Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

**StraightBaylien** · 06-20-2012, 08:14 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

THE RAPTORS BLOW HOME OPENER

The Raptors could not pull out the home opener and fell 92-77 again Philadelphia on Wednesday night. After a great first half where the Raptors only trailed by two, they came out slow in the 3rd only to score 11 points in the entire quarter. This proved to be the reason for the loss as both teams played about even in the 4th... Andre Iguodala dropped 28 on the road to victory for the 76ers...

Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors
Nov 2, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Philadelphia (0-0)	27	19	21	25	92
Toronto (0-0)	23	21	11	22	77

The Raptors look to turn things around on Friday night when they go to the Quicken Loans Arena to face Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers...

CURRENT RECORD: 0-1 (0-1, Home)

************************************************** *************************************

Matchup Preview | November 4, 2011

@

Toronto Raptors
(0-1, 0-0 Away)

Cleveland Cavaliers
(0-1, 0-0 Home)

Projected Starters
Devin Harris	Point Guard	Kyrie Irving
Demar DeRozan	Shooting Guard	Anthony Parker
James Johnson	Small Forward	Alonzo Gee
Ed Davis	Power Forward	Antawn Jamison
Jonas Valanciunas	Center	Anderson Varejao

Injury Report

Game Notes
Both teams suffered defeat in their opening games, Cleveland loss to Boston on the road, and Toronto to Philadelphia at home. Now, in Cleveland's home opener they plan to start the Raptors off 0-2 on the year, Ed Davis, Devin Harris and Demar DeRozan look to foil these plans... Stay tuned.

************************************************** *************************************

JAMES JOHNSON GOES FOR 29 AS THE RAPTORS BEAT THE CAVALIERS IN AN OFFENSIVE CLINIC, 121-111

After both teams lost their opening games, it looks as if they were both looking to prove something, and they did just that as both teams shot over 60% in the second half. People who witnessed this game are calling it one of the best offensive (or worst defensive) games they've ever seen. After a grueling shootout for the first three quarters, the Raptors were finally able to gain some momentum and grab a 10 point lead with about four minutes to go and never let it slip...

Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers
Nov 4, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Toronto (0-1)	31	29	29	32	121
Cleveland (0-1)	22	29	33	27	111

Toronto Raptors
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Devin Harris	37	11-20	1-3	9-12	5	12	2	1	2	32
Demar DeRozan	15	7-11	0-1	0-0	6	1	0	0	0	14
James Johnson	36	11-15	1-1	6-10	5	2	0	1	1	29
Ed Davis	31	6-9	0-0	1-1	10	1	0	1	1	13
Jonas Valanciunas	23	4-8	0-0	1-1	8	1	0	1	2	9
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jerryd Bayless	28	4-6	1-2	2-4	0	3	1	0	3	11
TEAM TOTALS		48-78	3-9	22-33	43	28	4	5	11	121

Cleveland Cavaliers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Kyrie Irving	26	7-12	2-5	2-2	2	7	2	1	2	18
Anthony Parker	22	8-14	3-5	0-0	4	1	0	0	0	19
Alonzo Gee	30	6-16	2-8	0-2	0	1	1	0	0	14
Antawn Jamison	30	2-8	0-2	1-2	5	2	0	0	0	5
Anderson Varejao	35	7-10	0-0	3-3	11	0	1	1	1	17
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Daniel Gibson	19	7-14	3-6	0-0	1	3	1	0	3	17
TEAM TOTALS		46-94	12-33	7-10	37	20	7	2	7	111

CURRENT RECORD: 1-1, (1-0 Road)

************************************************** *************************************

BREAKING NEWS

Demar DeRozan took a fall in Friday night's game in Cleveland after a made jumper. It seems he strained his lower back and will miss anywhere from 2-4 weeks of playing time. This is unfortunate for Raptors fans as DeRozan scored a game high 18 in their opening game, and had 14 points in the 15 minutes he played in Cleveland.

Terrico White has been named his replacement in the starting lineup, thus leaving Bayless on the bench to still provide second-unit points and assists.

NEXT GAME: @ MIN (0-2)

Matchup Preview | November 5, 2011
@
Toronto Raptors
(1-1, 1-0 Away)
Minnesota Timberwolves
(0-2, 0-1 Home)
Stats Comparison
99.0 Points Per Game 99.5
101.5 PPG Allowed 108.5
.524 Field Goal % .422
Projected Starters
Devin Harris Point Guard Ricky Rubio
Terrico White Shooting Guard Wesley Johnson
James Johnson Small Forward Michael Beasley
Ed Davis Power Forward Kevin Love
Jonas Valanciunas Center Nikola Petrovic
Injury Report
Demar DeRozan
Lower Back Strain (2-4 weeks)

Game Notes
After a strong showing from Devin Harris and James Johnson in the win vs Cleveland, the Raptors are back on the road playing the winless Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves look to make their home record .500 on the year, and their overall record respectable... Stay tuned.

