Toronto Raptors Articles - Page 72

One major concern for NBA athletes as we near the scheduled restart date is making sure they get back into proper game shape. Rust and overly-relaxed muscles are a couple of factors that might affect some players’ performances on the hardwood. Toronto Raptors All-Star big man Pascal Siakam isn’t worried about any of that though. […]

The Toronto Raptors have emerged as arguably the biggest surprise package of the 2019-20 season. Despite being the defending champs, not many expected them to be this good this term, especially considering the fact that they lost their best player, reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, over the summer. Nevertheless, the Raptors are comfortably sitting at […]

The New York Knicks are projected to have upwards of $50 million in cap space when the NBA offseason commences, and Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet could be a potential recipient of that money. In a conversation on The Athletic, former league executive and stats wizard John Hollinger says that he’s heard VanVleet’s name connected […]

With the NBA season set to return next month, all eyes are looking towards the NBA playoffs. Many consider the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers as the top three favorites to come out of Disney World with the Larry O’Brien trophy. Meanwhile, other teams may emerge as dark horse […]

The Milwaukee Bucks entered the 2019-20 NBA regular season with redemption in their minds. Following a painful exit against eventual champions Toronto Raptors in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, head coach Mike Budenholzer’s wards played like men on a mission since opening night. Powered by another herculean showing from reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks […]

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet revealed the inner struggles of the decision-making to go ahead with the restart of the 2019-20 NBA season — one that was contested by a few players. The Raptors point guard admitted there was some pause about the optics of playing amid the civil unrest caused by racism and police […]

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is looking at things differently. The man at the helm of last year’s championship team was one of the first to leave the market, traveling to Florida with the rest of the Raptors — the first of 22 teams invited to Walt Disney World for the restart of the […]

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has opened up about his biggest concern as the NBA restart draws closer. According to the defending champs head coach, his biggest worry lies in the possibility of one of his guys testing positive for the virus. Nurse explained his issue in a recent interview with David Aldridge of […]

The Milwaukee Bucks had the best record in the NBA before the 2019-20 season was suspended in March. Led by MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee has a great chance to win the 2020 title once the “bubble” games begin on July 30. Antetokounmpo was averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists for the Bucks prior […]

The NBA has released its schedule for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. The 22 selected teams will play eight regular-season games before playoff seeding is determined, and here are five games you can’t afford to miss. Honorable mentions: The Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic will play twice over the restart, but those games will […]

11-time All-Star Chris Bosh is launching an email newsletter, The Last Chip, that will tell the story of the Miami Heat’s 2012-13 championship campaign, and he offered a preview of his new project in a wide-ranging interview with TrueHoop on Thursday—revealing some insight into how the “Heatles” joined forces. Bosh pushed back on the common […]

Kawhi Leonard may be quiet, but his sneaker game speaks for itself. Here are all the notable shoes Leonard has ever worn. Air Jordan 5 Raging Bull 3M Even at such a young age, Kawhi Leonard loved his retro shoes. His pair of the Air Jordan 5 3M from the Raging Bull pack was among […]

Vince Carter just announced his retirement from the NBA after 22 seasons, with his last bucket officially a 3-pointer on the night the season was suspended on March 11, 2020. The 43-year-old enjoyed an illustrious career that’s hard to encompass with mere words — sometimes only pictures and video can do the man justice. From […]

Atlanta Hawks forward Vince Carter has announced his retirement from the NBA after 22 years in the league. The longtime NBA superstar did so in his own podcast: Wingin’ It as the Hawks were eliminated from further contention once the league decided to restart the season with 22 teams in Orlando. The Florida native played […]

The Toronto Raptors entered the NBA as an expansion team in the 1995-96 season. They started out with nothing — just a bunch of scrappy players trying to make it. But over the years, the Raptors have turned into one of the most successful organizations in sports. They have drafted the best prospects, became legitimate […]

Kawhi Leonard initially entered the NBA as an offensively raw defensive stud. Over the years, the Los Angeles Clippers superstar has become one of the most complete offensive players in the league. Possessing a deadly mid-range jumper, a steady outside stroke, and a knack for throwing down nasty dunks, Leonard can pretty much do anything […]

When the Indiana Pacers drafted Kawhi Leonard with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 draft and traded him to the San Antonio Spurs in a draft-night trade involving George Hill, not a lot of pundits thought the San Diego State product was going to carve out a Hall of Fame career. However, through hard […]

Kawhi Leonard is not your typical NBA superstar thanks to his demeanor, but he is typical due to the fact that he is the owner of a number of very impressive records in the league. While Leonard didn’t come into the league with a lot of fanfare, he has since blossomed into one of the most […]

Los Angeles Clippers swingman Kawhi Leonard is indeed the best two-way superstar in the league right now. His stock has considerably risen in recent years, as the 28-year-old forward has already two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, and four All-Star appearances under his belt. The Klaw is enjoying a remarkable first season in LA, tallying  […]

