Toronto Raptors Blog – Page 25 – NBA Blog

Raptors face challenge without Kyle Lowry

Here’s the Toronto Star reporting on the Raptors, who will be without star point guard Kyle Lowry for the near future as they try to maintain their status as one of the best teams in the Eastern conference:

There are times when you are burbling along, minding your own business, and get a chilling glimpse of a possible future. It happened Wednesday night in Toronto against the Washington Wizards, second quarter. It was a 26-1 run when the wreckage was all accounted for, with the backups getting blitzed when Kyle Lowry usually plays. There wasn’t enough time to recover. Life without Lowry had been pretty good, until it wasn’t.

“No question,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. “The margin of error’s slim with him out.”

Lowry’s surgically repaired wrist won’t be ready for four more weeks at the earliest, they reckon, and after three straight comeback wins the Raptors were weathering the storm with grace. Then Washington came to town, and . . . ugh. Everything went wrong. This is a deep team filled with useful players, and DeMar DeRozan is an all-star playing his best basketball. And in that game you could see how much Lowry — a free agent at the end of this season — is the force that makes this team go.

“Him being the vocal person that he is, that dominant demeanour, you can just feel that vibe when he’s out there,” says DeRozan, who averaged 37.7 points in those three wins, then had 24 points on 20 shots Wednesday night. “Especially when we have our moments like last night, when we get out of sync, Kyle, certain things he can do just reverse it.”

Kyle Lowry will undergo wrist surgery

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday guard Kyle Lowry will have surgery Tuesday morning to remove loose bodies from his right wrist. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson in New York City.

Symptoms began following the February 15 contest versus Charlotte and Lowry has missed the past two games with the injury. Swelling is persistent with pain and limited joint range. The surgery is being done at this time with the intention to put Lowry in a position to get ready for the postseason.

Lowry is averaging 22.8 points, 6.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 37.7 minutes in 56 games this season.

According to the National Post, “with 23 games left in the regular season, it’s a big blow to a team looking to climb back up the Eastern Conference standings. Lowry is second on the Raptors with his average of 22.8 points and leads Toronto with 6.9 assists per game. The Raptors have averaged 113.2 points with Lowry on the floor this season compared to 105.1 without him. Defensively, they’ve allowed 105.1 points with Lowry in the game versus 108.6 without him.”

Raptors trade Jared Sullinger to Suns for P.J. Tucker

The Phoenix Suns today completed a deal with the Toronto Raptors to acquire center/forward Jared Sullinger, Toronto’s second-round draft picks in 2017 and 2018, and cash considerations in exchange for forward P.J. Tucker.

“We thank P.J. for his contributions to our franchise over the past five seasons,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “He was well respected by his teammates as someone who pushed them every day in practice, laid his heart on the line on the court and was a leader in the locker room. P.J. was also loved by the fans here in Phoenix for his relentless approach on the court and his work in our community. We appreciate all that he did for the Suns organization and wish him the best as he joins the Raptors.”

Sullinger is in his fifth NBA season, holding career averages of 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 269 games with the Raptors and Boston Celtics. In 11 games with Toronto this season, Sullinger has averaged 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds as he underwent left foot surgery on Oct. 24, delaying his season debut until Jan. 18. Sullinger signed with Toronto this past summer after he had averaged double-digits scoring in each of the three previous seasons with the Celtics, including a career-high 13.3 points in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. The 24-year-old posted 10.3 points and a career-best 8.3 rebounds per game in a career-high 81 appearances for Boston last season.

The 21st overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft by Boston, Sullinger was a consensus All-American in each of his two seasons at Ohio State University. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Sullinger led the Buckeyes to a Final Four berth in 2012.

Tucker departs the Suns after averaging 8.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 377 games (286 starts) over five seasons with the team. He initially joined the Suns on Aug. 1, 2012, signing as a free agent to return to the NBA (where he played as a rookie with the Raptors in 2006-07) after five seasons internationally. The 31-year-old is averaging 7.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and a career-high 1.5 steals (20th in NBA) in 57 games (17 starts) this season.

The only four-time winner of the Suns’ Majerle Hustle Award, Tucker ranks 14th in Suns history in steals (471), 18th in rebounds (2,228) and 20th in games played (377).

