NBA

Brooklyn Nets Dismiss Head Coach Avery Johnson

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: December 27, 2012

Despite getting the team off to a solid 11-4 start and being named the NBA’s Coach of the Month in November, the Brooklyn Nets fired Avery Johnson on Thursday. With the team in the middle of a 3-10 slide, capped off by an embarrassing 93-76 loss Christmas Day at home to the Boston Celtics which...

NBA

As Defense Improves, Bulls Still Struggling on Offense

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: December 18, 2012

Without All-Star point guard Derrick Rose, recovering from ACL surgery and likely to be out for a few months more, the Bulls looked to be a team in trouble before the season began. Yet here they are with a 13-10 record, leading the Central Division and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference despite having...

NBA

Toronto Raptors Are At a Crossroads with Calderon

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: November 22, 2012

To trade or not to trade: that is the question with Raptors point guard Jose Calderon. When Toronto acquired Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets, it was assumed Calderon would end up elsewhere. It’s a good thing that hasn’t happened yet, because an ankle injury to Lowry has allowed Calderon to shine at the point-guard...

NBA

Top 8 Reasons to Watch Mike D'Antoni's Lakers

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: November 15, 2012

[slideshow gallery_id=”9″] They may have lost to the Spurs a couple of nights ago but there’s a lot to like about Mike D’Antoni’s Los Angeles Lakers. Al Dannity breaks down his top reasons to get excited about D’Antoni’s appointment.

NBA

Triple-Overtime Heartbreaker Magnifies Raptors’ Poor Start

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: November 13, 2012

It all looked much brighter in training camp… new faces, new hope, maybe a new lease on life as the only pro team currently playing at the Air Canada Centre. Almost as quickly, that fire of optimism appears to be flickering for the Toronto Raptors. On Monday night, they played what may be seen later...

NBA

DeMar DeRozan Must Prove Himself to Stay a Raptor

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: October 31, 2012

While much of the focus on the Toronto Raptors has been on the youngsters and the new faces, a decision has to be made on one veteran critical to the team. Rumours have swirled around guard/forward DeMar DeRozan on a four-year contract extension said to be worth in the neighbourhood of $34 million. The two...

NBA

Raptors Enter Season with New Hope

• Frank Doyle

• Last Updated: October 29, 2012

It’s been four long years since the Toronto Raptors qualified for the NBA postseason. They say this year will be different and there are some things to be optimistic about, but Raps supporters have been down this road before. They’ll want to see major changes on the court after the club saw a major facelift...

NBA

Top 10 NBA Rookies to Watch in 2012

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 26, 2012

[slideshow gallery_id=”5″] The new season means new faces and we’ve sifted through the draft to find the most interesting rookies to watch in 2012. From lottery picks, to franchise saviours, and players with question marks, we break down what new faces you should be watching when the action tips off on Tuesday night.

NBA

Pro Basketball Visits Canada; Still No Cure For Pro Hockey

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: October 25, 2012

With the ongoing lockout in the NHL, many arenas in North America are experiencing more open dates and dark nights than they’d like to have. So the people who run the MTS Centre in Winnipeg must have been happy to get as many as 12,163 (the announced attendance) to see the Minnesota Timberwolves play the...

NBA

Top 10 NBA WAGs of All-Time

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 19, 2012

[slideshow gallery_id=”4″] With the NBA season just around the corner, we thought it would be a perfect time to pay tribute to those lovely ladies who will be cheering on their men this season. In arguably the toughest assignment of his career, Al Dannity scoured the web to find the best of the best when...

NBA

Jonas Valanciunas Finally Makes His Debut For Raptors

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: October 10, 2012

So far the Toronto Raptors are perfect: 1-0 after defeating Real Madrid’s basketball team (yes, they have one) 102-95 at the Air Canada Centre on Monday. Now the spotlight shifts to the Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday as Raptors rookie centre Jonas Valanciunas is scheduled to take his first shifts in the NBA against...

NBA

Raptors Open Camp With New Faces and High Hopes

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: October 5, 2012

Halifax is the site of training camp for the Toronto Raptors and according to forward Jamaal Magloire, point guard Kyle Lowry has already “made himself known.” Despite the presence of veteran Jose Calderon, Lowry is the undisputed leader on this team: he has to be if the Raptors hope to do anything in the Atlantic...

NBA

Raptors Kleiza and Valanciunas Fall to France at Olympics

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: August 2, 2012

Toronto Raptors duo Linas Kleiza and Jonas Valanciunas couldn’t prevent France from beating Lithuania 82-74 in London this morning. Al Dannity looks back on a sluggish display by the Toronto pair and an impressive performance from Tony Parker of the Spurs. Limited minutes and limited impact Linas Kleiza top scored for Lithuania in Thursday’s defeat...

NBA

Raptors Kleiza and Valanciunas Help Lithuania Top Nigeria 72-53

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: July 31, 2012

Toronto Raptors duo Linas Kleiza and Jonas Valanciunas played big roles as Lithuania bounced back from Sunday’s defeat to Argentina to beat Nigeria at the Olympics. Al Dannity gives his assessment on the Raptors pair and what this result means for Lithuania’s medal hopes. Raptors Roll Linas Kleiza and Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors...

NBA

Raptors Kleiza, Valanciunas Fall as Argentina Beats Lithuania

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: July 29, 2012

Argentina faced criticism in the runup to the 2012 Olympics after playing below their established standards in a series of exhibitions — but they came through when it counted. Luis Scola and Manu Ginobili looked anything but old and slow as the two NBA stars helped launch the quest of their native country — ranked...

NBA

OK, Raptors, Landry Fields Is All Yours — Now What?

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: July 15, 2012

When the Toronto Raptors announced they had given a three-year, $19-million offer sheet to New York Knicks swingman Landry Fields, there was a lot of consternation in Raptors Nation. Much of the speculation at the time centered on the idea that Raps general manager Bryan Colangelo made the offer to paint the Knicks into a...

NBA

Calderon Can Send Lowry and Raptors a Message from London

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: July 12, 2012

Jose Calderon has no interest in being the best back-up point guard in the NBA. With Kyle Lowry’s move to Toronto now official, Al Dannity says to expect fireworks from the Spaniard as he looks to make a mark at the Olympics. Deal with it This is not a column to criticise the Raptors for...

NBA

After Nash’s Block, Raptors Rebound with Lowry Trade

• Dale Perth

• Last Updated: July 5, 2012

One day after Canada’s favorite basketball son ignored a lucrative offer from Canada’s biggest city, the Raptors moved to fill one of its most glaring holes. On Thursday, Toronto acquired a player they had initially passed on in their pursuit of Steve Nash: Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry. The Raps needed to do something;...

NBA

NBA: Raptors Take Long Term Plan with Draft Picks

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: June 29, 2012

There were no stars uncovered by Bryan Colangelo at last night’s NBA Draft but Al Dannity says the selections made could pay off in the long-run for Toronto. Ross will make immediate impact The Raptors had a choice to make with the #8 pick when their top three choices went off the board. They could...

NBA

NBA: Raptors Should be Aggressive in Tonight’s Draft

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: June 28, 2012

The Toronto Raptors have been stuck in a rut over the past few seasons but Al Dannity says there is value to be had in the 2012 NBA Draft. Here’s his breakdown of what the Raps need to do. GMs aren’t always sensible There have been countless mock drafts, many of which are researched with...