06-20-2019, 12:44 AM
"We, The People, In Order To Form A More Perfect Union..." Disregard the fact that the phrase is from an American political document or that there can be nothing "more perfect". Instead, review how the Toronto Raptors began their perfectly imperfect quest and whats next for the squad. October 31, 2013: Start of the 2013-14 NBA season. Fresh off a solid training camp with a full complement of players and outwardly optimistic, questions about the future of the franchise under president and general manager Masai Ujiri remained. With a highly publicized and strongly projected 2014 Draft Class, uncertainty about roster stability, quality and identity of the team and what appeared to be a lame duck head coach in Dwane Casey, RaptorNation and TankNation seemed to be in accord. Not having sniffed playoff pay dirt since a 2008 first round ouster at the hands of the then-Dwight Howard-led Orlando Magic, an uneasy relationship with multiple monikers on what lay ahead for Canadas Team abounded: Mishandle For Randle, Concede For Embiid, Be Sorry For Jabari, Stop Caring For Aaron and of course Riggin For Wiggins. A shrewd and savvy front office executive, Ujiri has proven to be in just a few short months north of the border, jettisoning the personages and albatross-like contracts of Andrea Bargnani and Rudy Gay for more than just flotsam and salary cap relief. The deft moves brought in team players and quality, unselfish veterans in Steve Novak, Greveis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and the gritty, gutty Chuck Hayes, all fully aware of their roles and willing to lend to an ever-developing chemistry under head coach Dwane Casey. Now leading the Atlantic Division at 24-21 and in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Raps begin a week-long West Coast swing on Friday and a short homestand before the All-Star break. The energy around this team, despite recent injuries to Amir Johnson and the newly-minted All-Star DeMar DeRozan, has been at a fever pitch. Despite bucking for home court advantage in the playoffs, there is an overwhelming consensus that Ujiri will move Kyle Lowry by the NBAs trade deadline instead of losing the unrestricted free agent in the offseason. But dont be so sure. Any day between now and February 20 may well be The Tomorrow You Should Have Feared Yesterday as the Toronto Raptors and Masai Ujiri in particular, face a dilemma of potentially franchise-changing dimension. At the crossroad to this predicament, the twisted fates of Lowry and Casey stand. The Question is: Are they all headed in the same direction? "Where our team is, I dont know if, as a team, were where we can get two guys (on the All-Star team). Thats the truth, but were getting there," Ujiri said. "Well see how we continue to grow as a team." Is Masai Ujiri willing to roll the dice on Lowry, not move him and hope that he can make a cap friendly and competitively respectful offer in July for his starting point guard to stay in Toronto? All-Star snub aside, Lowry is averaging career highs in points and assists at 16.8 and 7.6 respectively. Arguably one of the Top 10 point guards in The Association, his real growth may be in areas that dont show in the box score, however. "Im going to keep grinding no matter what, All-Star or not," said Lowry. "Im always going to work hard and continue to be the best player I can be to help my team win. So for me, hey I didnt make it, it didnt happen, youve got a game, youve got to worry about the rest of the season and you go on." Does Ujiri have confidence that Casey is the right man for the job to lead the Raptors to heights unseen by the franchise? "My wish, my hope and my desire is to not let this be a one year flash in the pan," said Casey. "We want to develop something and thats why I keep talking about the process." With the Raptors at well beyond tanking level, the delicate ballet of managing expectation, fruitful return on any trade and current chemistry on this team falls in the apt hands of Masai Ujiri. As the exhaustive hype over the strength of the 2014 Draft Class continues to dissipate, Raptor fans might wish to envision the success of Ujiris "No Superstar" team in Denver of 2013. Or look to the steady build of a solidly great team in Oklahoma City by their GM, Sam Presti, who has effectively retained his very best players while building through the Draft, key veteran acquisitions and stability on the bench. Then again, RaptorNation might rest well on the notion of Ujiri standing pat with Casey, Lowry and the rest of the team for this season by thinking about the 2004 Detroit Pistons. It was that unit, led by a highly motivated and well-travelled point guard in former Raptor Chauncey "Mr. Big Shot" Billups, a tough, veteran guard, an athletic young wing, two workhorses down low doing the dirty work, a solid bench and a very good coach, who defeated the seemingly invincible Los Angeles Lakers, fronted by Phil Jackson, Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant, 4-1 in the NBA Finals. Reaching? Perhaps... But dreams have to start somewhere... What "more perfect" place than Toronto with these perfectly imperfected Raptors? Cheap Bruins Jerseys China . The rookie is rewarding their faith with a stellar first season. