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TORONTO - After auditioning roughly 60 prospects, including nine Canadians, in 11 sessions spanning over nine workout days this spring, the Toronto Raptors are putting the finishing touches on their wish list heading into Thursdays NBA Draft. Daniel Murphy Jersey . For most of the last week, Masai Ujiri and his scouting staff have been mulling over 10 targets they anticipate will be available with the 20th overall pick, their first of three selections, hoping to narrow that list down to five by Tuesday. With three days to go, does he have someone in mind? "Hes around like the back here," said the former scout, gesturing to the back of his head just before the Raptors concluded their final pre-draft workout Monday afternoon. "But he hasnt made it to the front yet. Hes working his way." No, Ujiri wont tip his hand, not with so many variables at play. Fourteen teams occupy the 19 slots that precede the Raptors and will determine who is available to them. They have a list of about 13 players that are expected to be off the board by the time Toronto is on the clock. The pick will be Ujiris first as Torontos primary decision maker - the Raptors did not have a selection in last years draft - and should immediately put his keen eye for talent to the test. Since Ujiri took control of the Raptors, a franchise that has mostly been accustomed to selecting in the lottery, he has emphasized the importance of drafting well regardless of where youre situated in both the first and second rounds. For only the third time in franchise history, and first in 12 years, the Raptors are positioned outside the top 19 in the drafts opening round. Although its not an advantageous spot to find cant miss, NBA-ready talent, history has shown it can be done. In 2000, with the 20th overall pick - the teams lowest ever first-round selection - they found one of their best and most reliable contributors in long-time Raptor Morris Peterson. In 2011, then with the Nuggets, Ujiri used the 22nd pick to snag emerging forward Kenneth Faried. As Ujiri knows, the key is preparation aided by a little bit of luck and the subsequent development that is required to turn a late first-round pick into an impact player at the games highest level. "Its a huge bonus," Ujiri said of finding a diamond in the rough on draft night. "You look at the programs that have done well in the NBA, they just strike with picks like that. Its takes constant study, and really knowing players, believing in players and a system." "I think a big thing is you kind of have to be realistic on the expectations of the players," added Dan Tolzman, Torontos director of scouting, who was also a member of Ujiris front office staff in Denver. "I think everyone wants to find those diamonds and the guys that will be all-stars and MVPs and this and that but those guys are pretty hard to find outside of the lottery and the top-five even." "So I think the idea is if you can find guys at 20 or 37 or wherever that have careers," he continued, "that are eight-year players and theyre role players on your team and theyre doing good things to help you win, thats a successful draft pick. You might get lucky and hit a guy thats going to be a big time contributor and hes pushing for all-stars and that kind of thing, but thats not really what youre looking for when youre outside of the top-five or the top-10." Over the last four weeks, the Raptors brass have seen around a dozen players that figure to be selected in the latter half of the first round, or early in the second. According to team sources, there are roughly five prospects of interest that were either unable or unwilling to come in for a workout. While the workouts are not the be all and end all - the team has scouted them all in live action - they can go a long way in getting the coaching staff and trainers on board with a potential pick. Should a player fall to them unexpectedly, Ujiri will keep his options open and hasnt ruled out the possibility of trading up, if the price is right. Still, the focus is on making their make at 20. "Those trades and talks, people dont understand," said the Raptors GM. "We talk about like maybe 100 trades and then two happen. Thats the nature of our business. We will be aggressive but our energy is focused on 20, rather than wasting our time on [something else]." In addition to their first-round pick, the Raptors also own a pair of second rounders, 37 and 59 - the second to last pick in the draft. Regardless of whether or not theyre able to address their needs in the draft, Ujiri has prioritized his offseason to-do list. "We need a big wing at the three position," he said. "We [also] need some kind of shot blocking big. We have good, skilled bigs, we have a shooting big, we have a big down low, but we want to figure out how we can protect the rim a little bit. That may come now, it may come later but its something we know we need on our roster. So those two positions look like something we need." His top priority has not changed. "Were going full force after Kyle Lowry," Ujiri said, speaking of the teams coveted free agent point guard. "And if theres a talented point guard in the draft we know that its going to be tough to come and contribute to where our team is off the bat, but well go for talent in the draft. But Kyle Lowry is our target and well try to get that done." In just over a week, the Raptors - and other teams for that matter - can begin negotiating with Lowry, unable to officially sign him or announce a deal until the moratorium period ends on July 10. Until then the focus will be on the draft, one of the most chaotic events on the basketball calendar and an invaluable opportunity to add young talent, provided youre well prepared for it. The Raptors have done their homework. "I was walking into the conference room where our guys were meeting and I was like okay, no news that will throw me off right