The Suns’ roster now stands at 15.

Patrick Patterson feeling pain in knee

The Raptors-Suns game was an abomination and there isn’t much to say about it. Best to forget it happened and move on to 2017.

But first, there’s the Patrick Patterson situation.

The player the Raptors could least afford to lose for any length of time is team MVP Kyle Lowry. After that, one could argue that Patterson would be the guy over DeMar DeRozan, since Norm Powell, Terrence Ross and Cory Joseph would be able to play more minutes and hold the fort. They’d still miss DeRozan quite a bit, but at least capable reinforcements would be around.

Patterson, of course, felt “sharp pain” in his knee during Thursday’s loss at Phoenix. That doesn’t mean panic should set in – he walked to the locker room under his own power – but with no updates likely coming until the weekend, we have to examine what his absence could mean to a squad aiming to top the Eastern Conference.

— Toronto Sun

Quick Take: This comment is more about the Raptors in general than the Patrick Patterson knee issue mentioned above, but: Toronto haven’t received enough praise for their season. They’re 22-10, which is the second best record in the East, and look like the biggest threat in the conference to keep the Cavs out of the 2017 Finals.

Edy Tavares joins Raptors 905 in D-League

Raptors 905, the NBA Development League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, announced Saturday they have acquired center Edy Tavares. A second-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 2014 (43rd overall), Tavares was waived by the Hawks on October 31.

Tavares, 7-foot-3, 260 pounds, spent the last two seasons in the Hawks organization, dressing in 12 games for the club over two seasons. The native of Maio, Sotavento (Cape Verde) played in one NBA game this season recording two points and one rebound in 3.6 minutes of action.

Tavares owns career NBA D-league averages of 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in 29 games. Last season he split time between three clubs, playing 25 games with Austin, two games with Canton and two games with Bakersfield.

Internationally, Tavares played 60 games with Herbalife Gran Canaria during the 2014-15 season, averaging 8.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks a game. He spent the 2013-14 season with Gran Canaria, as well, averaging 6.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.

2017 D-League Showcase event info

Raptors 905, the NBA Development League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, will host the 2017 NBA D-League Showcase in Mississauga, Ontario, it was announced today. The 22-game, five-day event will run Jan. 18-22, 2017, and feature the league’s 22 teams playing two regular-season games each at Hershey Centre.

“We’re thrilled to bring the NBA D-League’s tentpole event to Mississauga and the Hershey Centre,” said NBA D-League President Malcolm Turner. “It’s always inspiring to watch our players put their skills on display in front of scouts from all 30 NBA teams and I’m looking forward to being part of the action as the basketball community’s focus shifts to Canada in January.”

“We are honored and excited to be the host team for the 2017 D-League Showcase,” said Raptors President Masai Ujiri. “Following last year’s successful NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto, we are eager to assist the League with the premier event for the D-League, its teams and players.”

A record 14 games from the 2017 NBA D-League Showcase will be nationally televised live on ESPNU and NBA TV. For the first time, every NBA D-League team will play at least one live nationally televised game at the Showcase, a platform for players and coaches to be scouted by representatives from all 30 NBA teams.

The 2017 NBA D-League Showcase tips off at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 18 when the Windy City Bulls play their first-ever Showcase game, taking on the Delaware 87ers. Action continues at 12:30 p.m. ET when the Grand Rapids Drive faces the 905 on NBA TV. The Greensboro Swarm makes its Showcase debut against the Erie BayHawks at 3 p.m. ET on NBA TV, while the Northern Arizona Suns take to the Showcase court for the first time against the Oklahoma City Blue at 6 p.m. ET. The first day of action concludes with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers meeting the Austin Spurs at 8:30 p.m. ET.

ESPNU begins its Showcase coverage on Thursday, Jan. 19 with Windy City facing the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at 12:30 p.m. ET and the reigning NBA D-League Champion Sioux Falls Skyforce playing the Reno Bighorns at 3 p.m. ET. The Long Island Nets and Salt Lake City Stars play their first-ever Showcase games on Friday, Jan. 20 against the Austin Spurs and Raptors 905, respectively. Both games will be broadcast on ESPNU.

