Andrea Bargnani News & Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

February 10

Toronto Sun

"Despite the best attempts of Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, Andrea Bargnani was not named to his first all-star game on Thursday evening. Bargnani has only played in 13 games this season, missing 14 and Casey is convinced that is all that prevented Bargnani from making it as a reserve. "I would bet my house he would have made it if he'd stayed healthy," Casey said after Thursday's practice. "He had the numbers offensively, he was doing the things defensively. If you notice everybody talks about how we've dropped defensively in the standings (of late), a lot of that correlates (with Bargnani being out). We've dropped without him in there and a lot of the coaches noticed that as much as his"

Don't expect Bargnani anytime soon

February 8

Toronto Sun

"Don't expect Andrea Bargnani to come riding to the Raptors rescue just yet. While the team's leading scorer appears to be getting around these days without much problem, getting around and running up and down a court and landing on that strained left calf is still something he hasn't tried. Bargnani is travelling with the team, a change from last season when the injured players stayed behind while the team went on the road. Asked after the loss in Washington how he was progressing, Bargnani said the calf is getting better but cautioned he has not run on it yet. He is staying busy in the weight room but joining workouts is still days away."

Andrea Bargnani loosens up, reveals secrets to success

February 4

Toronto Star

columnist Cathal Kelly

"Sprawled across an oversize couch in a rumpus room tucked behind the Raptors' ACC training facility, Andrea Bargnani is doing something weird. He's laughing. On the court, in front of cameras and anywhere there's a crowd, Bargnani wears an expressionless mask that his critics have spent six years trying to interpret. The least charitable have decided he isn't grinning or grimacing or generally clowning because he doesn't care. And he doesn't care, but not in the way they mean. When you get him in a room alone, he is an entirely different person. He is solicitous and engaging. He is more articulate in his second language because he can focus on a single conversation, rather than several"

NBA taking notice of Raptors' Bargnani

January 27

Toronto Sun

"The spoon feeding of Andrea Bargnani has come to an end. The career coddling has stopped and Bargnani, when healthy, is suddenly a different player in Year Six of the great experiment, with a newfound body language that speaks confidence and dominance. You can see him taking control when he didn't care or didn't know how to take control before. You can see his eyes so alive, so active — the blank stare with mouth wide open, his personal deer in the headlights look from the early days, is gone. You could see his anger, almost pulling his own hair out late Thursday night, when the calf injury that had sat him down for eight games returned against the Utah Jazz. And you could see something"

Raps adjust to life without Bargnani — again

January 27

Toronto Sun

"Two weeks without Andrea Bargnani earlier this month crippled the Raptors offensively. The team went 0-6 without him in the lineup, scored an average of 81 points and lost by an average of 12 points a night in those games. Outside of the Indiana Pacers game — a five-point loss on Jan. 13 and the first without Bargnani in the lineup — the Raps were never really a threat to win any of them. But in the two games he played after his return, the Raptors went 2-0 with Bargnani accounting for just less than 30% of the scoring himself. If you believe Bargnani's self-diagnosis, his absence this time will be longer. The fact he could not put any weight on the injured left calf on Thursday is"

Loss of Andrea Bargnani a big blow for Raptors

January 27

Toronto Star

"Andrea Bargnani's latest calf injury — one he termed much worse than the original one he suffered — is going to put the Raptors in an eerily familiar position for the foreseeable future. Robbed again of their leading scorer, the Raptors are going to have to figure out again how to manufacture enough points to stay in games. There was no word on Bargnani's fate as the team enjoyed a day off here Thursday; he was scheduled for an MRI but the results won't be dissected by various physicians and trainers here and in Toronto and Italy for a little while. But suffice it to say he won't be available for a while and that's not a good thing for a team that's proven it can't score consistently"

Toronto Raptors win double-OT thriller, but Andrea Bargnani hurt again

January 26

Toronto Star

"The enthusiasm of the moment should have been off the charts, with whooping and hollering and hugging and high-fiving. And, yes, there was some significant celebration going on at the Energy Solutions Arena here Wednesday night, and deservedly so, but they were muted for one very legitimate reason. The Raptors had played as gutsy a game as they have all year, holding off a rested team in a hostile environment to post a stirring 111-106 double-overtime victory over the Utah Jazz, but the spectre of an injured Andrea Bargnani cast at least a little pall over the night."