**StraightBaylien** · 06-20-2012, 08:23 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

Also, I will be doing press conferences after the games, and interviews in between games, but I had already played these two, so I figured I'd post them. Off to play the MIN game now, will post the box score and press conference either tonight or tomorrow!

**nuka** · 06-20-2012, 08:58 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

Nice read.
Following

**StraightBaylien** · 06-21-2012, 12:04 AM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

Originally posted by nuka

Nice read.
Following

Thanks a lot man! I appreciate it!

************************************************** *************************************

RAPTORS UPDATE

After a good practice trying to get their rotation perfected for the game against the Wolves, coach Dwayne Casey has a new found love for Gani Lawal's game. Not so much in the offensive or defensive aspects, just his raw energy and hustle, not to mention outstanding rebounding abilities...

"I don't know how I haven't noticed it in other practices... the kid is an Energizer Bunny, he just keeps on going...", Casey said in response to who would be getting increased minutes, aside from White, in replacement of the injured DeRozan, "We understand that practice time minutes and game time minutes are two completely different levels of play, but I've seen enough out of him to take him at least off of injury reserve... at least until Demar can make a comeback..."

Dwayne Casey has said that Terrico White will get the start against Minnesota, but his minutes will still be limited, thus giving more playing time to role players such as Linas Kleiza, Gary Forbes and the aforementioned Gani Lawal.

When asked about the Raptors organization, Lawal had the following to say...

"This is the most professional atmosphere I've ever been in... yet it is also the most personable. To hear a coach go out of his element and really brag on someone like that... it really hypes you up and makes you want to achieve. Given a shot, I'm gonna give it my all in Minnesota"

OTHER LEAGUE NEWS

CHICAGO--Derrick Rose took a hard hit from Atlanta's Josh Smith in a home loss and separated his shoulder. He is expected to miss no more than a month of NBA action.

ORLANDO--Hedo Turkoglu has been suffering from flu like symptoms and is a game time decision for the ORL/PHI game on Sunday.

GOLDEN STATE--Richard Jefferson landed gingerly on his ankle jumping for a rebound on Friday night and will miss 2-4 weeks.

**StraightBaylien** · 06-21-2012, 05:38 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

RUBIO, T'WOLVES GET FIRST 'W' OF THE SEASON AGAINST TORONTO, 83-81

After a slow start for Minnesota, only 15 points in the first quarter, the Wolves used the next 3 quarters as a springboard for momentum. Devin Harris, who struggled offensively despite his double-double (12 PTS, 11 AST, 5-20 FG) fouled out halfway through the 4th, and it was downhill for the Raps from there as 7 turnovers occured in the last 5 minutes of the game. Minnesota grabbed a late lead (also their first lead) with a little over a minute to go, thanks to the steady hand of Ricky Rubio at the free throw line going 7-7 in the last few minutes of the game. The Raptors young Center, Jonas Valanciunas missed 3 FTs in a row which would have put the Raptors up by one at the time. Neither team scored in the final minute of the game, including Jerryd Bayless on the last-second, would-be-game-winning, 3 PT attempt. The Raptors slip to 1-2 on the season, as the Wolves share the same record, but with more momentum attached.

UPCOMING GAMES:
11/7 vs. DAL, (1-1)
11/9 vs. LAC, (2-0)
11/12 @ MEM, (1-2)
11/13 @ OKC, (3-0)

Press conference with Devin Harris, Jerryd Bayless, Ed Davis and coach Dwayne Casey coming right up! Stay tuned...

**StraightBaylien** · 06-21-2012, 06:39 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

THE RAPTORS SPEAK WITH THE MEDIA FOLLOWING LOSS TO TIMBERWOLVES

"As impressed as I was with my guys for coming out of the gate so furiously, I was disappointed about how we handled getting a little winded. I could tell players were throwing shots up just assuming 'one of these has got to go in, right?' We really need to work on how to score the ball when both Devin or Jerryd can't be on the floor. This is the first time we've run into that, and I think this heartbreaker is a lesson to, when it happens again, be prepared."

When asked about the inactivity in the paint, Coach Casey had this to say...

