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angel_luv, i'm assuming you missed my comment while you were replying to dallaskd
if not.... look closer
http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/nikkireyes.html
3rd paragraph
Raps are number one!
angel_luv, i'm assuming you missed my comment while you were replying to dallaskd
if not.... look closer
http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/nikkireyes.html
3rd paragraph
"Couple of highlights so far:
Me blowing
Mark in a tight baby jersey. (like totally skin tight!)"
Hmmm, huh? What`s this got to do with anything? (of course I`m not AngelLuv hahah)
So how about those Raptors?
I think she meant bowling!!! The Raptors just had their charity bowling tournament.
Couple of highlights so far:
Me blowing
Mark in a tight baby jersey. (like totally skin tight!)
What in the world am I talking about?!...you'll just have to watch NBA XL to find out.
i'm definitely watching
Raptors, beasts of the East
I know that people have not been particularly fond of Mitc in the past, but I give him big credit for 2 things.
1. Young players have developed well under him
2. He was integral in the decisons to trade for Ford and Rasho through his own personal interactions with them, either as a coach or a teammate
When practice breaks up in Raptorland this season, the sights and sounds are becoming familiar. You'll probably see Dave Hopla, the shooting coach, making a few (hundred) free throws without missing. You usually see Andrea Bargnani, who is religious about post-practice stretching, tangling his giraffe-ish legs into a pretzel.
And over on the opposite sideline you often see Bryan Colangelo, the president and general manager, engaged in an animated conversation with Sam Mitc , the coach.
"I believe they talk every day, evaluate what's going on, the positives, the negatives, how can we get better. And believe me, all the guys are watching. They all notice it," said Darrick Martin, the 12-year veteran guard who is one of Mitc 's closest confidants. "Bryan and Sam have a great working relationship. ... As a player, you like to see how their relationship works. They're the captains of the ship."
When the season began, of course, no one could be sure how long Mitc would stay above water. Colangelo, after all, didn't hire him. And he didn't exactly seem to admire him. But things have changed considerably in three unexpectedly successful months. Yesterday Mitc was named the Eastern Conference's coach of the month for January. That the Raptors dispatched the Wizards twice while winning 10 of 15 games – and in doing so, beat the team that currently stands atop the frighteningly feeble Eastern Conference – speaks to the club's current location: on the brink of what could quickly become an unexpected breakthrough of a season.
Thanks to his own maturation as a coach and the speedy maturation of his young team, Mitc is tracking a remarkable improvement curve. If it continues, it'll be difficult for Colangelo to justify any course of action other than giving Mitc , whose current deal expires at season's end, a contract extension.
How do you fire the coach, after all, when the franchise's three cornerstone players are coming along so nicely? T.J. Ford, 23, has been hampered by injury of late but has been occasionally, tantalizingly outstanding. Chris Bosh, 22, is headed to his second consecutive all-star game and was yesterday named the Eastern Conference's player of the month for January. And Bargnani, the 21-year-old who rounded out the Raptors' sweep of the conference's monthly awards by being named the East's rookie of the month, has progressed at a rate even Colangelo says he didn't anticipate.
How do you fire the coach when the player Mitc has called his "pride and joy" – second-year point guard Jose Calderon – has improved more than anyone on the roster? Indeed, that Mitc has displayed an enviable rapport with many of his charges hasn't hurt his cause or team chemistry.
How do you fire the coach, in short, when he has been handed one of the greenest rosters in the league – complete as it is with nine new players – and has improved its record every month?
There are ways, of course, to fire a coach. You could point out that Mitc has clearly been out-duelled at times; that if the Raptors had won a handful of the games in which they've been close down the stretch – if better in-game management had saved the day – they'd be wildly overachieving.
So an extension isn't coming just yet. And the argument that it needs to come, and pronto, doesn't hold much water. If lame-duck coaching is as destructive to credibility as some claim, Toronto's relatively harmonious locker room is an aberration. Yesterday, though Colangelo offered stock praise for Mitc and Bosh and Bargnani, he exercised his usual refusal to discuss Mitc 's contractual situation.
Perhaps the GM doesn't want anyone relaxing just yet. Clearly Colangelo is reserving judgment a little longer, and wisely.
Bringing the team through the regular season's home stretch, shepherding the youngsters through a likely playoff run, will be Mitc 's biggest test yet. And if he and the team perform well, much of the leverage in negotiations will be his.
But there's at least three months' work ahead. To put it in the vernacular of politics – another game Mitc avidly observes – the re-election campaign is off to a great beginning. Still, the electorate will be unforgiving should the coach and his team, on the cusp of heady and unexpected success, end up with something less.
LINK
As will all the rest of the men!!
