2015-2016 Toronto Raptors Thread: We Have "It"!
- Thread starter hockeyfan1
- Start date
Heroic Shrimp
Active member
Bill_Berg said:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGbTdfTh7AM[/youtube]
dappleganger
Active member
Losing JV hurt a lot, he wasn't 100%. Still, great effort by the boys.
Cavs are a great team. I hope they win it all.
Cavs are a great team. I hope they win it all.
L K
Well-known member
Easily the best season in Raptors history. It would have been nice if they found a way to be more competitive in Cleveland but this team gutted it out and played as well as they could.
There might be big changes to the roster by the time games start up next year which will be interesting for a team that pushed to 6 in the ECF.
There might be big changes to the roster by the time games start up next year which will be interesting for a team that pushed to 6 in the ECF.
Heroic Shrimp
Active member
See, Oilers, that's how good a team drafting first overall multiple times is supposed to be.
hockeyfan1
New member
Congratulations to the Cleveland Cavaliers on being crowned Eastern Conference Champions!
Congratulations also do the Toronto Raptors on a record-breaking season, having set numerous franchise firsts. No one probably expected this team to challenge all the way to the ECF, but the Raptors along the way earned the respect and the admiration of fans and non-fans alike not just from this city but all over the country as well.
Speaking of the fantastic atmosphere that has given Toronto Raptor fans a reputation for being practically unmatched in the league, it certainly didn't escape the attention of the Cavs star LeBron James. Here is what he had to say:
During LeBron James? post-game interview with ESPN?s Doris Burke, the fans ? the inhabitants of the North, if you will ? continued to celebrate their beloved Toronto Raptors, despite the loss.
?First of all,? James says to Doris Burke, ?do you hear this? Unbelievable respect and much respect to these fans, to this country ? this is unbelievable. I?ve never been a part of something like this in my 13-year career. This is special and I really appreciate what this team did."
"It?s an unbelievable atmosphere. These fans, they mean a lot to their team, and I think the team gave everything they could throughout this whole season,? he said of the Raptors, who won 56 games for the first time in franchise history. ?To go to a place they?ve never been before, to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, and to win two games on their home floor as well, in front of their fans throughout this Conference Finals, it just showed their appreciation. They were unbelievable all season long to this point, and they definitely showed that toward the end of the game, all the way throughout.?
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/lebron-james-praises-raptors-fans-after-game-6-win-053040151.html
Congratulations also do the Toronto Raptors on a record-breaking season, having set numerous franchise firsts. No one probably expected this team to challenge all the way to the ECF, but the Raptors along the way earned the respect and the admiration of fans and non-fans alike not just from this city but all over the country as well.
Speaking of the fantastic atmosphere that has given Toronto Raptor fans a reputation for being practically unmatched in the league, it certainly didn't escape the attention of the Cavs star LeBron James. Here is what he had to say:
During LeBron James? post-game interview with ESPN?s Doris Burke, the fans ? the inhabitants of the North, if you will ? continued to celebrate their beloved Toronto Raptors, despite the loss.
?First of all,? James says to Doris Burke, ?do you hear this? Unbelievable respect and much respect to these fans, to this country ? this is unbelievable. I?ve never been a part of something like this in my 13-year career. This is special and I really appreciate what this team did."
"It?s an unbelievable atmosphere. These fans, they mean a lot to their team, and I think the team gave everything they could throughout this whole season,? he said of the Raptors, who won 56 games for the first time in franchise history. ?To go to a place they?ve never been before, to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, and to win two games on their home floor as well, in front of their fans throughout this Conference Finals, it just showed their appreciation. They were unbelievable all season long to this point, and they definitely showed that toward the end of the game, all the way throughout.?
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/lebron-james-praises-raptors-fans-after-game-6-win-053040151.html
hockeyfan1
New member
Team International...
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lithuania and the U.S. The Raptors may call many places home but say they shared a special bond this season.
"It?s an amazing camaraderie that we have," all-star guard DeMar DeRozan said. "And it?s hard to find in this Coach Dwane Casey also saw something special in this year's roster, saying players accepted their roles and bought into the program.
"I really feel like we had a special locker-room and I told the team (Friday) night I've been coaching since 1979 and this is one of the special connected teams that we've had," he said."
...said Joseph..."Off the court we learned about each other's culture. I think we had the most international players in the league this year. We learned about each other's families."
...said Lowry...Honestly the mix of cultures and countries and backgrounds and languages .... it just brings us together," he added.
Languages spoken in the Raptors room included English, French, Lingala, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili.
More:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-celebrate-brotherhood-en-route-franchise-best-season/
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lithuania and the U.S. The Raptors may call many places home but say they shared a special bond this season.
"It?s an amazing camaraderie that we have," all-star guard DeMar DeRozan said. "And it?s hard to find in this Coach Dwane Casey also saw something special in this year's roster, saying players accepted their roles and bought into the program.
"I really feel like we had a special locker-room and I told the team (Friday) night I've been coaching since 1979 and this is one of the special connected teams that we've had," he said."
...said Joseph..."Off the court we learned about each other's culture. I think we had the most international players in the league this year. We learned about each other's families."
...said Lowry...Honestly the mix of cultures and countries and backgrounds and languages .... it just brings us together," he added.
Languages spoken in the Raptors room included English, French, Lingala, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili.
More:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-celebrate-brotherhood-en-route-franchise-best-season/
hockeyfan1
New member
Biyombo willing to take "hometown discount" and remain a Raptor:
...teams like the Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder are proving that there is always a ton of value in having a giant, physical presence down the middle who can control the boards and protect the paint. How much value? Some reports have indicated the market is willing to pay upwards of $17 million per season for Biyombo,...there are 21 teams with max. cap space to spend this summer and you can bank on at least one of them talking themselves into devoting a chunk of that dough towards an effective starter.