"In the first quarter shots were falling. Now they say if it ain't broke don't fix it. Well, it was breaking down and we didn't prepare a new plan, the shots started missing and we had nothing to fall back on. Ed and Jonas were getting fed more than they're comfortable with I think. They are more... groove players, we don't like to call a lot of plays that purposefuly end in Ed or Jonas scoring, its usually in the flow of things."

A reporter followed with a question about Jerryd Bayless' performance and if he is considering starting him in the following games...

"I think we have our rotation set. Terrico brings great hustle at the two guard position and is an outstanding defender and that is key for success, starting a great defender. We need Jerryd off the bench for the reasons I stated earlier... when a few key guys are sitting, who scores? Jerryd scores. Now the key is to find the combination of players off the bench surrounding him. So to answer your question, no I'm not thinking about inserting Jerryd into the lineup, I am however thinking about my second unit a little bit."

Coach Casey stepped out and in came Devin Harris, Ed Davis and Jerryd Bayless, opening the floor to questions. One reporter asked Devin how he felt his team did tonight.

"I thought we got some great looks tonight near the end there and just couldn't hit shots. Games like this, where you have such a big lead heading into the 3rd, are hard to swallow. And when you have a poor shooting game as I did, its easy to blame yourself for the loss. But we just have to chalk this up as an L, get better for the next game and secure another W."

"I felt that I rushed shots up. I got plenty of loving on the offensive glass and just didn't focus on scoring, it was more about drawing the foul and it can't be. There's gotta be a balance between the two." said forward Ed Davis about his individual performance.

Jerryd Bayless was asked about the comments made by coach Casey

"Starting, not starting, that's not important to me. Winning is important. This game means nothing to me now. At the time, in the moment, its all hype. You're having a great game, helping your team attempt to close it out, then you lose. If I can average 2 points a game, and us win, then that's what I'll do."

Ed Davis closed the press conference on a humorous note...

"We might as well get these two losses out of the way before we go 80-2."

The Raptors have one day off before heading back into the Air Canada Centre to face a Jason Kidd-less Dallas Mavericks. Kidd suffered an elbow injury and will miss some action. Mavericks fans are happy that Kidd is only expected to miss 2-3 games tops.

**StraightBaylien** · 06-21-2012, 07:30 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

PRE-GAME INTERVIEWS: COACHES

DALLAS MAVERICKS, RICK CARLISLE

Rick Carlisle met with the Toronto media before the game and was asking a variety of question. Ranging from the Mavericks slow start, to Jason Kidd's injury... he had this to say about the latter...

REPORTER #1:"Rick, reports are that Jason Kidd will sit out tonight's game and possibly a few following, what are the truths behind this?"

CARLISLE:"The longevity of Jason's injury is nonexistant. Jason wants to play tonight, but since the injury is on his primary hand, we don't want to take any chances this early in the season. Maybe if we were playing the Lakers, or Boston, we'd throw him in there, but against a lower tier team, we don't want to take a risk. We're gonna let Jason sit this one, and our matchup with New Jersey, out, then he will suit up against Memphis."

REPORTER #1: "Is that confidence or cockiness?"

CARLISLE:"I'm not saying that this team is so bad I want to sit my stars. Trust me, if Jason was 100%, he'd be playing. But like I said, in a game that doesn't hold a lot of implications to it, its too risky."

REPORTER #2:"Rumors are flying around as to who is going to get the start tonight in Kidd's absence... Vince Carter, Jason Terry, Roddy Beaubois are names flying around. Who WILL get the start tonight?"

CARLISLE:"We love the combo of Jason [Terry] and Vince off the bench, so we're going to drop a few more minutes in the laps of Delonte and Roddy, giving Roddy the start, and see how that works out."

REPORTER #3:"Coach, through the first three games of the season, the Raptors have shot 21 more free throws than any other team, what is your plan on stopping their big men from getting to the line?"

CARLISLE:"Well, moving our feet on defense. Not playing defense with your hands and trying to be in position to contest, but not to foul. We have a veteran team here with a lot of young energy, I think we'll be fine."

REPORTER #3:"And what about points in the paint? Toronto is also leading the league in this category."

CARLISLE: "The same thing really. Just staying in front of our man and trying to make life hard for these young kids in the paint."

TORONTO RAPTORS, DWANE CASEY

Before walking onto the floor for the warm ups, the media caught up with Raptors coach Dwane Casey and asked a few questions...

REPORTER #1:"Rick Carlisle said just moments ago that if he was playing a different, maybe as far as better, team they would start Kidd tonight. How do you feel about that?"