Andrea Bargnani returns, scores 36 points as Raptors defeat Suns 99-96

January 25

Toronto Star

"The three-pointers were silky smooth, the mid-range game was there, the engagement on the defensive end was impressive and Andrea Bargnani made a triumphant return to the Raptors here Tuesday night. It couldn't have come soon enough for coach Dwane Casey and a reeling team. Bargnani, back after a six-game injury absence, poured in a season-high 36 points as the Raptors snapped an eight-game losing streak by hanging on to beat the Phoenix Suns 99-96, their first win in the US Airways Center in eight seasons."

Raptors pumped about Bargnani's return

January 22

Toronto Sun

"Short of leaving the dead of winter in Toronto for spring time-like temperatures here in Los Angeles, nothing can lift the spirit of a team more than the return of its leading scorer. So when Andrea Bargnani took the floor for a late afternoon practice at the Student Activities Center gym on the picturesque UCLA campus, the effect was palpable. If you had to pick one difference maker on this team as it is currently made up, Bargnani would be right at the top of the list. Whether Bargnani makes his return Sunday in L.A. against the Clippers or Tuesday in Phoenix will be determined by how the big Italian feels when he wakes up Sunday morning. With a 12:30 tipoff local time, it's a short"

Without Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors look lost against Indiana Pacers

January 14

Toronto Star

columnist Cathal Kelly

"Andrea Bargnani tested the Peyton Manning Rule Friday night — proving his team MVP credentials by taking the night off. With the injured Italian sitting on the bench in street clothes, Raptor coach Dwane Casey called on the workers in his world to unite and provide a "collective effort" against the Pacers. They did that early. Can't miss first-quarter shooting spotted them an early 16-point lead. They spent the next two quarters watching that dwindle into nothingness as the brutes in Indiana's front-court pushed them into a slow retreat."

Andrea Bargnani is playing like an all-star because . . .

January 13

Toronto Star

"The big wonder is how Andrea Bargnani has been able to do so much so far in this NBA season while running around the court with that lightbulb finally shining over his head. Yes, after six seasons of little more than maddening inconsistency — flashes of excellence followed long stretches of infuriating lethargy — Bargnani seems to finally get it. He is engaged at both ends of the floor, he rebounds in traffic, he is animated and excellent and one of the premier scorers in the entire league. "Andrea for me, and I've been telling all my coaching friends around the league, is playing like an all-star on both ends of the floor," is the oft-stated belief of Raptors coach Dwane Casey and when"

Raptors lose big man Bargnani, fall to Kings 98-91

January 12

Toronto Star

"These are the most trying times of DeMar DeRozan's young NBA career, a time when things are going as poorly as they ever have, when he can't seem to buy a basket or have a big night. And they might be about to get worse. DeRozan struggled through another desultory offensive night as the Raptors were beaten 98-91 by the Sacramento Kings at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday and with Andrea Bargnani headed to hospital for an MRI on a strained left calf, the attention DeRozan is going to attract as the best scorer on an offensively challenged team is only going to get worse."

Calderon, DeRozan and Bargnani on ballot for NBA all-star game

January 5

Toronto Star

"Everything is compressed in this odd NBA season, including the voting for all-star starting lineups. Less than two weeks after the regular season began, and less than eight weeks before the actually game, the league unveiled the ballot Wednesday afternoon and there were no Toronto surprises. Guards Jose Calderon and DeMar DeRozan and forward Andrea Bargnani were named to the ballot for the Feb. 26 all-star game in Orlando."

DeRozan and Bargnani Show a hit in Raptors' season debut

December 27

Toronto Star

"There were a couple of DeMar DeRozan baskets and a couple of Andrea Bargnani baskets and a DeRozan free throw and any questions about who gets the ball and who takes the shots when Raptors games are hanging in the balance have been answered. From this day forward it will be the DeRozan and Bargnani Show, head coach Dwane Casey has decided, and if the results come as they did here Monday night, no one is going to argue. DeRozan had nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Bargnani had two of his five baskets in the same period as the Raptors got the abbreviated 2011-12 NBA regular season off to a professional and thorough start with a 104-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at"

