Raptors, Celtics put on more than just an exhibition game

globesports.com: Raptors, Celtics put on more than just an exhibition game
But where the Raptors’ visions of defending their Atlantic Division title looked most promising was when the second units were on the floor.

The Raptors put out Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino, Joey Graham, Jorge Garbajosa and Rasho Nesterovic and benefitted against a Boston group that was still learning each other’s names.

“You pretty much know what Rasho and Garbo and Jose and those guys are going to give you,” said head coach Sam Mitchell. “I think we went up 10 or 12 with that group.”

Toronto pushed it’s advantage to 37-27 on the strength of a Delfino triple, but as the Celtics went back to their stars — all three played at least 19:30 in the first half, reflecting perhaps Boston’s desire to get them acclimated as quickly as possible — they managed to take a 43-40 lead into the half.

Nesterovic not rocking the boat

TheStar.com | Sports | Nesterovic not rocking the boat
The veteran Raptors centre knows he’ll eventually cede his starting role to the emerging Andrea Bargnani, as early as the first game of this season. As an unselfish player he realizes that inevitability and what it will do to improve the team.

Publicly, he says he’s accepting of that role – “whatever Sam (Mitchell) thinks I can help the team with, I’m happy with,” he said – as a competitor he knows he has more to offer. It’s not his style to make waves or be disappointed.

“Every player has his ego and pride and tries to prove to everybody else that he can still play or that he can play,” the 31-year-old Nesterovic said. “I definitely want to prove that I’m still capable of playing at a high level.”

But where another player might show that desire with public ministrations, Nesterovic calmly gets himself going.

“Everybody shows it in a different way, it’s personal,” he said of the ego most athletes have to have. “Not everybody shows it by screaming, yelling, getting frustrated.

“Me? I don’t know how (it manifests itself). Probably just keeping to myself, concentrating on getting better, prove it quietly, not by words, but by actions.”

D the key for uptempo Raps

TorontoSun.com – Basketball – D the key for uptempo Raps
But head coach Sam Mitchell insisted that his main priority thus far at camp, which switches to Rome today after five days in Treviso, has been defence.

Toronto finished 16th overall in the NBA last season in opponent scoring, which was a huge improvement from the 2005-’06 campaign, when they finished second.

But Mitchell said his team will have to continue to improve if it hopes to advance past the first round of the playoffs this season.

Bargnani appears poised to flourish on centre stage

TorontoSun.com – Basketball – Bargnani appears poised to flourish on centre stage
Head coach Sam Mitchell expects a heated training camp this week with two starting spots wide open.

The big fight will be at the centre position. Last year’s starter, the veteran Rasho Nesterovic, was replaced in the first-round playoff series against the New Jersey Nets by rookie Andrea Bargnani. Now it will be up to the 21-year-old Bargnani to out-perform the 10-year veteran Nesterovic this pre-season.

Was trading TJ Ford a mistake?

The Bratwurst – Milwaukee Bucks Blog » Blog Archive » Was trading TJ Ford a mistake?
The Toronto Raptors were the feel-good story of the Eastern Conference last season, and a large part of the credit for this improvement was given to the trade of Charlie Villanueva for TJ Ford. There is no doubt that Ford had a much better season statistically with Toronto than he had with Milwaukee in 2005-06. But was he a much better player or was he just in a better situation? Did he really improve? Does his game still have much more upside? Are the Bucks worse off with Mo Williams than they would have been with Ford?