Andrea Bargnani News: Pro Sports Daily

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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 ..."

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 ..."

Bargnani's defensive poise bodes well for Raptors

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October 5

Toronto Star

"The improvements in Andrea Bargnani's ability to defend are subtle and often lost in the blur of action on an NBA court. But to Raptors assistant coach Marc Iavaroni, they tell the tale of a still-young big man with talent and a willingness to learn and could help Bargnani become a key defensive contributor as the season unfolds. Iavaroni, whose concentration on the defensive aspect of the game is intense, was impressed last week in Ottawa with Bargnani's ability to defend off the ball, to be in the right spot and make the right play to help."

Bargnani signs rich new deal with Raps

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July 9

Toronto Star

"Bryan Colangelo has watched Andrea Bargnani be good and bad and good again and remains convinced the 7-foot centre has far more good to give in the future. Like five years and $50 million worth. Cementing Bargnani as a member of the Raptors core over the next half decade, the team rewarded the 24-year-old with a five-year, $50 million contract extension that takes some of the mystery away about what the team will look like in the future. "We've seen a young man persevere through quite a bit and he's responded to all the challenges, to the pressures of being a No. 1 pick and he has absolutely in my mind earned the opportunity to sign this extension," Colangelo said yesterday. "This is one ..."

Raptors lock up Bargnani

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July 8

Toronto Star

"The first Raptors news conference of the NBA's free agent signing period will deal with a familiar face. The official announcement that Hedo Turkoglu is joining the franchise is not expected until Thursday but the team will announce at 3 p.m. today that Andrea Bargnani has agreed to a five-year, $50-million contract extension. League officials have confirmed the rampant reports that the 24-year-old centre-forward has agreed to terms on the new deal, which gives Toronto three main weapons under contract for the long-term."

Agent: Bargnani gets extension

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July 8

ESPN.com

"Hedo Turkoglu is on the way and it appears that Andrea Bargnani will also soon have his long-term future secured with the Toronto Raptors. Bargnani's agent, Leon Rose, told ESPN.com on Tuesday night that the Raptors -- who later this week will officially sign Turkoglu away from Orlando -- have reached an agreement in principle on a contract extension for the 7-foot Italian, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Raptors in the 2006 draft. The deal, according to NBA front-office sources, would span five seasons starting in 2010-11 and earn Bargnani an estimated $50 million. Rose declined to discuss contract specifics, but Bargnani was with Raptors officials to formally sign the contract at ..."

Heel woes keeping Bargnani sidelined

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April 14

Toronto Sun

"Andrea Bargnani's lingering left heel woes cost him a second start last night in an otherwise relatively healthy season. The seven-foot centre wanted to get through Sunday's final home game, knowing there was no way he could complete the back-to-back starts last night In Washington. "It has been bothering him the past two weeks, maybe three," coach Jay Triano said. "Every day it's sore and he's not sure how long he can go. It's been a game-time decision and we know he has been playing through pain. "I think it's just wear and tear from the season, nothing that will require servicing (in the off-season)." Bargnani insisted he will play in tomorrow's regular season finale in Chicago if ..."

Solid resistance

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March 22

Toronto Sun

"Andrea Bargnani, the Raptors' 7-foot centre, at least offered some resistance to Charlotte Bobcat Gerald Wallace's one-man wrecking crew on Friday night at the Air Canada Centre. His solid shoulder under the basket sent a charging Wallace crashing to the floor after an earlier steal saw Wallace jam a fancy dunk in front of the Toronto bench. An angry Wallace came up from the bump acting like he wanted to start swinging but Bargnani didn't react. "It wasn't a message," Bargnani insisted yesterday. "We just ran into each other. Just normal contact." Peterborough calling Politicians and businessmen in Peterborough have invited Chris Bosh to experience their city after the captain's good ..."

Raps need Bargnani to dig in against Yao

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March 3

Toronto Star

"It was one of a few coming-of-age moments this season for Andrea Bargnani, the work-in-progress centre who's been one of the bright spots on an otherwise gloomy Raptors landscape. He was matched up against the behemoth Yao Ming, asked to defend the 7-foot-6 Houston Rockets centre and if ever there was a mismatch, surely that was it. But a funny thing happened on the way to Bargnani getting two fouls in two seconds: He stood his ground, did his job and, in that easy victory earlier this season, he proved to a few people that he could go toe-to-toe with the biggest, if not the best, centre around. "He guarded (Yao) well last time we played them because he met him early and didn't let him get ..."

It's time for Bargnani to start playing like a big man

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February 28

Toronto Sun

"The next step in Andrea Bargnani's evolution as a frontline NBA player is to step up against more formidable foes that roam the paint. It's one thing to post numbers against undersized centres on teams that like to play small-ball, but for Bargnani it must be about imposing one's will against legitimate bigs. That step began last night when the Raptors began their three-game road swing, the team's final extended away period of the season, with a 133-133 loss to Shaquille O'Neal at the Phoenix Suns. Their next stop is tomorrow night in Dallas and a meeting with the Mavericks' Erick Dampier, followed by a Tuesday tussle against Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets. It is far from a defining ..."

