Toronto Raptors basketball was non-existent for a long time. There was more booing than cheering, the word “retooling” became too familiar, and games rarely gathered genuine excitement. That was their identity, or lack thereof. I went to my first Raptors game at the age of 13. Toronto had a good team that year, they won 47 games and finished first in the Atlantic Division. The Raps were hosting the Denver Nuggets at Air Canada Centre, a hot team with Carmelo Anthony and
The Eastern Conference’s leader in Win Shares signed a highly publicized free agent contract this past offseason with the East’s best team. That player is not LeBron James but Kyle Lowry, the undisputed leader of the Toronto Raptors. And it is Toronto – not Cleveland – which has the East’s best record at 18-6. Lowry and the Raptors are 5-3 without All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who injured his groin the day after Thanksgiving in a loss to Dallas. SheridanHoops went one-on-one with Raptors
Beasts of the East we can call them. And no, unlike what was projected in the preseason, we are not talking about the Bulls or Cavaliers. The Toronto Raptors (16-6) have been one of the more interesting teams to follow this season. Their place atop the Eastern Conference standings and the sixth-best record in the NBA is made all the more impressive by the fact that in a league where the best teams usually have at least one superstar, generally a multi-time All-Star, this
We knew there would be some bumps and bruises along the way, but going 1-3 in their first four games is not what anyone envisioned when the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired LeBron James and Kevin Love in the offseason. Unfortunately for them, that’s exactly where they are after losing to the Utah Jazz 102-100 on Wednesday thanks to a game-winning buzzer-beater from Gordon Hayward. The offense for the Cavaliers is very much in the infant stages, and David Blatt has yet to
In a year full over new jerseys, new court designs and new replay centers, the Toronto Raptors decided to bring back something from the past to change things up a bit. The old school jerseys they haven’t worn in more than 15 years will come out of the closet for a matchup on Friday, November 7th when the Washington Wizards travel up north. The Raps will wear the original road purple unis for the first time since May 4, 1999.
Yes, it’s Sunday and that means the NFL to many of you. Good luck with your gridiron picks; here we stick to the hardwood in daily fantasy basketball leagues at DraftKings. [Read more…]
This Throwback Thursday brought on a photo with a crop of future stars in the NBA. One at the time player at the time was already a budding superstar, a young LeBron James. Every summer for the past decade or so, James has held his traditional LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas. The four day camp is only open to those who are personally invited, offering a mixture of college and high school ballers. It’s where young and talented
When the final buzzer sounded on the Toronto Raptors last season, the team was left deflated on its home court after a crushing last-second Game 7 loss. It was an ending to a season that no one – not pundits, not fans, maybe not even management – could have predicted. After 18 games and a 6-12 record, it appeared as though the Raptors were destined for yet another forgettable season, lodged firmly in the bottom third of the NBA. Instead, after