Bargnani not bothered by Garnett's antics

December 19

Toronto Sun

"Centre Kevin Garnett has previously barked at Raptors' Jose Calderon — as well as Jerryd Bayless when the latter was on Portland. But on Sunday at the ACC, he decided to pick on someone closer to his own size. The focus of the Celtic's attention was Andrea Bargnani who tangled with the lanky Boston big man all afternoon. At one point in the game, Garnett seemed to be doing what looked like his own version of a Bargnani imitation. As the Raptors forward was helped to his feet by a couple of teammates, Garnett was waiting — his eyes all bugged out and his mouth open — staring past the helping Raptors and directly at Bargnani. He even held the stare a few moments just to make sure Bargnani"

Bargnani gets with the program

December 19

Toronto Star

columnist Cathal Kelly

"It's never easy to tell what Andrea Bargnani is thinking, or if he's thinking at all. Celtic Kevin Garnett tried to get a rise out of him midway through Sunday's pre-season debut by stretching out his arms and clapping his hands three times, hard, a couple of inches from Bargnani's nose. The Italian's permanently slack expression was not altered one iota. Later, Bargnani would say that he didn't notice Garnett riding him all game long. In this rare case, you half-believe it's true. Bargnani floats through games the way he appears to float through life — gliding along just above it all."

Hefty help for Bargnani

December 13

Toronto Sun

"More than wins and losses, Dwane Casey's first season as head coach of the Toronto Raptors will be about developing the talent at hand. One of Casey's biggest challenges will be getting more out of the enigmatic Andrea Bargnani. To that end, Bryan Colangelo, the general manager who has invested so much in Bargnani over the years, aided his new bench boss by gifting him with a couple of sizable veterans to ride shotgun. Casey plans to play Bargnani and slight sophomore Ed Davis at power forward – which means they will spend a lot of time on the court with either Aaron Gray, Jamaal Magloire, or Amir Johnson, who doesn't share their heft but can match up well with quick, athletic centres."

Bargnani a Raptor in waiting

December 3

Toronto Sun

"Andrea Bargnani didn't really mind the added down time. He was just coming off two intense months with the Italian national team and while the results weren't necessarily what the country had hoped, it provided Bargnani with a place to play and get better. Once the Eurobasket championship was over (the tournament didn't finish until Sept. 18, although the Italians were done after the round robin) instead of preparing to head back to North America for the NBA season Bargnani had some time on his hands. Not knowing how long the lockout would last or whether there would be a season at all, it was imperative that Bargnani stay in shape so he made it his business to be on a basketball court"

Raptors' Bargnani to play in Italy thanks to infidelity website Ashley Madison

October 19

Toronto Star

"The chance was too good to pass up, an opportunity to do some promotion for the company, to help old friends, to repatriate an athlete if only for a few months. A website that bills itself as "the world's leading married dating service for discreet encounters" is trying to get Andrea Bargnani playing basketball in his native Italy. And if it helps business, well, that's a nice little bonus for ashleymadison.com. "This was a chance for some cross-promotion, to call the team Ashley Madison Roma," Noel Biderman, the chief executive officer of Avid Life Media, the company that owns the dating site targeting married people, said in a telephone interview from Italy, where he is trying to"

Bargnani breaks loose at EuroBasket

September 3

Toronto Sun

"Andrea Bargnani answered his critics and led Italy to its first win of the 2011 EuroBasket on Friday, setting a new personal scoring high while wearing the Italian colours. Bargnani, who let Germany's Chris Kaman go off for 17 points and 17 rebounds while missing most of his shots in a loss on Thursday, scored 36 points, added four blocks and seven rebounds as Italy moved to 1-2 with a 71-62 win over Latvia. Italy rallied for the win behind Bargnani, who started for the first time in the tournament. While Bargnani starred, his future Raptors frontcourt teammate Jonas Valanciunas did not get off the bench for host Lithuania in a thrilling 75-68 win over Turkey."