Not to jinx his night- but Rasho already with 2 dunks-- the second on the alley oop slam!!!!! The bench went wild.
Toronto 103 Hawks 91
Rasho 6/10 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
TJ with 10 assists in 17 minutes off the bench.
Mo Pete with a great game off the bench, as well.
Raptors over .500
Not to jinx his night- but Rasho already with 2 dunks-- the second on the alley oop slam!!!!! The bench went wild.
I wonder if it will make the highlight reel. Hope so!
I am so excited for the guys. I was rooting for them tonight while I worked.
Doug Smith really likes Rasho a lot.
Doug Smith
Sports Reporter
ATLANTA – When Morris Peterson’s almost breaking the backboard banking in a three-pointer from three feet behind the arc and Rasho Nesterovic is throwing down dunks, you could say things are going to go well for the Raptors.
Toss in another sublime effort from the two-headed point guard of T.J. Calderon and Jose Ford and an average night from all-star Chris Bosh and there is no way the Raptors could lose in Atlanta on Friday night.
A 103-91 victory over the Hawks was fashioned with some of the most balanced offence, which has put Toronto at 24-23 on the season, still ensconced in first place in the Atlantic Division.
Six Toronto players were in double figures, the ball movement was exceptional and except for a 12-minute lapse bridging the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth, Toronto was in complete control and has now reached unimaginable heights given the franchise’s recent history.
The Raptors are over the .500 mark. The win is also their fifth in the last six games, seventh in the last 10 and 11th in the last 15, as good a run as a Raptor team has had in years.
Bosh finished with 24 points and Peterson had 21 for the Raptors, who also got 14 from Jose Calderon, 12 including two dunks from Nesterovic and a dozen from Anthony Parker. Andrea Bargnani managed to toss in 11 to round out the offence.
The game was not without its moments where the Raptors looked less than dominating. They let a 19-point lead early in the third quarter dwindle to seven early in the fourth because they allowed Atlanta’s Joe Johnson to go off for 17 points in the third and finished with 28 on the game.
The Raptors allowed the Hawks to get too many open looks – Atlanta shot better than 45 per cent from the field – and if the Toronto offence hadn't been operating at such efficiency, it could have been costly.
Peterson’s night included five three-pointers and the Raptors got to the free throw line 27 times as they beat the Hawks inside and out.
The point-guard duo of Ford and Calderon was once again exceptional, and once again in reversed roles.
Calderon got his second straight start with Ford in uniform as coach Sam Mitc wants to bring his injured regular starter back slowly. Ford missed four games with a sore right ankle – residual pain from an injury he suffered in December – and is not ready to return to his regular workload. He’s only had two practices to get back up to game speed.
“We have to limit his minutes, see how he feels,” Mitc said early Friday.
Ford’s taken to this backup role like a duck to water. In his first 8.5 minutes, he piled up seven assists, including a lob pass that Nesterovic took and deposited for his second dunk of the first half.
Calderon, meanwhile, had eight points and five assists in the first half alone, helping Toronto take a 63-46 lead at the intermission. The 63 points were two off the team’s most productive half of the season and Toronto shot a solid 55 per cent and made six of its nine three-pointers in the first two quarters.
Even though his team is achieving unprecedented success in his three years as head coach, Mitc said before the game that he’s not concerned about history or this team’s place in it.
“We haven’t accomplished anything,” he said Friday morning. “We’ve put ourselves in position to accomplish something but we haven’t done anything yet. We do have a chance to do something and at the end of the day, that’s all you want, a chance.
“Now, it’s what we’re going to do with the chance.”
The daily glance at the standings, both of the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference, may be fun for fans but the coach doesn’t get up early every day to check the papers.
“I don’t even talk about that stuff with these guys,” he said. “They understand where we are, they know where we are in the standings, these guys are not dumb. They know, but they also know the struggles.”
While there are a handful of new players who don’t know how bad things have been, a couple of key players have all kinds of context.
“Chris and Mo and Darrick, guys who’ve been here the longest, Joey, they know what we’ve been through,” said Mitc . “They know the uphill battle, they know some of the losses we’ve been through. “The fact we’re here with the chance to do something special this year is a testament to them.”
LINK
Chris Bosh made his first two field-goal attempts after hitting his last 15 shots from the floor in his previous game (Wednesday vs. Washington). Bosh's streak of 17 field goals was the longest for any NBA player since Alonzo Mourning made 19 in a row for Miami over a two-game span in February 2000
That is awesome!
"There were some crazy things that happened tonight," Peterson said. "Rasho caught a lob. I got a dunk tonight. We were hitting three-pointers off the backboard, we were scoring on no-look shots. I think it was our night tonight and we just took advantage of it."
The 21 from Peterson was his highest output since his 23 in a 120-115 win over Golden State in mid-December.