CASEY:"I know Rick and he's trying to play mind games. He wants us to be beaten before we step on that floor. Defending champions or not, we feel we can win any game we play in, we just have to play it right. I know Rick, and he's looking at this game as seriously as I am right now. At least he better be or I'm convinced that ring got to his head!"

REPORTER #2:"What is the status of Demar DeRozan?"

CASEY:"He's hurting. You hate to see such a motivated player be limited by injury. I see the pain on his face in practices. Not just the physical pain in his back, but the emotional pain from not being able to contribute. At least not contribute physically, Demar has been very vocal in practices and is learning the game from an objective point of view. I think this injury might be the best thing to ever happen to his game, mentally."

REPORTER #2:"That's interesting you say that this injury is almost a good thing, it didn't look that way on Friday night."

CASEY:[chuckling] "Hey now, cheap shot. But seriously, we have watched the Timberwolves game about five times now. I could probably recite the shots like you could the lines of your favorite movie. Losses aren't bad for a team, it's how you respond to the losses which indicates whether it was or was not a bad loss. We'll see tonight if Friday was a bad loss."

REPORTER #3:"Given the explosion of Jerryd Bayless in that last game, should we expect to see more minutes for him, maybe somewhere in the 30s?"

CASEY:"Well, we lost that game, let's just be clear. Nothing about the game made me want to go patting anyone on the back, at least not yet. Jerryd saw extended playing time when Devin was in foul trouble, now if that happens again, sure Jerryd will see more minutes, but if not, nothing really will change. We plan to keep Jerryd in the 25-28 minute range."

REPORTER #4:"Any butterflies about playing the Champs?"

CASEY:"No. Hell no. Next question."

REPORTER #4: "What are you main focal points for a victory tonight?"

CASEY: "Limit Dirk. I can handle letting players who are not expected to produce big numbers to drop them on us, but if you let someone you know is one of the best scorers in the league and of all time go off... you got problems. It's like you saw it coming and did nothing about it. Really we just have to control Dirk and confidence should be gained. "

After a few more questions, the two teams hit the floor. Tip off is moments away, stay tuned for the game recap!

**StraightBaylien** · 06-24-2012, 02:12 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

JOHNSON, RAPTORS BEAT DEFENDING CHAMPION MAVERICKS, 115-102

Continuing his suprise start to the season, James Johnson lead the Raptors in scoring with 20 points on the way to a 115-102 victory over the Dallas Mavericks (1-3) on Monday night. After a strong first quarter, the Dallas Mavericks lead by 5, but soon the crowd would play a big factor and push their Raptors on an 18-5 run in the 2nd and after that it was all downhill for Dallas. The Mavericks struggled out of the gate in the 3rd but eventually took the lead 78-77 with two minutes left in the 3rd quarter. The Raptors responded with a 7-0 run to end the quarter, giving them an 84-77 advantage heading into the 4th. The 4th quarter belonged to Devin Harris as he scored all of his 12 points and dished 5 assists in the quarter. Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks head coach, was questioned about his controversial playcalling down the stretch, keeping the ball out of Dirk's hands virtually the last three minutes of the game [Dirk, at the time, had 28 points and 8 rebounds]
Nowitzki got an easy layup with 2 seconds left to extend his scoring total to 30. After an impressive win, the Raptors (2-2) get one day off before heading back into the Air Canda Centre to face off against, arguably their biggest challenge of the year in Blake Griffin (#3 in the league in scoring, 25.8 PPG) and the undefeated Los Angeles Clippers (4-0).

Dallas Mavericks at Toronto Raptors
Nov 7, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Dallas (1-3)	25	26	27	24	102
Toronto (2-2)	20	34	30	31	115

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After the game, local Toronto media caught up with head coach Dwane Casey who had the following to say about his team's performance

CASEY: "One word to describe the way we played tonight? Professional. We knew the advantages that Dallas had against us and my squad never got discouraged. Every time I felt like we were losing momentum, my guys would huddle together and just give it their all again. Now we didn't play the best against Dirk, he went off for, what I think, is 30 or more, I lost count. We need to do a better job on playing star defense. There's a difference between playing team defense, which we have played very well this season, and star defense. We need to learn how to target the stars and make them shoot the shots WE want them to shoot, not just defend well on the shots THEY choose. We need to be more assertive and forceful on the players we know will hurt us. But overall, a great game from my guys. I loved their effort and can't stick to the gripes for very long, a solid win through-and-through. If we can play like this through 78 more games, I think we'll be in good shape come Spring time."