Tired of waiting on Bargnani

June 25

Toronto Sun

"Time is running out for Andrea Bargnani in Toronto. Recent events have made that clear. Assuming the maddening Roman sticks around until whenever the NBA starts up again — no certainty, but a likely assumption — he will have one more chance to validate Bryan Colangelo's faith in him. With 7-foot centre Jonas Valanciunas — he of the massive upside and gaudy statistics, particularly when facing off against those his age — waiting in the wings, the Raptors will finally have another option in the middle sometime down the line. If newly installed defensive taskmaster Dwane Casey can't solve the Bargnani riddle and get 2006's top selection to compete with passion and purpose — particularly"

Bargnani's mixed messages

May 27

Toronto Sun

"By now, most Toronto Raptors fans have seen Andrea Bargnani's interesting comments regarding his future with the club when he did a brief interview during an Italian Sky Sports feed of the Western Conference Finals, essentially saying he wants to play somewhere warmer and where he can "play [his] role." Since then, the seven-footer backtracked a little and his press office issued a statement from him to the Raptors that reads: "I wish to personally clarify and correct an inaccurate portrayal of my words that recently appeared in the media," he said. "Much of what I said was taken out of context with respect to an entire conversation. "I want to make clear my love for Toronto and that I"

Bargnani likes Toronto, really

May 26

Toronto Sun

"Andrea Bargnani's name has been mud in these parts for the past couple of days — well, to clarify, muddier than usual. And he wants you to know it's all a misunderstanding. The Raptors' power forward made a cameo appearance as guest analyst on Italy's Sky Sports feed of the NBA Western Conference final this past weekend. In an interview conducted in Italian and since translated by a Toronto newspaper, Bargnani is asked if he could play anywhere else in the NBA, where would he choose to play? The reply, according to the translation, has Bargnani first saying "I want to stay in Toronto, at least this is the politically correct answer. If (I am) to go somewhere else, I'd like a warm-climate"

Would Bargnani look good wearing Silver and Black?

May 25

San Antonio Express-News

"Toronto forward Andrea Bargnani is tired of the frigid winters he's endured with the Raptors during the last five years. The former No. 1 pick of the 2006 draft told Italian viewers on Sky Sports that he wants to remain with the Raptors, but would would welcome being shipped to a warmer climate if he does move. "I want to stay in Toronto, at least this is the politically correct answer," Bargnani said in remarks that were published by the Toronto Star. " If (I am) to go somewhere else, I'd like a warm climate city and a team where I can actually play in my role." The Spurs, of course, have an open position if Antonio McDyess follows through with his stated intention of retiring. And"

Bargnani suggests Raptors may not be his ideal team

May 25

TSN.ca

"Is it foreshadowing or was something lost in translation? That's the debate revolving around Toronto Raptors centre Andrea Bargnani's recent comments to Italy's Sky Sports, where the former number one pick answered a question about which NBA city he would choose to play for if given the chance to rub a magic lamp and have his wish granted. "I want to stay in Toronto, at least this is the politically correct answer," Bargnani told Sky Sports in Italian. "If [I am] to go somewhere else, I'd like a warm climate city and a team where I can actually play my role.""

Bargnani asks for warm climate, better role … if he's not a Raptor

May 25

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"If there's one thing we've learned about Andrea Bargnani during his five seasons in Toronto, it might be this: The 25-year-old Raptor expresses himself in words, in both Italian and English, in the same way as he plays defence and rebounds. That is, reluctantly and sparingly. So the beleaguered fan base of Canada's 22-win NBA team should sympathize with the lot of Italy's hoop supporters. This past weekend, the colour commentary of the Italian feed of a Western Conference final game was provided by, yes, Bargnani."

Bargnani's future murky in Toronto

April 19

Toronto Sun

"Raptors president/general manager Bryan Colangelo said a lot at Monday's season-wrapping media conference but one of the biggest takeaways was this: The Andrea Bargnani experiment is either coming to an end or will be drastically altered. With Bargnani's future in Toronto rather murky, Colangelo admitted the obvious. "Miscast" as a centre, Bargnani was not thriving or lifting the team from that spot. "We need a bigger, better post presence," Colangelo said, noting that seven-footers who excel on the boards and defensively are keys to success. "Defending the rim is one of the main weaknesses we have, we need to get a guy who rebounds the ball." Colangelo said nobody on the roster is"