Biyombo was asked if he expects to be playing in a Raptor uniform next year. "Honestly, I do," he said, adding that, "We still have some unfinished business. It was so much fun to see the team go from last year to this year making the Eastern Conference finals. Be it would be fun to go even further next season.
When asked if he would take a hometown discount, he didn't hesitate with his answer:
"Yeah. Things can always be worked out," Biyombo said Monday, "I?ve said that to my people, I?ve said that to Masai. When the right time comes I?d be open to figuring something out. At the end of the day it?s for fun, not money. It?s not always about money. Money is great, but at the same time I ask ?how much fun am I going to have? The city is great, the team is great, and we?re winning."
In the ten games following Jonas Valanciunas' injury in the second round of the playoffs, Biyombo averaged 8.2 points on 60% shooting, 11 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 33 minutes per game
..."One thing I?m thankful for is the opportunity I was given here. The whole season as we faced ups and downs [but] my teammates allow me to be myself and play my game. It was so much fun to be around my teammates, be around the city. I?m expecting for myself to be back here and I believe I have the right people to get it done."
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-biyombo-expects-back-says-hell-take-hometown-discount/
...teams like the Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder are proving that there is always a ton of value in having a giant, physical presence down the middle who can control the boards and protect the paint. How much value? Some reports have indicated the market is willing to pay upwards of $17 million per season for Biyombo,...there are 21 teams with max. cap space to spend this summer and you can bank on at least one of them talking themselves into devoting a chunk of that dough towards an effective starter.
Biyombo was asked if he expects to be playing in a Raptor uniform next year. "Honestly, I do," he said, adding that, "We still have some unfinished business. It was so much fun to see the team go from last year to this year making the Eastern Conference finals. Be it would be fun to go even further next season.
When asked if he would take a hometown discount, he didn't hesitate with his answer:
"Yeah. Things can always be worked out," Biyombo said Monday, "I?ve said that to my people, I?ve said that to Masai. When the right time comes I?d be open to figuring something out. At the end of the day it?s for fun, not money. It?s not always about money. Money is great, but at the same time I ask ?how much fun am I going to have? The city is great, the team is great, and we?re winning."
In the ten games following Jonas Valanciunas' injury in the second round of the playoffs, Biyombo averaged 8.2 points on 60% shooting, 11 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 33 minutes per game
..."One thing I?m thankful for is the opportunity I was given here. The whole season as we faced ups and downs [but] my teammates allow me to be myself and play my game. It was so much fun to be around my teammates, be around the city. I?m expecting for myself to be back here and I believe I have the right people to get it done."
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-biyombo-expects-back-says-hell-take-hometown-discount/
hockeyfan1
New member
Raptors GM/President Masai Ujiri outlines team needs, possible trade options, re-signing key players, impact of new salary cap, etc.
Michael Grange. @michaelgrange
Ujiri: "We work for a top five, top 3 organization in the NBA ...you match that with winning you attract players"
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/ujiri-opens-raptors-roster-needs-off-season-targets/
Michael Grange. @michaelgrange
Ujiri: "We work for a top five, top 3 organization in the NBA ...you match that with winning you attract players"
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/ujiri-opens-raptors-roster-needs-off-season-targets/
hockeyfan1
New member
Ex-Toronto Raptor Vince Carter "proud" of team's accomplishments:
Vince Carter has no hard feelings that his 2000-01 Toronto Raptors team has finally been supplanted as the best in franchise history.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard followed his old team?s run to their first-ever Eastern Conference Finals with interest and was happy to see this edition of the Raptors blow away all the previous standards for regular-season and post-season success.
?It was awesome,? said Carter before Game 3 of NBA Finals. ?I reached out to Kyle [Lowry] and DeMar [DeRozan]. I?m not really big on doing the whole reaching-out-through-social-media-so-everybody-sees-it type thing. It?s just not my thing. You know, we talked. I just told them, I was like, ?You guys are the best,? and they should hold their head up high. Because not only did they make history, they actually changed a lot of minds of a lot of people. Everybody thought they could be here.
?So I think they had a heck of a run, and I was just proud to read about it, to listen to people talk about it. Where it was like at one point they weren?t even talking about them in the Finals and next thing you know, the Raptors could possibly do it. It was great to see it, and to know at one point I was part of that and to see your record go down, I mean, all records are broken at some point. We?re seeing a lot of history this year throughout the NBA, and it?s great to see, because that?s why we play the game.
More:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/vince-carter-proud-raptors-record-setting-season/
Vince Carter has no hard feelings that his 2000-01 Toronto Raptors team has finally been supplanted as the best in franchise history.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard followed his old team?s run to their first-ever Eastern Conference Finals with interest and was happy to see this edition of the Raptors blow away all the previous standards for regular-season and post-season success.
?It was awesome,? said Carter before Game 3 of NBA Finals. ?I reached out to Kyle [Lowry] and DeMar [DeRozan]. I?m not really big on doing the whole reaching-out-through-social-media-so-everybody-sees-it type thing. It?s just not my thing. You know, we talked. I just told them, I was like, ?You guys are the best,? and they should hold their head up high. Because not only did they make history, they actually changed a lot of minds of a lot of people. Everybody thought they could be here.
?So I think they had a heck of a run, and I was just proud to read about it, to listen to people talk about it. Where it was like at one point they weren?t even talking about them in the Finals and next thing you know, the Raptors could possibly do it. It was great to see it, and to know at one point I was part of that and to see your record go down, I mean, all records are broken at some point. We?re seeing a lot of history this year throughout the NBA, and it?s great to see, because that?s why we play the game.
More:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/vince-carter-proud-raptors-record-setting-season/