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, and Colorado beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday. Wholesale Bruins Jerseys . Beanballs were the theme Friday night as the Red Sox and Rays had another AL East rumble, with Boston earning a 3-2 victory on A. http://www.cheapbruinsjerseys.com/. The Tournament of Champions, which starts Friday, is his first event since a freak accident in Shanghai two months ago. Snedeker was on a Segway scooter during a corporate outing at Sheshan International when he took a tumble and injured his left knee. Cheap Boston Bruins Jerseys .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . LOUIS -- Julius Randle had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Aaron Harrison finished with 18 points and No.BOSTON -- Jake Arrieta certainly picked two of baseballs most historic places to put on memorable performances. Arrieta held the Red Sox hitless until Stephen Drew singled with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Monday night in the opener of only the second series between the teams at Fenway Park since 1918. Six days after losing a perfect game on a leadoff single in the seventh inning of his previous start at Wrigley Field against Cincinnati, Arrieta took his no-hit bid a little deeper at Fenway. He allowed only Mike Napolis fifth-inning walk before Drew lined a sharp single to right. "Its special to do it in this ballpark," Arrieta said. "It was special to do it last week in Wrigley and to do it here in these two parks is pretty special." Starting the season on the disabled list with shoulder tightness, the 28-year old right-hander was pushing his pitch limit before Drew lined a 2-2 pitch. Arrieta (5-1) was lifted by Cubs manager Rick Renteria immediately following the hit that came on his career-high 120th pitch. The 28-year-old Arrieta was given a loud ovation before he even got to the foul line, tipping his cap to the Boston crowd. He tipped it again after crossing the line. "Something like that in Fenway is pretty rare for an opposing team, so yeah I got some goosebumps there," he said. "Thats why you play this game, for moments like that. I was very thankful to be a part of something like that." Arrieta fanned 10 in just his 11th start of the season. "Awesome. That was some kind of awesome," Renteria said of the ovation. "We were standing out there at the mound. That was some show of respect." Drews hit ensured the Red Sox wouldnt be no-hit for the first time since Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio pitched a no-no against Boston in 1993 for Seattle. Arrietas performance helped jog Bosios memory of his special night. "Everything," Bosio said when asked what he recalled from his no-hitter. "We had just come off a long road trip from Detroit and Toronto and I was real sick before the game. I had cut my warmup in half. I pretty much remember everything from the game. Every play, every at-bat right up until the last out." Hector Rondon allowed a pinch-hit single to A.J. Pierzynski leading off the ninth before finishing the two-hitter for his 10th save. "Three above-average pitches with above average command," Boston manager John Farrell said of Arrieta. "A lot of poower to his fastball.ddddddddddddStayed out of the middle of the plate. He was outstanding." Nate Schierholtz hit a two-run homer for Chicago. Jake Peavy (1-7) is winless in his last 12 starts. He gave up two runs on five hits, walking two and striking out seven in six innings. In just the second regular season series at Fenway between the clubs since Boston won the 1918 World Series in six games, Arrieta mixed his pitches by combining a sharp cutter and curve with an above-average fastball. "He located everything. Hes got great stuff," Bostons Dustin Pedroia said. "He kept every pitch out of the zone. I had three at-bats and I dont think I got one good pitch to hit." The Red Sox, who arrived in Boston around 4 a.m. after a win Sunday night in New York against the Yankees, really didnt have anything close to a hit before Drews brought up a roar from the crowd. Arrieta fell behind Napoli 3-0 before getting a called strike. Napoli then fouled a pitch off before drawing a walk on the next pitch. Xander Bogaerts lined to left after Napolis walk. Arrieta, who started the season on the disabled list with the shoulder tightness, made his first start of the season on May 3. Hes been spectacular in June. Coming in, he allowed just four runs and 20 hits in 31 2-3 innings, winning his three previous starts. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Welington Castillo walked and Schierholtz followed with his homer into Bostons bullpen. Arrieta was acquired by the Cubs last July along with right-hander Pedro Strop from Baltimore for pitcher Scott Feldman, catcher Steve Clevenger and two international signing bonus slots. The last time Boston was no-hit at home, Ted Williams flied out to right field for the final out of Detroit ace Jim Bunnings gem on July 20, 1958 in the opener of a doubleheader. NOTES: Carlos Zambrano pitched the Cubs last no-hitter, in 2008. ... Cubs senior vice-president of scouting and player development Jason McLeod told reporters on the field before the game that he withdrew his name from consideration for the San Diego GM job. "Certainly being a GM is really something I hope to do sometime in the future," he said. "But right now, I felt this is where I want to be." ... Boston rookie Mookie Betts played centre field after making his major-league debut in right at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night. CF Jackie Bradley Jr. was rested. "Theres going to be a little rotation of guys in four positions," Farrell said. 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