Bargnani not the answer in the middle

April 15

Toronto Sun

columnist Ryan Wolstat

"If Raptors head coach Jay Triano was being 100% honest at Thursday's season-ending media availability, this rebuild is going nowhere. Poor defence is the reason why the team has missed the playoffs the past three seasons and if the Raptors remain serious about round-pegging Andrea Bargnani into the square hole that is the centre position, well, expect a third-consecutive last-place finish in defensive rating next season. All of what ails the club defensively can't be placed at the feet of the 7-foot Roman – it's not his fault most of his teammates can't keep anybody in front of them, or that they aren't big or strong enough to match up with many opponents. But having a centre who rotates"

Bargnani, Calderon, Barbosa and Johnson all sit with injuries for Raptors on Sunday

April 11

Toronto Star

"Necessity being the mother of invention and all, Julian Wright finds himself in the strangest of places with the Raptors these days. With Jose Calderon out and Leandro Barbosa also on the sidelines due to injury, the 6-foot-9 forward is all of a sudden a backup point guard on a wildly undermanned team playing out the string in the final week of the regular season. He's got all kinds of things to worry about: where his teammates are, what the plays are, what mismatches to try to exploit and all the other things that go with being a point guard."

Bargnani's return from ankle injury lasts eight minutes

April 6

Toronto Sun

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"Had the Raptors defended the three-point line a little more earnestly, this might have been an entertaining game, but other than a few minutes midway through the fourth when the Raptors made a brief run and got the deficit down to 10, there was very little in the way of drama in this one. Bargnani's return to the lineup only lasted a half, a very unproductive one at that. Bargnani played 8:25, went 0-for-4 from the field, had two rebounds, a turnover and did not return to the Raptors bench for the second half."

Young Raptors step up in the absence of Bargnani and Calderon

April 4

Toronto Sun

"A weekend without Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon didn't turn out to be the death spiral some would have expected for the Raptors without the team's leading scorer and it's primary distributor. Not that the Raptors weren't already mathematically done for the year, but instead of an anticipated letdown, these Raptors excelled in the absence of two key starters. In fact, you could make the argument that in back-to-back games against Chicago and Orlando - a loss followed by a 102-98 upset on Sunday - these were the best consecutive games the Raptors have played all year. Head coach Jay Triano seemed to be leaning that way. "I think we've played 96 minutes of very good basketball the last"

Bargnani, Johnson play through pain

March 31

Toronto Sun

"The results may be meaningless to the Raptors, but playing the games obviously still has meaning. Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani proved that last night. Both could have easily had Wednesday night's game off had they so chosen, as both are dealing with ailments that have cost them both games and practices in the past week. Instead, they refused to take the easy out and played on. Bargnani was sidelined on Saturday with a sore right ankle that also had him watching Monday's practice. Johnson sat out Friday with a sore left ankle and missed practice on Monday when it flared up again. Both made it clear prior to Wednesday's game that they preferred to play rather than sit and watch."

Bargnani limited in practice, status for Wednesday unclear

March 29

Toronto Sun

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"Triano had most of his players back practising yesterday including Reggie Evans who missed the past two games when his surgically repaired foot began to give him problems. Andrea Bargnani, who sat out Saturday's game with a sore left ankle, was restricted to weight room and cardio work. Bargnani's status for Wednesday's game against Milwaukee will be updated Tuesday. As of Monday, though Triano said he was not aware of any injuries on the team that would lead to the Raptors shutting a guy down for the remainder of the year."

Still lots of upside to Bargnani

March 21

Toronto Sun

"When he's not settling for jumpers, when he's applying pressure on defences by putting the ball on the floor and playing even token defence, Andrea Bargnani can be a presence. Whether he'll ever shed the burden of being the NBA's first overall pick is an issue that may never get silenced, but he's beginning to silence his critics and opposing coaches have certainly taken notice of Bargnani. Given his non-American background and shot-happy nature, comparisons with Dirk Nowitzki have become inevitable, if not unavoidable. The Dallas Mavs star has won an NBA MVP title and led his team to an appearance in the league final. Bargnani is far from a finished product, but in the absence of Chris"

Bargnani joins Raptors' three-pointer club

March 19

Toronto Star

"They were the textbook Andrea Bargnani three-pointers. Feet set, smooth release, solid follow through, nothing but net. They were two shots that helped the Raptors drill the Washington Wizards 116-107 at the Air Canada Centre on Friday night and two shots that put Bargnani in heady company in Toronto franchise history."