************************************************** ***************

The next morning RAPTORS.com reported that Toronto was in talks with Sacramento about acquiring guard/forward combo Terrence Williams for two unnamed players. Sources state that Toronto is looking for security in the shooting guard position as Terrico White is averaging 4 turnovers per game since being inserted in the starting lineup. Disgruntled, a movement started by the Toronto natives, (who were convinced that James Johnson would be involved in the trade) to nominate James Johnson as the Raptors MVP for the first four games.

TERRENCE WILLIAMS SENT TO TORONTO

Three hours after initial reports began, many had their questions answered as Terrence Williams was officially traded to Toronto in exchange for center Aaron Gray, forward Gary Forbes and an undisclosed amount of cash. It has been announced that Terrence Williams will wear #95 for the Raptors.

Raptors GM, Bryan Colangelo had the following to say on the trade...

COLANGELO: "We heard the shouts from the fans. We were getting bamboozled on Twitter, Facebook, everything about not getting rid of James [Johnson] He has really gained a huge following for his early season efforts, and we really took their input into account. Originally, Johnson was the offer. But before the Kings could accept, we withdrew. We can't afford to lose him right now, especially with the way he's been playing. Gary [Forbes] and Aaron [Gray] are plug in players and I feel can be a huge asset to any team. This is nothing against either of them, but we needed security at the two and I think we've found that in Terrence [Williams]"

"When DeRozan returns, he will be given his starting spot back, but depending on how everything works out, Terrence may still see significant minutes. Only time will tell."

It is questionable whether Williams will start, or even play in the upcoming game vs. the Clippers, citing transportation conflicts [with Raptors' practice schedule] as the reason. All though if somehow Williams is able to meet up with the team and get a solid practice is, he will play Wednesday night.

************************************************** ***************

JERRYD BAYLESS SIGNS 5yr CONTRACT EXTENSION

Sources report that the Toronto Raptors' offer to Jerryd Bayless for a 5yr/$19.47M contract extension has been accepted. This extension will tie Bayless in with the organization until the 2016-2017 season, leaving no doubt that Bayless is expected to play a pivotal role in the Raptors attempt at a turnaround.

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UPCOMING GAME: 11/9/11 vs. LAC

Matchup Preview *|* November 9, 2011

@

Los Angeles Clippers
(4-0, 1-0 Away)

Toronto Raptors
(2-2, 1-1 Home)

Projected Starters
Chris Paul	Point Guard	Devin Harris
Nick Young	Shooting Guard	Terrence Williams
Caron Butler	Small Forward	James Johnson
Blake Griffin	Power Forward	Ed Davis
DeAndre Jordan	Center	Jonas Valanciunas

Injury Report
		Demar DeRozan Lower Back Strain, 2-4 weeks

**ThePandaWaffle** · 06-24-2012, 02:34 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

You didn't say who you drafted with those picks

**ThePandaWaffle** · 06-24-2012, 02:35 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

Oh lol Nevrmind I didn't see that you were playing this past season lol

**StraightBaylien** · 06-24-2012, 03:12 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

Trust me, it gets confusing to myself even! haha.

About to play the Clippers game now, stats, summary and press conference will be up in a few hours!

**StraightBaylien** · 06-24-2012, 06:54 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

RAPTORS WIN 2nd STRAIGHT, HAND CLIPPERS 1st LOSS, 110-90

In a dominating performance, the overlooked Toronto Raptors shocked the league for the second straight game when they handled the Clippers on Wednesday night. As tip off was moments away, the crowd welcomed newly acquired Raptor, Terrence Williams with a huge ovation. As soon as the first quarter started, you almost knew that it was the Raptors night as they scored their first 8 points on free throws, putting the Clippers in the limit with 8:00 left in the quarter. Chris Paul and Caron Butler were already sitting at this point with two fouls a piece. The second quarter was very close to even as the Clippers outscored the Raptors by only 2 points (21-19, 52-45 score) The second half started and the Clippers came out rolling, hitting their first six shots of the quarter, going on a 12-1 run, but the Raptors responded quickly, and ended the quarter on a 6-0 run, pulling the momentum in the home team's favor. The fourth and final quarter was nothing short of embarrassing for the team trying to remain undefeated on the season as they let one Amir Johnson score 5 of his 7 field goals in it. About halfway through the quarter, the Raptors were coasting to victory. Blake Griffin closed the game out with a few highlight dunks that made no difference in the final score. Both starting point guard led their teams in scoring as Devin Harris had 16 and Chris Paul had 20.