The alley-oop by Nesterovic had the Raptors bench up and on its feet with cries of "Who knew?" clearly audible.
Chris Bosh, who finished the night with a team high 24 points, suggested the Nesterovic shocker might be worthy of its own T-shirt.
" I hope you all taped that because it will never happen again," Bosh said. "Get the game film."
Nesterovic admitted he couldn't remember the last time he converted such a play.
"You just react. You don't think," he said. "It caught everyone by surprise, even me."
LINK
That is so cute.
But for the record, I knew.
Big win for the Raptors against the Red Hot Clippers! 122-110.
Rasho in early foul troubleClippers had a field day of offensive rebounds in the first half, then. But Rasho did a great job on Brand in the third quarter.
16 minutes; 2/3; 3 rebounds; 1 block; 1 assist.
For the past 10 games- Rasho is shooting 60% FG.
I give a lot of credit to the Raptors who withstood every Clippers run. Every time it got down to single digits, someone on the Raptors hit a big 3- whether Parker, Garbajosa, Peterson, even Ford one time. Raptors 12/20 from the three-point line and 30 assists! The ball movement was a thing of beauty.
2nd Hottest team in the NBA (along w/ Suns), 8-2 in last 10
Too bad February is a tough month, hopefully they hover around .500 in Feb. games.
Congrats Raptors! I prayed for them in church today.
Big win for the Raptors against the Red Hot Clippers! 122-110.
Rasho in early foul trouble
16 minutes; 2/3; 3 rebounds; 1 block; 1 assist.
For the past 10 games- Rasho is shooting 60% FG.
Guess who just got her February 26th game ticket in the mail?
Leadership Comes In Many Forms
Great Article.
Paul Jones has been covering the Raptors since day one. You can catch Jonesy's calling Raptors play-by-play every game on the FAN590 as well as Raptors NBA TV’s Double Dribble with Eric Smith. Paul will bring you the inside scoop all season long on raptors.com
(TORONTO) -- Every successful team has a guy like Rasho Nesterovic. He’s a veteran of NBA wars, has playoff experience including a championship ring as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. He does his job without fanfare and is generally considered low maintenance because he doesn’t need any plays run for him. As long as the team wins, he’s happy. It doesn’t matter if he plays five minutes or 35 minutes.
“He’s an anchor for our defence,” said assistant coach Jay Triano. "He’s played a lot of basketball over his international and NBA career with some very good teams. He knows how to communicate, he knows positioning not only for himself but he directs other players on the floor as well.”
“He’s one of the reasons we’re better defensively,” continued Triano. “Rasho takes away easy layups for the opposition and when we play zone and just takes up space.”
But there is an added bonus with Nesterovic. Not only does he do his job professionally, he is the team’s resident comic. His facial expressions and one-liners are delivered with impeccable timing as he always manages to help keep things loose at the right time.
“I don’t know what it is that he says that’s funny,” laughed Triano. “I think it’s just how he says it in his language and you have to listen carefully because so much of it is in the delivery as it is with most people that are funny.”
Nesterovic was in rare form following the Raptors win on the road in Atlanta. The game featured Rasho on the business end of an alley-oop jam that brought the bench to its feet as nobody saw the spectacular finish coming. As he fixed himself a plate of food on the charter flight following the game his self deprecating humour literally had people laughing in the aisle.
In his own inimitable way with his distinctive Slovenian accent he remarked “I think so, I’m going to call the NBA to be in the slam dunk contest.”
When the chuckles subsided from those around the buffet trolley, he added a statement that sparked another round of laughter. “If they don’t call back I think so it would be a real shame,” he smiled.
As Nesterovic’s dunk continued to be a major topic of discussion before the flight left the ground, he looked at one of the members of the traveling media and said, “You were surprised by my dunk, yes?”
Following the head nodding response, Nesterovic added, “Me too I’m surprised by it.”
“Him and Slokar are like the Blues Brothers. They’re a riot,” chuckled assistant coach Jim Todd. “One of the biggest things about Rasho besides the serious part of him doing a great job on defence and helping the young guys is he keeps everybody light in that locker room and during the games.”
“In crucial situations, there’s a little levity to what he’s doing. He knows enough to be serious since he’s been around enough good teams and won championships but he just keeps everybody light and I think that has helped our team overall.”
Nesterovic likes the way the young team is progressing and knows there is still work to be done, unlike the conference finalists in Minnesota and the championship team in San Antonio.
“That team in San Antonio was set up (for a championship),” said Nesterovic. “They were playing together for four or five years. This (Toronto) team needs more time to play together.”
Being the locker room comic comes naturally to Nesterovic as he always tries to keep things in perspective.