Bargnani building on steady performances

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February 24

Globe and Mail

"When a conversation surrounding Andrea Bargnani begins with a discussion about what he is doing right rather than what he is doing wrong, it is a sign things might be finally starting to turn around for the young, seven-foot Italian centre. "I think so," Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano responded yesterday, when asked if Bargnani's recent play is the best he has consistently performed in his three-year NBA career. "I think he's expanded his game a little bit," Triano said after the Raptors' practice in preparation for tonight's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Air Canada Centre. "He's working hard and he's playing with confidence." And the addition of Shawn Marion on the ..."

Bargnani deserves to be starter, O'Neal says

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January 16

Toronto Star

"It's possible Jermaine O'Neal will play tonight in his homecoming game in Indiana, where the Raptors centre played the previous eight seasons. But his return from a two-week-plus absence with a bruised right knee, whether it happens tonight or later, will not coincide with a debate about who should be in the team's starting five – at least not immediately. With Andrea Bargnani averaging 22.3 points and 7.1 rebounds as a starter during O'Neal's nine-game absence, the Italian's roll will not be rocked. Jay Triano, the Raptors interim head coach, said O'Neal volunteered to come off the bench to begin."

O'Neal/Bargnani decision looming large

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January 14

Toronto Sun

"The intriguing question of replacing Andrea Bargnani with Jermaine O'Neal, or playing them together, will be put off a couple of more days, likely including O'Neal's homecoming game at Indiana later this week. Centre O'Neal and point guard Jose Calderon remain on the injured list as the Toronto Raptors prepare for tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls (7 p.m, Air Canada Centre). O'Neal's knee injury is improving, but not to the stage where he could return Friday against the Pacers without some quality practice time. O'Neal came to Toronto in a major deal in the summertime, but has yet to play his old team at Conseco Fieldhouse where he spent eight NBA seasons. "Jermaine is day-to-day ..."

Raptors' B-men come up big in easy win

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January 10

Toronto Star

"They left together to one of the game's loudest ovations with more than three minutes left and their night's work done, another dominant performance by two dominant big men who are starting to define the Raptors as they've seldom been defined before. They made shots from all over the court and won the battle of the boards, they defended and communicated and carried a team that was sluggish at times to one of its easiest victories of the season."

Bargnani thriving in O'Neal's absence

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January 9

Toronto Star

"The emergence of Andrea Bargnani as a potent offensive force for the Raptors has not created an either-or situation in the team's frontcourt. While Bargnani has played perhaps the best five consecutive games of his relatively young career since replacing the injured Jermaine O'Neal as the team's starting centre, the seamless nature of his relationship with Chris Bosh is what's making the transition so smooth. Bargnani, who'll start again tonight against Memphis as O'Neal misses is sixth straight game with a sore right knee, is averaging 20.2 points per game in his five starts and that is indeed impressive. Bosh is averaging 23 points per game over the same stretch, giving Toronto arguably ..."

Josh Howard To Toronto?

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January 7

Hoopsworld.com

"The Toronto Raptors have been looking for a small forward, and HOOPSWORLD has learned that they may have finally found their man. A deal being discussed would send troubled forward Josh Howard to the Raptors in a deal that would land Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker in Dallas, with a combination that could involve DeSagana Diop and Antoine Wright headed back to Toronto. Howard has been brilliant at times for the Mavericks, even earning All-Star recognition two seasons ago, but it's not Howard's play on the court that has the team aggressively shopping him around the NBA. Howard's admission of drug use during the playoffs was his first step out the door, with subsequent lapses in judgment ..."

Raptors reserves target 'Superman'

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January 4

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"You could call it tough timing: By mid-afternoon today, the Raptors will have faced the two best centres in the NBA in a span of less than 48 hours. And they'll have likely faced them both – Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic – without the services of Jermaine O'Neal, the veteran big man they acquired in the off-season to flex muscles with such behemoths. It's going better than anyone could have expected so far, mind you; the Raptors trounced Yao's Rockets on Friday night. But Howard's Magic will be no easy marks today. Orlando, which easily eliminated the Raptors from the first round of the playoffs in five games last spring and has won nine of its ..."

Calderon out for Raptors

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November 16

Globe and Mail

"It was anticipated that Raptors coach Sam Mitchell would alter his starting lineup for today's game against the Miami Heat, and he didn't disappoint. Unhappy with the play of wing Jamario Moon, Mitchell has decided to7-footer Andrea Bargnani into the starting lineup at the small forward position. "The rationale is that he's playing better than the other two guys," Mitchell said, referring to Moon and his backup, Joey Graham. "We just got to find a way to get more out of that position. Andrea does give you a viable option of scoring, he can score the basketball. He's really made improvements defensively and rebounding the ball. "We just got to try to improve in the areas that we can improve ..."