now," Ujiri joked. "Because you know its going to keep coming. There will be something tonight and something else tomorrow morning. Thats just the nature of the draft. I heard something yesterday that threw us off a little bit. But it will keep coming and coming and coming until that last minute. Thats the joy of it, I mean you love it. Thats why we do it. There is always action. As long as we come out on top, then were fine." Nolan Ryan Mets Jersey . Louis Cardinals had a major need at shortstop and signed a veteran free agent who, while having PED issues, has been a potent hitter throughout his career. Daniel Murphy Mets Jersey . Doneil Henry, the man who scored Toronto FCs last-gasp game winner Saturday, knows that probably better than anyone.NEW YORK -- The scoreboard showed that the Boston Bruins were only even with the New York Rangers after the first period. In reality, Tuukka Rask had already won the game for the Atlantic Division leaders. Rask made 19 saves in a one-sided opening period, and defenceman Dougie Hamilton had a goal and two assists to lift the Bruins to a 6-3 victory over the Rangers on Sunday night. New York jumped ahead 14-1 in shots and took a 1-0 lead it couldnt hold. The Bruins skated off in a tie despite being badly outshot. "We were stuck in quicksand. We didnt do anything there, just gave them all kinds of chances," Rask said. "Then we finally got that goal, got some life, and the last eight minutes in the first we played good. "Youre outshot 20-9 and its 1-1 so youre somewhat relieved. We got better and got the lead and never gave it up." Rask finished with 39 saves. He outdueled New Yorks Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 27 shots on his 32nd birthday but lost for the second straight day. Lundqvist allowed a season-high tying six goals. "Painful. Extremely painful," Lundqvist said. "I thought we played pretty good. They worked hard, but their goals were unbelievable with the bounces they got -- a couple of deflections and a post and in." The Bruins improved to 9-2-3 in their last 14 games and earned their first season-sweep of New York in 31 years. Rask made 43 saves in a 2-1 win over the Rangers on Nov. 19 in Bostons previous visit to Madison Square Garden. "I thought we started to get a little bit better in the second half of the first (period)," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We slowly got ourselves back in the game, but were much better in the second and the third. "We got mad enough after the first 10 minutes that we reacted to doing something. That was huge. We just needed to get over that hump. Once we scored that first goal, it just seemed like everybody relaxed and we got better." The Rangers fell one point behind second-place Philadelphia -- which beat New York 4-2 on Saturday. They lead fourth-place Washington by one point in the Metropolitan Division. All three teams have 20 games remaining. Lundqvist has allowed nine goals in two games since returning from the Olympics. "I dont think that was a game that dictated the score," said Rangers captain Ryan Callahan, who could be traded before New Yorks next game on Wednesday. "I thought we had some good minutes." Boston, which didnt have a power play, increased its lead to 5-2 in the third period on a pair of goals by Gregory Campbell -- first short-handed at 9:04 and then at even strength with 6:34 left. Mets Jersey. Milan Lucic finished the scoring with 1:36 remaining. The Bruins have received an NHL-low 176 power plays this season. "They couldve mixed one in, but it seems to go the other way for us all the time," Rask said. Jarome Iginla scored in the first period, and Hamilton and Carl Soderberg connected in the second with assists from Hamilton. Boston won all three games from the Rangers for the first time since the 1982-83 season. J.T. Miller made it 1-0 just 3:20 in with a short-handed goal. Brad Richards tallied in the second, and Ryan McDonaghs power-play goal made it 5-3 with 4:42 left for the Rangers. Iginla began to change momentum when he scored with 1:53 left in the first. "They played yesterday, too, and it shouldve been a pretty even start," Rask said of the Rangers. "We just werent ready. We werent skating and it was pretty ugly there. I was a little surprised." The Bruins came out for the second re-energized. Unlike New York, however, Boston capitalized on two early chances and surged ahead 3-1 just 9:34 in. Iginla helped pushed Boston in front when he freed a puck from the left-wing boards. The puck found its way to Hamilton, who scored his seventh at 4:04. Soderberg stretched the lead to 3-1 just 5:30 later when he gathered the rebound of Loui Erikssons hard shot, shifted the puck from backhand to forehand and scored his 10th goal. Hamilton earned his second assist of the night. The Rangers got back within a goal when Richards got a puck past Rask with 3:07 left. Richards patiently stopped at the blue line and stayed onside while awaiting a pass from Callahan. Richards took the puck into the right circle and snapped a drive that sailed wide past Rask and into the open left side for his 16th goal. Boston held a 14-12 edge in shots in the second, but again found a way to make the most of them. "Its a great win when you score six goals on a good goalie like that," Rask said. New York grabbed a 1-0 lead when Miller converted a turnover at the blue line into a breakaway for his third goal of the season on the Rangers third shot. Rask then stopped the next 17 in the period -- including difficult chances in close by Callahan and Chris Kreider. NOTES: The Bruins, who lost to Washington on Saturday, are 8-2 in the second game of back-to-backs. ... Hamilton had three career two-point games, none this season. ... Rangers RW Derek Dorsett was scratched one day after returning to the lineup following an 18-game absence caused by a broken leg. Dominic Moore took his place. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