Bargnani looked like he had something to prove

February 17

Toronto Sun

"Once again, at least early on, it seemed pretty personal for Andrea Bargnani. Two games after picking up his game against the man picked right after him in the 2006 draft, LaMarcus Aldridge, Bargnani went right at Chris Bosh. Toronto's new go-to guy, made its old primary option work defensively, especially in the first quarter. Bargnani got around Bosh for a pretty one-handed lay-in and launched a bunch of jumpers in his face to various degrees of success. Going back to attack-mode, Bargnani later went right around Bosh and threw down a spinning one-handed dunk in the second quarter."

Bargnani needs to get more out of his talent

February 2

Toronto Sun

"It is about time Andrea Bargnani decides if he is going to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Long ago Bryan Colangelo hitched his wagon to the idea that Bargnani would be a big part of the latter in Toronto but the man he put his faith in has been a massive disappointment of late. Granted Bargnani's 17-for-62 shooting over his past three games makes it easy to fire shots at him, but this goes far beyond what he does or does not provide at the offensive end. The issue with Bargnani remains his frustrating inability to get the best out of his talents by outworking opponents and showing commitment at both ends of the floor. That means not allowing big men such as Roy Hibbert (24"

Blame the Raptors' losing streak on the terrible three

February 1

Toronto Star

columnist Doug Smith

"When things go bad, they go terribly bad. Three key points that have contributed to the 12-game Raptors' losing streak, which is now tied for the fourth-worst in franchise history: Remember when DeMar DeRozan was lighting up the league in early January? Or when Andrea Bargnani was pouring in 20 points a night without working up a sweat? Not so much now. In their last three games, Bargnani has been a combined 17-for-62 from the floor and DeRozan's been a miserable 10-for-40, and there is no way Toronto can win with that kind of production from its two top players."

Raptors duo need to make adjustments

January 31

Toronto Sun

"After allowing 116 points on 55.3% shooting to the NBA's worst offensive team and scoring just 87 points on 33.7% from the floor the next night against the league's shoddiest defensive outfit, what can the Raptors possibly do for an encore on Monday night? According to head coach Jay Triano, adjustments by his top two players might be a good start. The offensive games of leading scorers Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan have gone South of late and Triano believes they must respond to being keyed on. "They're learning how when teams focus on them, you need to be better than just the guy guarding you because there will be more emphasis placed on you and you'll get the best defender more"

Brandon Bass, after studying extra film, shuts down Bargnani

January 22

Orlando Sentinel

"Brandon Bass, who stands at 6-foot-7, was matched up with 7-footer Andrea Bargnani Friday night in the Orlando Magic's game vs. the Toronto Raptors, a less-than-ideal matchup for the relatively undersized Bass. "He's a big boy," Bass said after the game, exhaling shortly after. Bass was ready for it, though — just like he is every matchup. That's because Bass prepares for every game like he never has before, studying film and working with Magic coach Stan Van Gundy on a detailed scouting report to stop the opponents' power forward. "I'm starting at power forward now, so I can't just play," Bass said. "I'm playing against all-stars and really good players, so I'm trying to be one step ahead"

Raps show 1-2 punch

January 10

Toronto Sun

"In a perfect world, an offensive approach featuring an inside/outside game is the preferred mode by virtually every NBA team. It's a formula that often leads to sustained success during the regular season, which lends itself quite nicely for an extended run in the post-season. These Raptors are far from perfect, which isn't exactly news - a team that is life and death to beat even the very worst the NBA has to offer. But for now and for the immediate future, barring the acquisition of a bona fide back-to-back basket presence, which isn't going to happen, the Raptors have a one-two punch in Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan, two perimeter players who are at their best when quick heaves are"

Andrea Bargnani scores 30 to lead Raptors over Kings 118-112

January 10

Toronto Star

"They are the most dissimilar of duos. The oft-laconic 7-foot Roman with the sweet jump shot he'll take from anywhere and the athletic 6-foot-7 swingman from Los Angeles who has become almost relentless in attacking the basket. But as diverse as their backgrounds and abilities may be, there is a sense that whatever success the Raptors have offensively during the rest of the NBA season will come because Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan have figured out how to co-exist on a basketball court."

