

"If seven years in the NBA have taught LeBron James one thing, it is that patience is a necessity, particularly when things aren't going quite right. After the opening two games of their season, that's the position the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves this morning. James and his Cavs followed a season-opening loss on their home court to the Boston Celtics with last night's 101-91 drubbing by the Raptors to fall to 0-2. It's not the start anyone in Cleveland saw coming. James did his thing against the Raptors, following up a 38-point win Tuesday with a triple double that included 23 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. "Patience is what it's all about," James said. "Early in my career ..."

Cavs rally in third quarter, but fall

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October 29

Akron Beacon Journal

"One night in the near future, the Cavaliers will put together a complete game of basketball. Until then, Cavs fans will have to hold their collective breath for the ups and downs of what is quickly becoming a roller-coaster start to the season. Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre, the Cavs looked doomed in the first half by an offense that was all ebb and little flow, and the Toronto Raptors led by as many as 20 and had a 57-39 halftime lead. But despite a tremendous effort that tied the game late in the third quarter, and included the 25th triple-double of LeBron James' career, the Cavs fell to the Raptors 101-91. James finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. James' ..."

No rhythm, no wins: Cleveland Cavaliers get a triple double from LeBron, but little else in 101-91 loss to Toronto

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October 29

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Facing a busy schedule with little practice time while struggling to find a rhythm, the Cavaliers were hoping to grind out some early wins. That's looking like it's going to be tougher than expected. Again often looking sheepish and uncertain, the Cavs were handed another defeat Wednesday night in a game in which they were rather thoroughly outplayed. This time it was the Toronto Raptors who left their season opener smiling thanks to the Cavs, beating them, 101-91, tothem to 0-2. Last season, the team didn't lose two games in a row until February. Then again the Cavs didn't lose at home until February last year, either. Once again a strong effort by LeBron James wasn't even close to ..."

Raps as good as anyone: Hedo

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October 28

Toronto Sun

"Teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference should heed the words of Hedo Turkoglu. While players were asked yesterday for predictions on the coming season, which begins tonight for the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre against the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, Turkoglu suggested that anyone who believes his club will not succeed is misinformed. "We are as good as anybody out there right now," said Turkoglu, whom GM Bryan Colangelo brought over from the Orlando Magic in July. "We don't get a lot of credit, even to make the playoffs. But we really don't care. I'm very confident about myself and my teammates." Perhaps it's Turkoglu who is wearing the rose-coloured contact lenses. Most ..."

Chemistry critical to Raptors' success

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October 28

Toronto Star

"You can't touch it or smell it or measure it in any quantifiable manner. It's an elusive concept that many talk about but no one can really clearly define. Yet it may be the one thing that determines whether the Raptors' season, which opens Wednesday night as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers, is a wild success or an unqualified failure."

Raptors face an uphill battle

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October 28

Toronto Star

"With apologies to the residents of Chinatown, Little India, Corsa Italia and beyond, let's not kid: Toronto is a monoculture. A losing culture. The one-win Leafs and the Argos are to laugh. Most Blue Jays games are funerals. And the local beer-swilling soccer spectacle begs a narrowing of the definition of "pro athlete." But Wednesday night, when the Raptors open their 15th season against LeBron and Shaq and the Cleveland Cavaliers, marks a welcome beginning in a town accustomed to dead ends. Toronto's NBA outfit just might be pretty good this season."

Shaq quip still stings

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October 27

Toronto Sun

"Chris Bosh doesn't plan on going fist city with Shaquille O'Neal tomorrow night at the Air Canada Centre when the Raptors open up the regular season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But one gets the impression that he is still somewhat miffed by O'Neal's comments last season, when he described the good-natured Raptors forward as "the RuPaul of big men." O'Neal added that he was going to make Bosh quit when his plays him next (tomorrow). "It's what I do," Shaq said. But while Bosh brushed aside suggestions that O'Neal's words have increased his motivation, there still obviously is some resentment lingering. "I don't care. I really don't care. Everybody can talk back and forth all day. ..."

Pieces are in place for Raps

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October 27

Toronto Sun

"An air of curiosity is palpable in Raptorland as the club embarks on its 15th season in the NBA. It'll be curious to see how Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu play together. It'll be curious to see how the Raptors defend, especially in low-scoring games when one has to simply grind out every possession. It'll be curious to see how nine new faces mesh. It'll be curious to see how many Bosh rumours surface as next summer's deadline draws nearer, a time when the team's franchise player has the right to exercise his negotiated right to become a free agent. Curiously, the Raptors appear to have all the necessary pieces to not only nail down one of the eight playoff seeds in the Eastern ..."