Los Angeles Clippers at Toronto Raptors
Nov 9, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Los Angeles (4-1)	24	21	28	17	90
Toronto (3-2)	33	19	34	24	110

Los Angeles Clippers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Chris Paul	38	6-17	0-1	8-8	1	6	2	0	2	20
Nick Young	21	4-9	0-2	1-1	2	4	1	1	2	9
Caron Butler	30	6-14	2-4	1-1	2	1	1	0	1	15
Blake Griffin	40	3-10	0-1	3-8	13	4	4	2	2	10
DeAndre Jordan	28	2-6	0-0	0-0	5	0	0	0	0	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Chauncey Billups	26	3-6	1-2	0-0	1	3	1	0	1	7
Mo Williams	24	4-9	0-3	5-6	3	2	0	0	1	13
TEAM TOTALS		.400	.308	.786	47	21	9	3	13	90

Toronto Raptors
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Devin Harris	39	6-12	0-0	5-7	4	9	4	0	2	17
Terrence Williams	28	2-5	0-0	5-8	4	3	1	1	1	9
James Johnson	28	5-11	0-0	6-7	2	1	1	0	3	16
Ed Davis	35	7-9	0-0	2-3	13	0	0	1	3	16
Jonas Valanciunas	29	7-13	0-0	2-3	16	3	0	0	1	16
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jerryd Bayless	31	4-12	0-3	4-5	2	5	0	0	3	12
Amir Johnson	21	7-7	0-0	2-2	5	1	4	0	1	16
TEAM TOTALS		.513	.000	.750	53	21	10	3	14	110

Disappointed in his individual effort, Blake Griffin commented...

"Their point of attack was to slow me down, and they succeeded. Nothing is more damaging to your psyche when you think you can come in a run all over a team, and they beat you, heavily. It hurts, but its only our first loss, I need to try to get back on track if we're gonna be successful."

Chris Paul later followed up on Griffin's comments...

"I know Blake blames himself. He's that kind of guy, when we win, he gives us the credit... when we lose, he puts the blame on himself. What I try to explain is that... we are a team. We win as a team and lose as a team. The only reason we lost is because we were a bunch of individuals out there, playing against a cohesive team, which was very uncharacteristic of us. We also may have been looking past this game to the next one, also... not like us..."

On the winning side of things, Devin Harris was asked about playing for Toronto versus playing for his other past three teams...

"I feel at home here. I was openly embraced when getting traded here in the off season, which was so great to feel because every player is a little down when they're traded, unless you want a trade. I didn't to be honest. I just wanted to play winning ball. I never wanted to be a number one option, or a superstar or nothin like that, I just wanted to win. Play winning ball. And that's what we're doing. Playing winning ball, every night. There's a difference between winning... and playing winning basketball. Right now, it seems like we've found a great balance of the two and hopefully we can continue it..."

"We're playing amazing basketball. Transcendental ball. We transcend the quote-unquote lack of talent label that has been applied and just go out there and play great basketball, the way great teams are meant to play it. If you were to see the atmosphere in that locker room, in those practices, you would think THIS is the undefeated team in the league. I have been blessed with a roster full of professionals that keep getting better every game. I am fully convinced that the moniker of a "joke" in this league, has been fully aleiviated, and now our fans can set their sights on one thing. Winning."

************************************************** ***************

UPCOMING GAME: 11/12/11 @ MEM

The Raptors' 3-2 start is better than most imagined from the team, while on the other side, the Grizzlies are not living up to expectations going 1-4 in their first 5 games... Will the Raptors make it back-to-back-to-back wins, or will the Grizzles finally pull themselves back to their winning ways? Stay tuned...

Matchup Preview *|* November 12, 2011

@

Toronto Raptors
(3-2, 1-1 Away)

Memphis Grizzlies
(1-4, 1-1 Home)

Projected Starters
Devin Harris	Point Guard	Mike Conley Jr.
Terrence Williams	Shooting Guard	Tony Allen
James Johnson	Small Forward	Rudy Gay
Ed Davis	Power Forward	Zach Randolph
Jonas Valanciunas	Center	Marc Gasol

Injury Report
Demar DeRozan Lower Back Strain, 2-4 weeks		Hamed Haddadi Broken Foot, 2-3 months