Injured Raptors itching to return

January 4

The Globe and Mail

"If you've ever wondered about the life of injured professional basketball players, start with Reggie Evans's Twitter account – the one packed with exciting updates and helpful photos documenting his latest trip to the grocery store. Then observe Peja Stojakovic during a Toronto Raptors' timeout, his blazer pressed and glazed eyes locked somewhere in the middle distance. Or ask Andrea Bargnani what it's like to watch a game instead of play in one. "It's boring. It's like, the worst thing," said the seven-foot centre, who's watched six of the Raptors' previous eight games because of a calf injury. Injuries are part of professional sports, but Toronto has been stuck with more than its fair"

'Bored' Bargnani ready to return

January 4

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Ganter

"The Raptors took the first step towards a return to normalcy on Monday. Andrea Bargnani and his strained left calf were back on the practice court and participating in the first workout since a Dec. 22 loss to Detroit when the injury occurred. Bargnani has missed four games, all of them losses with the exception of a stunning upset of the Mavericks in Dallas. In those four games, the Raptors averaged 88.3 points a game, which is just over 12 points less than the season average. DeMar DeRozan has stepped up his offensive production nicely in Bargnani's absence, but in a game like Sunday's loss to Boston, when DeRozan was the only Raptor who seemed capable of hurting the Celtics, Bargnani's"

Andrea Bargnani returns to Raptor lineup

January 4

Toronto Star

"It was a sight the Raptors need to see and want to see and which should provide them with a modicum of solace as they strike out on another three-game road trip. His wonky calf covered with a black compression sleeve, Andrea Bargnani went through his paces in a quiet end of the Air Canada Centre on Monday afternoon, ready to rejoin his teammates after a three-game absence. He can't come back soon enough for a team ravaged with injuries and carrying the weight of 11 losses in its last 14 games to push it further down among the dregs of the NBA's Eastern Conference."

Injuries mount as Raptors prepare for Celtics

January 2

Toronto Star

"The Raptors stumbled home from the road, limping all the way, with creaky backs and bad ankles and sore feet as they landed in Toronto in the wee hours of 2011. An arrival in Lourdes, it wasn't. Making a brief stop at home between a pair of three-game road trips, they got precious little good news on the injury front heading into Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics. Andrea Bargnani, who missed the holiday week trip to Memphis, Dallas and Houston, has been ruled out for the Celtics game, and Jerryd Bayless, who sprained his ankle in Dallas and lasted only eight minutes Friday night in Houston, is doubtful for the Celtics."

Raptors' Bargnani not expected to play tonight, Calderon likely

December 31

The Globe and Mail

"With an injury situation as dire as any Jay Triano has faced since starting his coaching career in 1985, Raptors players have had to stagger their visits to the training room just to be seen expediently. Five players, including three starters missed Tuesday's win over the Mavericks and two others have dealt with injuries during the team's three-game road trip. The Raptors coach will send out a markedly different starting lineup Friday against the Rockets from the one that helped defeat Houston 106-96 on Nov. 19. The only holdover will be guard DeMar DeRozan. "Last time we played this team we had four different starters," Triano said. "A lot of guys are getting more playing time. If there's"

Ailing Andrea Bargnani on shelf as Raptors hit road

December 27

Toronto Star

"The Raptors will end the calendar year without their top scorer. Andrea Bargnani, who averages nearly 20 points per game, did not accompany the team on a three-game road trip that begins here Monday night, continues Tuesday in Dallas and concludes Friday in Houston. Bargnani, who has been bothered by sore knees and missed a game last week with a bad ankle, is out now with a strained left calf, an injury sustained in a game last Wednesday against Detroit."

Bargnani misses game with sore right ankle

December 20

Toronto Star

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"When he returned to the back room, he would have seen Jose Calderon up on the trainers' table, his foot sore, his ankle a bit achy, getting treatment for what ails him. And while both would have been miserable that the Raptors had just dropped a 120-110 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday, the fact they both played — and played well — was the silver lining on an otherwise dreary day. "He and Jose, it's questionable if they should have even played," said coach Jay Triano. "I mean, his (Johnson's) back is in spasms and Jose's foot is bad but I thought they were two of our better players. They found a way to have very good games and they played a lot of"