Mr.Bottomtooth
11-01-2006, 01:54 PM
Raptor notes: Bargnani sporting stitches in debut
Takes a hit over eye in practice
Bosh looking for quick start by Raps
Nov. 1, 2006. 01:00 AM
Andrea Bargnani will start his NBA career a busted-up young man.
The No. 1 overall draft pick took a shot over the eye during practice yesterday and will begin his career tonight in New Jersey sporting stitches.
It's nothing serious and Bargnani will be unaffected by the injury, although the voracious Italian media following him will have something else to write about.
As for that media throng — which could reach about two dozen for tonight's game — coach Sam Mitchell had some advice for the 21-year-old Bargnani on how to deal with it. "He's going to have to learn to say `no,'" said Mitchell. "That's going to be an important word for him."
NEED QUICK START: For the Raptors, the game comes just before a four-game homestand that's followed by a five-game western road trip and a quick start before they head west is almost imperative.
"Especially with what happened last year (a 1-15 start)," said Chris Bosh.
"That kind of put us under real fast. This year, we need to get the ball rolling a little bit earlier, especially with those two long road trips coming up before Christmas (one in November and a four-gamer in late December).
BACK ON HOME SOIL: Anthony Parker is hardly a sentimental soul, so he's approaching tonight's Raptor opener against the New Jersey Nets in a somewhat ho-hum manner.
However, it will be the first NBA regular-season game for the 30-year-old Parker since he was waived by the Orlando Magic in January, 1999, setting him off on an odyssey that led him to Israel and Maccabi Tel Aviv before he got back to North America.
"Really, I was approaching the pre-season as the regular season (and) other than saying it's the regular season, what changes in terms of being out on the court?" Parker said yesterday.
"I'm not a guy like that; really my first one was the first pre-season game; that was how it was for me."
All Parker can recall about his first go-around in the NBA is that it ended out west.
"Were we playing against the Lakers? After that I don't remember if I played any more," he said. "I know we went to Seattle and I got waived in Seattle."
STREAK STAYS ALIVE: Morris Peterson ducked out of practice early yesterday to see a physician after getting poked in the eye during Monday's Raptors workout.
Team officials said it wasn't anything too serious and Peterson's NBA ironman mark — 361 straight games played — doesn't look to be in jeopardy.
NO BIG DEAL: The New Jersey Nets sort of stumbled along with a 3-5 record in the pre-season but for a veteran team, that's no big deal. And it certainly doesn't mean the Raptors are feeling any more confident.
"As long as they've got Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter, that's three all-stars starting, it's going to be a tough game for us," said coach Sam Mitchell.
Takes a hit over eye in practice
Bosh looking for quick start by Raps
Nov. 1, 2006. 01:00 AM
Andrea Bargnani will start his NBA career a busted-up young man.
The No. 1 overall draft pick took a shot over the eye during practice yesterday and will begin his career tonight in New Jersey sporting stitches.
It's nothing serious and Bargnani will be unaffected by the injury, although the voracious Italian media following him will have something else to write about.
As for that media throng — which could reach about two dozen for tonight's game — coach Sam Mitchell had some advice for the 21-year-old Bargnani on how to deal with it. "He's going to have to learn to say `no,'" said Mitchell. "That's going to be an important word for him."
NEED QUICK START: For the Raptors, the game comes just before a four-game homestand that's followed by a five-game western road trip and a quick start before they head west is almost imperative.
"Especially with what happened last year (a 1-15 start)," said Chris Bosh.
"That kind of put us under real fast. This year, we need to get the ball rolling a little bit earlier, especially with those two long road trips coming up before Christmas (one in November and a four-gamer in late December).
BACK ON HOME SOIL: Anthony Parker is hardly a sentimental soul, so he's approaching tonight's Raptor opener against the New Jersey Nets in a somewhat ho-hum manner.
However, it will be the first NBA regular-season game for the 30-year-old Parker since he was waived by the Orlando Magic in January, 1999, setting him off on an odyssey that led him to Israel and Maccabi Tel Aviv before he got back to North America.
"Really, I was approaching the pre-season as the regular season (and) other than saying it's the regular season, what changes in terms of being out on the court?" Parker said yesterday.
"I'm not a guy like that; really my first one was the first pre-season game; that was how it was for me."
All Parker can recall about his first go-around in the NBA is that it ended out west.
"Were we playing against the Lakers? After that I don't remember if I played any more," he said. "I know we went to Seattle and I got waived in Seattle."
STREAK STAYS ALIVE: Morris Peterson ducked out of practice early yesterday to see a physician after getting poked in the eye during Monday's Raptors workout.
Team officials said it wasn't anything too serious and Peterson's NBA ironman mark — 361 straight games played — doesn't look to be in jeopardy.
NO BIG DEAL: The New Jersey Nets sort of stumbled along with a 3-5 record in the pre-season but for a veteran team, that's no big deal. And it certainly doesn't mean the Raptors are feeling any more confident.
"As long as they've got Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter, that's three all-stars starting, it's going to be a tough game for us," said coach Sam Mitchell.