Bargnani could shift to Raptors' starting unit

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November 16

Toronto Star

"The Raptors may once again be ready to make Andrea Bargnani a starter. In an effort to shake up the team's starting lineup, there's a significant chance Bargnani will replace Jamario Moon at small forward this afternoon at the Air Canada Centre against the Miami Heat."

Raptors Shopping For A Shooter

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November 10

Globe and Mail

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"Not surprising, the Raptors' perimeter starters have been outscored 143-84 over the past three games. And it follows that the Raptors have talked with both the Golden State Warriors and the Bobcats about trades, according to two league sources, with an eye toward correcting that kind of imbalance. The Warriors are looking to move Al Harrington, and the Bobcats are looking to trade Wallace. Each is a veteran small forward who would be an upgrade on the inconsistent Moon. Harrington has the more attractive contract - his deal will expire in 2010. The slashing, ball-hawking Wallace might have the more attractive game, though the five years and nearly $50-million (U.S.) he has left on his ..."

Raptors Extend Bargnani

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October 28

Toronto Sun

"As expected, the Raptors yesterday exercised the fourth-year rookie scale team option on forward Andrea Bargnani for 2009-10. The club had until Friday to make the move, or the 7-foot Italian, the club's first pick and first overall in 2006, would have become a free agent after this season. Bargnani, who is making $5.2 million US this season, will make $6.5 million in 2009-10. Bargnani has averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 143 regular season games. SAM SIDE OF THE STREET Chris Bosh's ever-increasing presence on all things NBA takes another step tonight when Bosh makes a special appearance on NBA TV's Opening Night. The show, which will be carried locally on Raptors NBA TV as ..."

Raptors exercise option on Bargnani's contract

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October 28

Toronto Star

"The Toronto Raptors have exercised the fourth year team option on the Andrea Bargnani's contract. The Italian forward now has guaranteed deal through the 2009-10 season. The Raptors had until Friday to pick up the option. Toronto selected Bargnani first overall in the 2006 NBA draft. He has averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 143 regular-season games with the club."

Hurting Bargnani given the night off

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October 19

Toronto Sun

"There isn't much that can slow down Andrea Bargnani this year -- except an injury. So when the seven-foot Italian forward complained of a sore lower right leg bruise the past couple of days, coach Sam Mitchell took no chances. Bargnani was scratched from last night's game against the Clippers and his case will be reviewed for tonight. He was hurt Thursday during the Raptors' home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves when he fell and teammate Joey Graham landed on top of him. Two other Raptors are unavailable. Forward Jamal Sampson has a sprained right wrist, and forward Nathan Jawai still is undergoing further tests to clear up questions about a cardiac condition. DIDN'T MAKE SENSE "If ..."

No more green light for free-shooting Bargnani

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October 10

Toronto Star

"On Andrea Bargnani's first day of training camp, Sam Mitchell, the Raptors coach with whom Bargnani shares a relationship that appears as warm as liquid nitrogen, made a request. Mitchell asked Bargnani to refrain from shooting a three-pointer for the first three days of camp. "Not before practice, not after practice, not even in practice, not during the scrimmages, nothing," Mitchell would say later. The coach wanted Bargnani, who fancies himself a long bomber despite last season's apprenticeship as a bricklayer, to concentrate on putting the ball into the basket from higher-percentage locales."

Spotlight squarely on Raptors' Bargnani

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September 30

Toronto Star

"It's not a question of if Andrea Bargnani will be better this year than he was in his disappointing sophomore Raptor season. The reality is he has to be better if the team is to take even a baby step forward in a resurgent NBA Eastern Conference. It may not be entirely fair to suggest a 22-year-old, third-year big man has to shoulder such responsibility. But on a team with much promise but not much depth, the 7-footer cannot settle for the same contribution he made a year ago, let alone take another step back. "We do have a streamlined team, so there's not many places to turn to," said Toronto president and general manager Bryan Colangelo yesterday."

Bargnani remains an enigma

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June 25

Globe and Mail

columnist Michael Grange

"It's been a while since anyone tried to connect the Toronto Raptors' shortcomings to those of Andrea Bargnani - roughly six weeks to be exact, the length of time that's passed since the season ended. With the draft tomorrow night and the NBA on fire with trade rumours, the focus is naturally on the Raptors' future. And let's face it, predicting the Raptors' immediate and long-term future would be so much easier if anyone knew exactly what they had in the enigmatic Italian. Given he was the No. 1 pick in 2006, it seems fair to expect that Bargnani might be a budding all-star heading into his third NBA season."