Category: Toronto Raptors Blog

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Lou Williams, DeMarcus Cousins named Players of Week through Nov. 23

louis williams

Toronto Raptors guard Lou Williams and Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 23.

Williams helped the Raptors to a 3-0 week, finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference with 23.7 ppg and ninth with 2.0 spg. He scored a career-high 36 points and matched his career high with 15 free-throws made, becoming the first player in team history to come off the bench to shoot 15-for-15 from the line, in a 110-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 22. He connected 10 of his 19 attempts from three-point range. Williams has sparked the Raptors to their best start in franchise history and an Eastern Conference-best 11-2 record.

demarcus cousins

Cousins led the Kings to a 2-1 week and paced the league in rebounding (16.3). He averaged 25.7 points (second in the league) on .577 shooting (30-for-52) and tallied five blocks. On Nov. 22, he recorded his sixth consecutive double-double with 31 points and 18 rebounds, matching his season high, in a 113-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Denver’s Ty Lawson, Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul, Miami’s Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers, Memphis’ Marc Gasol, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic and Phoenix’s Markieff Morris.

James Johnson suffers severe ankle sprain

Raptors forward James Johnson suffers severe ankle sprain

James Johnson suffers severe ankle sprain

Toronto Raptors forward James Johnson sustained a severe right ankle sprain during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game versus Utah. There is no timetable yet for his return to basketball activity.

Johnson has averaged 7.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 19.4 minutes in 10 appearances as a reserve this season.

The Raptors return to action Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. versus Memphis at Air Canada Centre (TSN/Sportsnet 590 The FAN).

Patrick Patterson not a fan of sleeved jerseys

Like many players, Patrick Patterson not a fan of sleeved jerseys

Here’s the National Post in Canada reporting on Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson, who appreciates the ability to freely move his arms when playing basketball:

Patrick Patterson not a fan of sleeved jerseys

“For those guys who have broad shoulders, large muscles on their arms, per se, it tends to get tight, real snug,” Patterson said on Tuesday morning when asked what he thought about the Raptors’ alternate jerseys that feature sleeves. “A lot of guys are uncomfortable with it. I wish I would have known ahead of times we are wearing those, because I’d have prepared. It’s for a solid cause. I believe we’re doing it for the right reasons. At the end of the day, I don’t like sleeves.”

Raptors waive Jordan Hamilton, Will Cherry

Raptors waive Jordan Hamilton and Will Cherry

Raptors waive Jordan Hamilton and Will Cherry

The Toronto Raptors have waived guard Will Cherry and forward-guard Jordan Hamilton.

The Raptors completed their preseason schedule last night with a 83-80 win over New York in Montreal. The club finished with a 7-1 mark, tying the franchise best record set in the 2006 preseason.

Cherry played in five contests, averaging 3.4 points, 1.6 assists and 13.9 minutes. Hamilton averaged 9.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 18.3 minutes in six outings.

The Raptors roster now stands at 15 players. The team’s regular season opener is Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, taking place at Air Canada Centre at 7:30 p.m.

Miami Heat hire Keith Smart, Chris Quinn, others for front office

miami heat

The Miami HEAT announced today several front office hirings, including Keith Smart as Assistant Coach, Chris Quinn as Assistant Coach/Player Development, Brandon Gilliam as Assistant Trainer/Director of Rehabilitation, Wes Brown as Assistant Trainer and Eric Foran as Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach.

Smart will bring over 25 years of professional basketball experience as a player and coach to the HEAT bench serving as Assistant Coach. His duties will include assisting in the areas of game management. He comes to Miami after serving as head coach for three different NBA franchises, including Sacramento, Golden State and Cleveland.

Quinn, who played three and a half seasons with the HEAT for both Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, will join Spoelstra’s staff as an Assistant Coach/Player Development. The six-year NBA veteran will assist Miami in the areas of player development and will also have responsibilities with the HEAT’s NBA Development League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Quinn spent last season as Director of Player Development at Northwestern University.