“I try to have fun playing the game,” said the former first round draft pick. “You give your best performances if you’re having fun. That’s what I try to do.”
When asked to answer three questions during a pregame interview, Nesterovic walked away at the conclusion of the session sarcastically clearing his throat and rubbing his neck saying, “That was more than three questions and now I can’t talk for defence.”
Nesterovic can play both ends of the floor and is capable of contributing on the offensive end as well. He can make the face up jump shot from 12-15 feet whether it is near the top of the key or on the baseline. In keeping with his amiable personality and the line drive trajectory on his jumper we have dubbed it the “Slovenian Slingshot”.
Maurizio Gherardini has known Nesterovic for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 12 -14 years.
“I think his value comes in his overall knowledge of the game,” said Gherardini. “He understands everything about the game and can read it very clearly. He’s a true team player and that’s why teammates love him.”
“Stories cannot be told,” laughed Gherardini waving his index finger, when asked to relay his funniest Nesterovic story. “He’s a very funny guy with a high quality sense of humour. He picks up jokes and makes jokes very easily and is just a quality person who is poised very mature and just knows his way around.”
All kidding aside Nesterovic is a bright man that speaks four languages and Raptor fans hope the laugh will be on those people that, like Rasho’s dunk in Atlanta, never saw this team’s progress moving forward this quickly.
LINK
this thread should be called raptors/rasho news
Nesterovic pumps up teammates
Hulking centre thinks team has a chance to be among best in Eastern Conference
Rasho Nesterovic has always been where the Toronto Raptors are hoping to go.
The seven-footer from Slovenia has played in the postseason in all eight years of his National Basketball Association career. In 2004-05, he earned a championship ring as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.
Nesterovic thinks his new team is selling itself short if their goal simply is to make the playoffs.
"No one knows what is realistic," said the veteran centre who was acquired in a trade to Toronto in June. "[But] if we keep playing like we are, and stay healthy, I don't see a reason why we won't be one of the best teams in the East."
If the season ended today, the Raptors, 25-23 and 12-4 since Jan. 5, would be the Atlantic Division winners and enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed.
They would play the No. 5 Cleveland Cavaliers, but wouldn't have home advantage, as the NBA's playoff system guarantees divisional winners a top-four seed, while home court still goes to the four teams with a better record.
"When we came into the season, [Raptors head coach Sam Mitc ] wanted us to think about the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference," said all-star forward Chris Bosh, who is averaging 26.8 points a night over the Raptors' past 10 games. The Raptors are 8-2 in that stretch, the best record in the East.
"That's been our mind frame and it's a reachable goal, it's an attainable goal now. If we just continue to play unselfishly, at the end of the season, we want to not only be in the Atlantic race, we want to be in the Eastern race as well."
The next logical goal is to attempt to finish with one of the four best records in the East, thereby assuring the Raptors home court in the opening round. As it stands now, Toronto would need to catch 27-21 Cleveland, which is two games up on the Raptors, but a pedestrian 4-6 in its past 10 starts.
Still, there's a sense that the Raptors aren't exactly sure what their true potential is going forward.
"I don't know, man," Mitc said. "You look at some teams, and you can see the obvious. You look at our team and people don't quite see it. They don't quite get it. You look at the names [on the back of the jersey], the names don't scare you.
"But individuals don't win games. They can win a game here or there, but teams win consistently. We're a good team. I don't think we have great talent, but we have good team talent."
It's showing in their success offensively. In their past three games, all comfortable wins, the Raptors are shooting a remarkable 55.9 per cent, while counting 2.54 assists for every turnover.
But for Nesterovic, it is the Raptors' performance at the other end of the floor that is the cause for optimism. The Raptors are 14-3 when they hold teams to less than 45-per-cent shooting and 20-2 when they shoot a higher percentage than their opponents.
"We play hard defence," Nesterovic said. "There are some nights we might not shoot good, but on defence, we're going to give it everything we have. If someone wants to beat us, they're going to have to give their best. It starts with that."
Gaudy as their record is lately, the Raptors missed chances to make an impression in home losses to the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, arguably the three best teams in the NBA right now.
Having buffed their record on the weakest part of their schedule, the Raptors get a test this week, as they host the Orlando Magic tomorrow and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, two teams with playoff goals similar to their own.
The Raptors can count themselves lucky in that they play the Magic and Lakers on the second night of back-to-back games for the visiting teams (Orlando will play in Milwaukee tonight, while the Lakers will be in Detroit on Thursday).
"Your record is what it is," Mitc said. "When we were 2-8, I didn't think we were a 2-8 basketball team. And now that we're 25-23, our guys know where we are in the standings.
"They know what's at stake, because you can tell [by] how they're playing."
LINK
And you are one of the most regular posters in this thread...
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