There are few bigger names in the NBA than Kevin Durant. He’s had a highly-decorated basketball career, and will certainly go down in history as one of the greatest ever. There are a few tidbits that you may not know about the former MVP winner, though. Today we have five that might just give you […]

At 31, Kevin Durant is already one of the most accomplished scorers in NBA history. He has won four scoring titles, his career scoring average (27.0 PPG) ranks sixth all-time, with .493/.381/.883 shooting splits. His unique skill set has rendered him one of the most devastating, versatile, and effortless shot-makers in league history. Most significantly, […]

During the summer of 2018, Kawhi Leonard requested a trade from the San Antonio Spurs and was dealt to the Toronto Raptors. Several stuff transpired during the 2017-18 season which ultimately led to Leonard leaving the franchise, one of the hallmark organizations in the NBA. Spurs legend Tony Parker’s comments about his quad injury being […]

A few weeks ago, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told the local media in Canada that center Marc Gasol’s face has “looked slim” on Zoom calls. Well, we now have visual proof that Nurse wasn’t kidding around. Gasol, who came into the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies on the heavier side, looks like a […]

The NBA will enter uncharted waters when it resumes its 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World in Orlando, but one thing that is sure to happen is tampering, as 22 teams will be sequestered in the bubble with ample opportunities to line out trades. Here are five possible moves that can emerge from the Orlando […]

Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green may have left the team last summer, but the Toronto Raptors didn’t skip a beat during the 2019-20 season before games were suspended in March. The defending NBA champions actually had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and looked well on their way to contending for the Finals spot. […]

The Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship in one of the most historic single-season runs in NBA history. Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in an intense seven-game series, overcame an 0-2 deficit to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks, and ended the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty. Heading into that monumental 2018-19 […]

Danny Green is the only player from the 2019 Toronto Raptors squad who has not received his championship ring. The Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard was supposed to get his ring on Mar. 24, but the NBA suspended the 2019-20 season due to COVID-19 a couple of weeks before that. The Raptors offered to send […]

The Toronto Raptors don’t have a successful track record of signing big-time players in free agency. The franchise has also had trouble keeping All-Stars in Canada, as Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh and Kawhi Leonard all left the Raptors at various points. For this piece, we take a look at the most notable free-agent […]

The Toronto Raptors had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference prior to the 2019-20 season getting suspended in March. The defending NBA champions will be among the 22 teams playing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida when the campaign resumes. Gone are Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, but the Raptors are still rolling. […]

The Toronto Raptors have seen quite a few players pass through during their 25 years as a franchise, including at the small forward position. As we look at the top small forwards in Raptors history, a quick note on Vince Carter. The future Hall of Famer was drafted as a small forward and played his […]

At 46-18, the defending champion Toronto Raptors will head to Orlando with the third-best record in the league. However, the Raptors aren’t considered to be on the level of title favorites like the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Clippers. Raptors All-Star Pascal Siakam, frankly, doesn’t seem too concerned about the perceived lack of […]

Reigning NBA champions Toronto Raptors do have a history of franchise-altering trades. Their brightest decision, after all, came in 1998 when they decided to swap their fourth overall pick, Antawn Jamison, to the Golden State Warriors for their 5th overall selection, Vince Carter. The player dubbed as “Half Man, Half Amazing” went on to captivate […]

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant will go down in history as one of the greatest players to have ever played the sport. This makes it such a difficult task to narrow down his best performances into just five different games. That was the exact task that we endeavored today, and despite a number of […]

In the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd, Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam is just the latest professional athlete to speak out on the nation’s situation as a whole. A Cameroonian born player, Siakam said he was profiled when he came to the United States because of his skin color, something he obviously […]

With the NBA looking to resume the current season in a singular neutral venue the rest of the way, some teams have been looking into how this might work against them in terms of having the home-court advantage in the playoffs. Should the league’s bubble idea come into play, higher-seeded teams in the playoffs will […]

Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet says people are tired of racism, and he believes the tragic death of George Floyd has pushed people to a “boiling point.” Floyd was killed in Minnesota by a police officer, who has since been charged with third-degree murder. All across America, there are protests going on. VanVleet says […]

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is demanding action. Ujiri spoke out in light of George Floyd’s death on Monday in Minneapolis, writing an op-ed for the Globe and Mail on Sunday. The Raptors president urged citizens, and especially leaders, to take part in discourse about racial and social inequality, no matter how “difficult” […]

Prior to stepping in U.S. soil as nothing more than a mid-level prospect at the college level in 2013, Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam did not know much about the NBA. So much so, that he once took a picture with now-teammate Serge Ibaka without actually knowing who Ibaka was at that time. Siakam narrated […]

A year after Kawhi Leonard hit a soul-crushing Game 7 game-winning baseline jumper over the Philadelphia 76ers, Pascal Siakam can still vividly recall the anxiety and tension while that shot went up in the air. With the Raptors’ entire season on the line, Pascal Siakam watched as Leonard put up a fadeaway jumper over the […]