Bosh keeps it real

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October 27

Toronto Sun

"Chris Bosh is not suffering from delusions of dino grandeur. On the eve of the Raptors season-opening game tomorrow night against LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and the explosive Cleveland Cavaliers, the all-star forward acknowledged yesterday that his revamped, re-tooled and refocused team will have to out-work the elite clubs in the Eastern Conference this year to have any chance of winning. And if they don't, well, it could be a long year. And though he didn't say as much, if they don't, this season may end up being Bosh's farewell tour in Toronto, as one U.S. wag put it. Even with some key new faces, including potential all-star Hedo Turkoglu, Bosh suggested yesterday following a ..."

Statistics do a number on Raptors

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October 26

Toronto Star

"The Toronto Raptors will finish lower than sixth place in the NBA's Eastern Conference but remain in the hunt for a final playoff spot, says a leading sports mathematician who analyzed the team's prospects for the Star. "The top six in East are almost surely Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Miami," says Wayne Winston, author of Mathletics and a professor of decision sciences at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University."

Bosh-Shaq feud fuel for opener

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October 25

Toronto Sun

"Now that the tedium of pre-season hoops is over, the focus turns to Wednesday's home opener and the return of Shaq Daddy. O'Neal lit up the Raptors in the desert last season and then lit a fuse with Chris Bosh by invoking the name of a drag queen. "I heard what Chris Bosh said, and that's strong words coming from the RuPaul of big men," the Big Aristotle opined following his 45-point outburst, a total that helped his then-Phoenix Suns romp to a 133-111 win on Feb. 27. "I'm going to do the same thing (in their next meeting) I did before -- make him quit. Make 'em quit and complain. It's what I do.""

Happily for Raptors fans, statistics don't dunk

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October 25

Toronto Star

"f only it was so cut and dried. So black and white. So definitive. We wouldn't have to go to all the trouble of actually playing the games, would we? We could look at numbers, assign values and determine outcomes. No messy things like arenas and fans and officials to get in the way. Stats, and the analysis of them, do have a place in pro sports but there is a tendency – as this corner sees it, at least – to give them far, far too much weight. Basketball, in particular, is a game of nuance, of chemistry between the players on the court, of one guy rising to the occasion one night and another the next."

Statistics do a number on Raptors

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October 25

Toronto Star

"The Toronto Raptors will finish lower than sixth place in the NBA's Eastern Conference but remain in the hunt for a final playoff spot, says a leading sports mathematician who analyzed the team's prospects for the Star. "The top six in East are almost surely Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Miami," says Wayne Winston, author of Mathletics and a professor of decision sciences at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. "I believe Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte, Washington and the Raptors will fight it out for last two playoff spots. (The Raptors) will be in it till the end of the season.""

Boo-hoo in the Sioux hurdle

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October 24

Toronto Sun

"All games are not created equal, no matter how loudly NBA coaches bang that 1-out-of-82 drum through the long regular season. That's especially so in the pre-season, when the exhibitions are supposed to build toward something. So in the last of his club's eight tune-ups, Toronto coach Jay Triano had wanted to look a little harder, and use certain players in combinations a little longer, in what wound up as a 98-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night. That was the plan, at least, until Hedo Turkoglu turned his right ankle midway through the first quarter and was shut down after halftime in a precautionary move. Turkoglu, the Raptors' newly acquired point-forward, had been ..."

Timberwolves power past Raptors in pre-season final

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October 24

Toronto Star

"So much for that plan. One of the things Jay Triano wanted most to see in the Raptors' final pre-season game was how Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani operated together offensively. Call it a wasted night. Turkoglu was limited to just 14 minutes because of a mild ankle sprain, and the much-needed cohesion with the other starters will have to come in the final three practices before the start of the regular season."

All-star dream for Bargnani

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October 23

Toronto Sun

"First it was Hedo Turkoglu, who told the Turkish media this past summer that his goal this season was to make the NBA all-star team. And now it's Andrea Bargnani. The fourth-year Raptor reportedly told a fan that his goal was to make the NBA all-star team. The fan posted the comments on a website and yesterday, following the Raptors practice at the Air Canada Centre, Bargnani was asked by the media if he has indeed set such a goal. "Of course," the 7-foot Italian responded. "I think every kid all over the world dreams about being an all-star." When pressed if making the all-star team was a specific goal for him this season, the Rome native responded in the affirmative. "You can set a ..."

In Raptors' final pre-season tuneup, Johnson knows role

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October 23

Toronto Star

"As a teenager growing up in Los Angeles, Amir Johnson must have felt like he landed on another planet when he set foot in Sioux Falls, S.D., early in his professional basketball career. The boondocks of minor pro basketball certainly isn't the bright lights of Hollywood and the 22-year-old Raptors forward heeded the advice given him in that three-month stint in the minors. It was 2005 when he found himself there, sent to the D-league for seasoning by the Detroit Pistons. He returned to South Dakota on Thursday night, perhaps not as a conquering hero but certainly as a better player than when he left."

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