Gilliam has been named Assistant Trainer/Director of Rehabilitation after spending the last eight years owning his own private practice that specialized in concierge physical training for entertainers and athletes. In addition to his duties as assistant trainer, Gilliam will oversee all player rehabilitation programs as he will work with each player individually during the recovery process.

Brown has been named Assistant Trainer after spending the last seven years at the University of Miami as associate athletic trainer. His duties will include managing the day-to-day health of HEAT players during the regular season, postseason and off-season. Brown is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist, certified Corrective Exercise specialist, certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner and a level 2 Fascial Stretch Therapist.

Foran, who spent the last two seasons with the HEAT as a strength & conditioning intern, has been named Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. He is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and a certified USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach. A University of Florida graduate and son of HEAT Assistant Coach/Strength & Conditioning Bill Foran, Eric was a four-year letter winner and an All-SEC pole vaulter on the track and field team that won two national championships during his tenure.

Additionally, the HEAT also named David Fizdale to Assistant Head Coach, Juwan Howard to Assistant Coach, Dan Craig to Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development and Octavio De La Grana to Player Development Coach/Director of Minor League Operations.

Toronto Raptors sign Greg Stiemsma

Toronto Raptors sign Greg Stiemsma

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed free-agent center Greg Stiemsma (STEEMS-muh).

Stiemsma, 6-foot-11, 260 pounds, averaged 2.9 points with career bests of 4.1 rebounds and 18.3 minutes in 55 games (20 starts) last season with New Orleans. He scored in double figures four times, including a season-high 12 points January 3 at Boston. He also recorded back-to-back double-digit rebound totals with 11 caroms at Cleveland on January 28 and a career-best 12 boards January 29 at Minnesota.

The University of Wisconsin product has played for New Orleans, Minnesota (2012-13) and Boston (2011-12). He owns career averages of 3.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 16.0 minutes in 186 NBA games (42 starts).

Raptors sign Jordan Hamilton

Raptors sign Jordan Hamilton

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed forward-guard Jordan Hamilton.

Hamilton, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 17.0 minutes in 60 games (12 starts) last season with Denver and Houston. He scored in double figures 20 times, including a season-high 19 points November 8 at Phoenix. The Rockets acquired Hamilton from the Nuggets on February 20 in exchange for Aaron Brooks.

A product of University of Texas, Hamilton was selected 26th overall by Dallas in the 2011 NBA Draft. His rights were traded on draft night to Denver as part of a three-team deal involving Portland. In 126 career games (15 starts), he has averaged 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 13.3 minutes, while shooting .358 (114-for-318) from three-point range.

Raptors sign Lucas Nogueira, Will Cherry

Raptors sign Lucas Nogueira, Will Cherry

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have signed centre Lucas Nogueira (no-GARE-uh) and guard Will Cherry.

Nogueira, 7-foot, 220 pounds, was selected 16th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2013 NBA Draft. His draft rights were traded on draft night to Dallas and then to Atlanta. Toronto acquired his draft rights June 30 from the Hawks. He competed for the Raptors’ entry in the 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas where he contributed 5.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 20.3 minutes in five contests.

Nogueira has played since 2009 with Asefa Estudiantes in Spain’s Liga ACB. The native of Sao Goncalo, Brazil averaged 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 16.0 minutes in 18 games during the 2013-14 season. He scored in double figures on 10 occasions and had nine games with two or more blocks. At the 2011 U19 World Championships, he averaged 9.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in eight outings.

Cherry, 6-foot, 185 pounds, appeared in 18 regular season games (12 starts) with the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League last season, averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 boards, 4.5 assists and 30.4 minutes. He scored in double figures 13 times and had 10 or more assists on three occasions. In the playoffs, Cherry upped his averages to 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 36.7 minutes in three games versus Sioux Falls.

Cherry went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft after a four-year career at Montana. He was a three-time All-Big Sky selection and finished as the school’s all-time leader in steals with 265. Cherry posted averages of 12.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 25.3 minutes in five games with Cleveland at the 2014 Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.