Game Notes

**StraightBaylien** · 06-24-2012, 07:15 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

WEEKLY NBA INJURY REPORT

NBA INJURY REPORT
Pos	Player	Injury Note
SG	Avery Bradley - BOS	Bruised sternum, 1-2 weeks
PG	Derrick Rose - CHI	Separated shoulder, 3 weeks-1 month
SG	Demar DeRozan - TOR	Lower back strain, 2-4 weeks
SF	Richard Jefferson - GSW	Sprained ankle, 2-4 weeks
C	Hamed Hadaddi - MEM	Broken foot, 2-3 months

**StraightBaylien** · 06-24-2012, 09:38 PM

Re: Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

DAVIS, RAPS GET 3rd STRAIGHT WIN, TAKE DOWN GRIZZ, 116-108

After an explosive win on Wednesday night, the Raptors seemed to use their two-day rest to their advantage, coming out of the gates fresh. The Grizzlies however looked tired from their battle against Dallas the night before as they fell to a 31-24 desparity in the scoreboard after 1. The second quarter seemed to be kinder to the Grizzlies as the two teams battled to a draw in the quarter, still giving the Raptors a 7 point lead at the half. The second half was about as even as the second quarter, but the hot start for the Raptors proved to be the difference as the two teams virutally tied both closing quarters, sealing a win for the Raptors. Both Ed Davis and Jonas Valanciunas had career nights scoring-wise as they finish with 22 and 20 points, respectively. The game ended with 5 players earning double doubles, Ed Davis (22 pts, 10 reb) and Davis Harris (16 pts, 14 ast) for Toronto, and for Memphis; Marc Gasol (23 pts, 14 rebs, 4 off), Zach Randolph (18 pts, 10 reb) and Mike Conley Jr. (11 pts, 14 ast) The victory for Toronto makes it 3 in a row, however Memphis has now lost 5 straight games despite stellar play from their big men as of late.

Toronto Raptors at Memphis Grizzlies
Nov 12, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Toronto (4-2)	31	27	30	28	116
Memphis (1-5)	24	27	29	28	108

Toronto Raptors
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Devin Harris	39	7-14	1-3	1-2	2	14	4	0	3	16
Terrence Williams	27	2-7	0-1	0-0	4	3	2	1	2	4
James Johnson	37	9-17	0-0	0-0	9	2	4	2	2	18
Ed Davis	35	8-13	0-0	6-8	10	2	1	1	1	22
Jonas Valanciunas	29	7-12	0-0	6-8	7	0	0	4	0	20
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jerryd Bayless	28	5-16	1-4	7-8	5	7	2	0	4	18
Amir Johnson	21	3-5	0-0	3-3	4	1	1	1	0	9
TEAM TOTALS		45-91	2-8	24-31	43	31	14	8	14	116

Memphis Grizzlies
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Mike Conley Jr.	35	5-14	1-3	0-0	3	14	2	0	2	11
Tony Allen	21	4-6	0-0	2-2	3	2	0	0	3	10
Rudy Gay	33	7-17	1-1	3-8	3	3	3	0	3	18
Zach Randolph	39	7-12	0-0	4-7	10	2	1	1	3	18
Marc Gasol	37	6-12	0-0	11-13	14	1	0	4	2	23
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Mareese Speights	24	3-9	0-0	3-4	3	0	0	2	0	9
O.J. Mayo	30	3-6	0-1	2-2	8	5	1	0	4	8
TEAM TOTALS		39-83	5-10	25-36	50	29	8	7	19	108

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POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Interviewees:

Q: Coach Casey, in the past 3 games we've seen your team beat the defending champions, an undefeated Clippers team, and now the dangerous Memphis Grizzlies, I assume you don't claim these games were flukes?

A: I don't believe in flukes in this league. One team plays better than the other every night, whether it be for 48 minutes, or 5, the team who plays best, for the longest, will win. We just have to keep playing at our best, and as long as we keep playing with this chemistry, the wins should keep coming. This is a damn good basketball team, and the longer it takes us to realize that, the better off we are. We need that suprise factor, even if its just to ourselves.

Q: Despite a starting point guard change, not a lot has changed from last season, except your play of course, to what can we attribute this sudden swing of success?

A: Well I'd consider the addition of Devin, a big change. He's a floor general, who can also take on the scoring load when we need it. We didn't have that last year, and in this league, you need an all around point guard to win. We're winning.

Q: Devin, tonight you gained your fourth double-double in six games, what is the mindset before these games, do you predict a big night, or do you just play as you go?

A: You can never predict the way you'll play until the ball is tipped. You never walk into the arena and say 'I know, for a fact, I'm getting a double double tonight' unless you're a liar... or Michael. [chuckles] But seriously, you just have to play it by ear, sometimes you feel yourself heating up and you know you're in for a good one, but no, never before the game have I confidently predicted a good or bad night.

