Who is Jonas Valanciunas?
Shocked. That’s how I felt once I heard the Toronto Raptors’ only draft pick of 2011 being called by David Stern. It was only a few weeks prior to the draft when Bryan Colangelo proclaimed that if Brandon Knight fell to the Raptors, he would not have to drop any further. As Utah drafted Enes Kanter with the third overall pick, Torontonians were already thinking of what clever nicknames they could bestow the next Raptors point guard. Cleveland proceeded to draft Tristan... Read More
Another Euro in Jonas Valanciunas?
Fifth overall pick, Jonas Valancunias. Cue all the groans. Before I begin, I must admit that I was one of those Raptor fans who were completely excited over the Utah Jazz selecting Enes Kanter at number three. But after the Raptors made their selection, I thought that we blew our chances of landing Brandon Knight, Bismack Biyombo or even Kemba Walker. Those players were the most popular topics of discussion amongst the Toronto Raptors fan base and for good reason. Brandon Knight... Read More
Welcome Aboard, Dwane Casey
Toronto Raptors new head coach, Dwane Casey (Courtesy: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) The Raptors announced the signing of Dwane Casey as their new coach for two years at $3 million after declining the option of Jay Triano’s contract. Similar to Tom Thibodeau in Boston, Casey as an assistant coach led his Dallas Mavericks to a championship with his defensive schemes in the NBA finals before leaving for another team as a head coach. Loaded with professional coaching experience,... Read More
NBA DRAFT 2011: What’s the Scenario?
The NBA Draft is only a couple of days away and our Red of Tooth and Claw Mock lottery is on its finishing touches. As the media continuously overstates the lack of talent within this draft, Kyrie Irving has maintained atop most mock drafts even though he refused to attend the athleticism testing at the combines, refused to work out against other prospects, and refused to work out for teams other than the Cavaliers. Draft work outs are well on their way and many prospects are... Read More
Why Kemba Walker?
Bryan Colangelo has a good drafting history, dating back to 1995 when he selected Michael Finley. (Courtesy: Raptors Republic) With the 2011 draft night just looming around the corner, the Toronto Raptors have an opportunity to make a splash with a solid pick in an otherwise weak draft class. Kyrie Irving from Duke is the clear-cut number one pick in this year’s draft, while Arizona’s Derrick Williams is the projected number two pick in various mock drafts. Following these... Read More
The Raptors, Tracy McGrady and James Johnson: Has Cinderella finally found her glass slipper?
For a late first-round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls, the Raptors plugged a hole at the small forward position that had been leaking for over a decade. The hole, created by Tracy McGrady’s departure in 2000, has been sealed by James Johnson. James Johnson If the Raptors are Cinderella, then Tracy McGrady is her glass slipper. The memory of McGrady (cue the boos) has always left a bitter note on the memories of loyal Toronto fans. Thus is the charm of our passionate city.... Read More
Quick Thoughts: Hawks @ Raptors – Jan. 12, 2010
1st quarter Jamal Crawford has nine points in threeminutes. Here comes the Jamal Crawford show. Nice reverse dunk by DeMar. 2nd quarter Bargnani just had back to back and 1’s. Nice effort by DeRozan to chase after that ball. Too bad he completely missed it even after he slid. Bibby just missed a wide open 3 and is now 0/5 from the field. Just like I predicted – Jamal Crawford is now going off. He’s got 25 points to finish the half. MARK BLINCH/REUTERS 3rd quarter It’s... Read More
Game Preview: Atlanta Hawks (25-14) @ Toronto Raptors (13-24) Jan 12, 2011 7:00 PM ET
So the Hawks are coming into our blizzard of a town where they could perhaps walk out with an easy victory. The Raptors always appear to have much trouble defending the athletic, strong and large Atlanta team. Can you believe that the Hawks are only 3rd in the South east division with a 25-14 record? Of course, they are behind the Magic and the Heat. MATCH-UPS Bibby VS Calderon I do not believe that Bibby is the player that he once was anymore when he played for the Sacramento... Read More