The league’s premier in-season scouting event, the Showcase has seen more than 50 NBA D-Leaguers earn GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA during or in the days immediately following the last 12 events.
As part of this year’s Showcase, a series of youth-focused programming will be planned throughout the week. The afternoon games will feature youth from local schools as part of the NBA D-League’s School Day initiative. In addition, two Jr. NBA Clinics presented by Shock Doctor, the Official Mouthguard of the NBA D-League, will take place on Thursday and Saturday. More than 100 children from the Ontario community will be taught the fundamentals of the game by current NBA D-League players and provided tickets to that evening’s game.

Tickets to the 2017 NBA D-League Showcase will be sold individually, for groups and in packages for fans to take in all of the action. Information on Showcase tickets is available by e-mail at tickets@raptors905.com. Log on to www.raptors905.com/showcase for seating maps and a breakdown of ticket tiers and packages.

2017 D-League Showcase Game Schedule (All Times ET)

Wednesday, Jan. 18
10:00 a.m. Windy City Bulls at Delaware 87ers
12:30 p.m. Grand Rapids Drive at Raptors 905 (NBA TV)
3:00 p.m. Greensboro Swarm at Erie BayHawks (NBA TV)
6:00 p.m. Northern Arizona Suns at Oklahoma City Blue
8:30 p.m. Rio Grande Valley Vipers at Austin Spurs

Thursday, Jan. 19
12:30 p.m. Fort Wayne Mad Ants at Windy City Bulls (ESPNU)
3:00 p.m. Sioux Falls Skyforce at Reno Bighorns (ESPNU)
6:00 p.m. Canton Charge at Maine Red Claws
8:30 p.m. Oklahoma City Blue at Santa Cruz Warriors (NBA TV)

Friday, Jan. 20
10:00 a.m. Erie BayHawks at Westchester Knicks
12:30 p.m. Salt Lake City Stars at Iowa Energy (ESPNU)
3:00 p.m. Delaware 87ers at Greensboro Swarm (ESPNU)
6:00 p.m. Austin Spurs at Northern Arizona Suns (ESPNU)
8:30 p.m. Raptors 905 at Long Island Nets (ESPNU)

Saturday, Jan. 21
10:00 a.m. Santa Cruz Warriors at Texas Legends
12:30 p.m. Maine Red Claws at Fort Wayne Mad Ants (NBA TV)
3:00 p.m. Iowa Energy at Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA TV)
6:00 p.m. Los Angeles D-Fenders at Sioux Falls Skyforce
8:30 p.m. Long Island Nets at Grand Rapids Drive

Sunday, Jan. 22
10:00 a.m. Westchester Knicks at Canton Charge (NBA TV)
12:30 p.m. Reno Bighorns at Salt Lake City Stars (NBA TV)
3:00 p.m. Texas Legends at Los Angeles D-Fenders (NBA TV)

Jared Sullinger to undergo foot surgery

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday forward Jared Sullinger will have a screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. The surgery will be performed Monday afternoon by Dr. Martin O’Malley in New York City.

The procedure is a preventative measure to alleviate symptomatic stress reactions. Sullinger’s status will be updated as appropriate.

The Raptors signed Sullinger as a free agent July 14. The four-year veteran has averaged 11.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 24.9 minutes in 258 regular season games.

The Raptors open the 2016-17 season Wednesday when they play host to the Detroit Pistons at Air Canada Centre at 7:30 p.m. (TSN/TSN 1050 Toronto).

Raptors exercise contract options on Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueira and Delon Wright

The Raptors have exercised the fourth-year team options on the Rookie Scale Contracts of forward Bruno Caboclo and center Lucas Nogueira and the third-year team option on the Rookie Scale Contract of guard Delon Wright.

The contracts for Caboclo, Nogueira and Wright are now guaranteed through the 2017-18 season.

In accordance with the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Raptors had until October 31 to exercise their option on all three players. Per team policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Caboclo, 6-foot-9, 218 pounds, was selected by the Raptors with the 20th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The native of Osasco, Brazil split last season between Toronto and Raptors 905 in the NBA D-League. He made six appearances with Toronto. Caboclo averaged 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 34.3 minutes in 37 games (35 starts) with Raptors 905. He scored 20-or-more points eight times, including a season-high 31 points Mar. 28 at Grand Rapids.