Q: This one is for Ed Davis... Ed, tonight you set a new career high for yourself with 22 points, do you consider this your best game?

A: Uhhh, not really. I pride myself on rebounding, defense and altering shots, scoring isn't a big deal to me. If I get the rock in position to score, sure I'll take it, but its never really something I go out of my way to do. Whatever helps my team win on a given night, that's what I want to do, and tonight it just so happened to be scoring. A lot.

Q: So you're more satisfied with say a 10 point 20 rebounding game than a 20 point 10 rebounding game?

A: Well, I'm not satisfied unless we win. That's really all that matters to me in the bigger picture of things. Sure, you like to have good numbers, but good numbers mean jack if you ain't winning.

Q: Coach Casey, who are you most impressed with this season on your team?

A: That's a hard question to answer... there's who has impressed me most based on play and who has impressed me most based on expectations. Now at the start of the season, Andris was set to be the starter with Jonas playing backing minutes, but he has blossomed into a great center already and is getting better every day. We knew what we were getting with Devin and Ed, but no one knew what to expect from Jonas in the big leagues, he is proving his worth every day. So he would be the most impressive based on expectation as there were very few. Now based on play, I have to say James Johnson. He's coming into his own as a scorer and all around player. This guy went from averaging 5 points per game last year to being our leading scorer with just under 20 this year. And I project it to be well over 20 by the end of the season, not to mention he's top 5 in steals so far! So James, definitely James, with an honorable mention going to the rest of the squad.

Q: Who are you most impressed with this season, NOT on your team?

A: I'm gonna go with Kobe. The guy is 33 years old and averaging his age. That's just crazy to me. I can't wait to shut him down. [chuckles]

Q: Back on the topic of tonight's game, what aspect of it were you most impressed with?

A: Uh, defense. Defense was the key tonight. We had a season-high 8 team blocks, 4 for Jonas alone, and 14 steals! I figure if we had 4 less blocks, and those other 4 shots would have gone in, we might have been looking at overtime game, maybe even a loss. So blocks are a bigger factor than we tend to give them credit for.

Q: You looked like the more energetic team tonight, Devin, how much of a factor did the two day rest serve?

A: Well, I really think it almost hurt us there at the beginning. We weren't getting good shots, it was just that those bad looks just happened to go in. We were a little slow, almost rusty, but Memphis was tired from their game last night, so when it came time to step it up, we had just a little more left in the tank than they did.

Q: One last question, this one is for Ed Davis... I know you said that scoring isn't a big deal to you, does a game like this make you rethink your strategy heading into future games?

A: I don't create my own strategy, not for my individual talents. We have a team strategy, and player roles. Know the strategy, know your role. My role is rebounding, defense, not scoring. But if my role needs to develop into that, at least I know that I'm capable of carrying some of the scoring load in the pros.

************************************************** *****************************

UPCOMING GAME: 11/13/11 @ OKC

Matchup Preview *|* November 13, 2011

@

Toronto Raptors
(4-2, 2-1 Away)

Oklahoma City Thunder
(5-1, 0-1 Home)

Projected Starters
Devin Harris	Point Guard	Russell Westbrook
Terrence Williams	Shooting Guard	Thabo Sefolosha
James Johnson	Small Forward	Kevin Durant
Ed Davis	Power Forward	Serge Ibaka
Jonas Valanciunas	Center	Kendrick Perkins

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Toronto

Slow Down Kevin Durant
-Kevin Durant is 4th in the league in scoring, [29.7 PPG] and his team has the 3rd best record, so the secret that his scoring leads to wins... is indeed NO secret.
Play Defense Without Fouling
-Despite their relatively low free throw attempts this season, the Thunder are the best free throw shooting team, percentage-wise. If this team goes to the line, they're gonna knock them down.
Get Devin Harris Involved
-The only two losses for Toronto this season came when Devin Harris did not produce a double-double. His success is crucial to his team's success.

Oklahoma City

Limit Toronto's Free Throws
-Toronto has attempted 30 more free throws than any other team in the league so their early success can be attributed to their ability to get to the line.
Utilize Zone Defenses
-Despite being a poor outside shooting team, the Raptors struggle against teams who can switch between man and zone defenses fluidly.
Slow Down Devin Harris
-If Devin Harris produces, the team usually wins. Oklahoma City needs to keep Devin Harris' stats low to increase their win total.

Lucky Number Seventeen: A Toronto Raptors Franchise

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