Nogueira, 7-foot, 241 pounds was acquired from Atlanta on June 30, 2014. He saw action with the Raptors and Raptors 905 during the 2015-16 season. He averaged 2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 7.8 minutes in 29 outings with Toronto and 9.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 25.1 minutes in 11 contests with Raptors 905.

The native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was taken 16th overall by Boston in the 2013 Draft. He played three seasons in Spain before joining the Raptors.

Wright, 6-foot-5, 183 pounds was selected by Toronto with the 20th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He averaged 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 8.5 minutes in 27 games last season. Wright scored a season-high 19 points Apr. 8 vs. Indiana. He also appeared in 15 games with Raptors 905, averaging 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 35.7 minutes.

Raptors waive Drew Crawford, Brady Heslip, E.J. Singler, Jarrod Uthoff and Yanick Moreira

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have requested waivers on guards Drew Crawford and Brady Heslip, forwards E.J. Singler and Jarrod Uthoff (U-toff), and centre Yanick (yan-neek) Moreira (more-era).
Crawford averaged 5.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 19.2 minutes in seven preseason games. He recorded 17 points and five rebounds October 14 versus San Lorenzo.

Heslip appeared in four preseason games, averaging 7.3 points, 2.0 assists and 11.2 minutes. He shot .625 (5-8) from three-point range. He scored 13 points October 5 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Singler saw action in four preseason contests, averaging 2.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 10.3 minutes. He scored 10 points October 14 versus San Lorenzo.

Uthoff finished with two rebounds in eight minutes in his lone preseason appearance.
Moreira appeared in one preseason contest, grabbing two rebounds in five minutes.

Toronto finished its 2016 preseason schedule with a 4-3 mark. They will open the 2016-17 regular season Wednesday at Air Canada Centre when they play host to the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m.

Raptors hire Patrick Mutombo and Jim Sann as assistant coaches

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have hired Patrick Mutombo and Jim Sann as assistant coaches on Head Coach Dwane Casey’s staff. In addition, assistant coach Jama Mahlalela (JAM-ah MAH-la-LAY-la) has been promoted and will move to the front of the bench for the upcoming season.

Kalamian enters his second season with the Raptors, while Nurse returns for his fourth campaign with the club.

“I am pleased to add Patrick and Jim to our coaching staff,” said Casey. “Both possess a tremendous work ethic and a wealth of basketball experience that with help our players improve.

“Jama has done a great job for us in the area of player development and game preparation the last several seasons and is deserving of this recognition.”

Mutombo joins the Raptors after one season as an assistant coach with the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League. Prior to joining the Spurs, Mutombo spent four seasons with the Denver Nuggets (2011-15), including the last three as an assistant coach.

A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo played professionally in Europe for six seasons (2003-09), before signing with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League. He appeared in 29 games for the Jam, averaging 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 22.0 minutes.
Mutombo played collegiately at Metropolitan State University (1999-2003), helping the Roadrunners win the NCAA Division II championship in 2000 and 2002.

Sann rejoins the Raptors where he served as an assistant coach on Kevin O’Neill’s staff during the 2003-04 season. He spent the last three seasons as assistant coach/advance scout with the Brooklyn Nets. Sann was also with the Nets organization for five seasons (2005-10) as an assistant coach/coaching associate.
From 2010-12, Sann was a member of the Chicago Bulls staff, serving as an assistant coach/video coordinator. He was also an assistant coach/advance scout for the Houston Rockets during the 2004-05 season. Sann began his professional basketball career with the New York Knicks, holding various positions over 11 seasons, eventually rising to director of basketball administration.

Sann graduated from the University of Colorado in 1991.

Mahlalela enters his fourth season as an assistant coach. He moved to the bench following two seasons working in the Raptors’ front office as director of player development.

Mahlalela started with the Raptors in 2006 as a member of the community development staff, leading the Raptors Basketball Academy and various clinics throughout Canada. He was named director of basketball operations for NBA Asia in 2009 and oversaw the League’s clinics, youth programs and elite-level development from his base in Hong Kong.

Mahlalela played collegiately at the University of British Columbia and served as assistant coach at the University of Toronto for four seasons.