Raptors Top Five: Best point guards With the Toronto Raptors celebrating their 20th anniversary season in 2014-15, Josh Lewenberg and TSN. [url=http://www.schuheairmaxschweiz.com/]Air Max Günstig Outlet[/url] .ca take a look back at the franchises first two decades with weekly Top Five lists, cou

Raptors Top Five: Best point guards With the Toronto Raptors celebrating their 20th anniversary season in 2014-15, Josh Lewenberg and TSN. Air Max Günstig Outlet .ca take a look back at the franchises first two decades with weekly Top Five lists, counting down the standout and signature players and moments in team history. 5. T.J. Ford (2006-08) Raptor stats (2 seasons): 13.2 points, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 126 games played/97 started One of the first orders of business for incoming general manager Bryan Colangelo, upon taking the helm prior to the 2006-07 campaign, was to shore up the point guard position. Although his initial gamble - the selection of Andrea Bargnani, first overall - will go down as a black mark on the former GMs resume, he would hit a home run just two days later, acquiring the speedy Ford from Milwaukee and selling high on then-rookie sensation Charlie Villanueva. Ford made an immediate impact, averaging 14.0 points and a personal-best 7.9 assists, helping to lead the franchise to its first division title in his debut year with the Raptors. Listed at a generous six-feet, Ford was a fearless player - its what made him great and loads of fun to watch before it ultimately ended his career early. Not unlike his time in the league, Fords Raptor tenure was short lived, derailed by serious neck and spinal injuries. He shares a common thread with others on this list in the way he fought through that adversity - refusing to compromise his style of play - but doesnt get the same recognition for it. Did you know?: Ford assisted on 44.6 per cent of his teammates field goals while on the floor as a member of the Raptors, the highest mark in franchise history. 4. Jose Calderon (2005-13) Raptor stats (8 seasons): 10.0 points, 7.2 assists, 1.7 turnovers, 48 per cent FG, 39 percent 3P, 525 games played/323 started More so than anyone else on this list, Calderon is the type of player that comes to mind when you think of the throw-back point guard, a dying breed in basketball. A truly selfless leader, the Spaniard remains a consummate professional and teammate, now with his third team in two years since being traded in the deal that netted the Raptors Rudy Gay. His NBA home will always be in Toronto, where he spent nearly a decade and grew into one of the more dependable floor generals in the league. When Calderon debuted in 2005 he could barely speak the language or knock down an open jumper (16 per cent from three-point range). Thanks in large part to the work he put in over the years that followed, he would go on to lead the NBA, shooting a ridiculous 46 per cent from long distance in 2012-13, his final season in Toronto. Routinely at the top of the association in assist-to-turnover ratio, Calderons near-flawless instincts on the offensive end helped him overtake a number of flashier point guards in the rotation, including Ford, leading to the latters departure. Underestimate him at your own peril. Defensive shortcomings aside, Calderon had a lasting impact on the franchise and wont soon by forgotten. Did you know?: Calderon ranks third in Raptors history in win shares (an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player) at 41.5, behind only Chris Bosh and Vince Carter. Hes the Raptors all-time leader in assists (3770) 3. Alvin Williams (1998-2006) Raptor stats (8 seasons): 9.3 points, 4.3 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 417 games played/324 started To clarify, while Williams remains one of, if not the most beloved Raptor of all time, hes here because of his on-court contributions and overall importance to the franchise. No, his numbers dont stand out, theyre modest at best. That said, Boogie peaked at the right time and came into his own just as the Raptors reached their pinnacle - not a coincidence. An excellent defender and clutch shooter, Williams was the perfect sidekick to Carter in the backcourt. He broke out as a reserve in 2000-01, prompting his promotion and the midseason trade of Mark Jackson before hitting the biggest shot of his career - and possibly Raptors history - in the playoffs, a series-winning dagger at Madison Square Garden. The following season he played in all 82 games, averaging 11.8 points and 5.7 assists, helping lead Toronto to an unexpected playoff berth without the injured Carter to lean on. More than anything else, Williams is known for his toughness. That and his crucial role in the franchises biggest moments make him deserving of this spot. Did you know?: Williams has appeared in 18 playoff games for the Raptors, tied with Morris Peterson for most in team history. 2. Damon Stoudamire (1995-98) Raptor stats (3 seasons): 19.6 points, 8.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 200 games played/200 started An original Raptor, Stoudamire was also the franchises first ever star, and a marketable one at that. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1995-96, the teams inaugural season, averaging 19.0 points and 9.3 assists. The lone bright spot during the organizations early years, Mighty Mouse intrigued a young fan base with his crafty, fast-paced style of play and was at the forefront of some signature moments, namely Torontos unlikely victory over Michael Jordan and the 72-win Chicago Bulls. At 5-foot-10, Stoudamire could do the unimaginable. He was durable, lightning quick and like Williams - a player he was ultimately traded for - tough as nails. Alas, the relationship between player and franchise turned sour and Stoudamires production proved to be unsustainable once he engineered his own exit and moved on from the Raptors. You could certainly argue he was nothing more than a good player putting up great numbers on a bad team, but that shouldnt tarnish his Raptors legacy. For the first two and a half years of their existence, the Raptors featured one of the most exciting young talents in the NBA, an ideal set-up for any infant franchise. Did you know?: Stoudamire logged an average of 40.9 minutes per game in his rookie season, the seventh-highest among first-year players in NBA history. The six players ahead of him (Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy and Jerry Lucas) are all Hall of Famers. Hes also the Raptors all-time leader in assists per game (8.8) 1. Kyle Lowry (2012-present) Raptor stats (2 seasons): 15.0 points, 6.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 147 games played/131 started Lowrys all-star caliber 2013-14 campaign will go down as one of the most impressive single-season performances by any player, at any position in the franchises first 20 years. After a disappointing debut season in Toronto and a series of lost years in Houston and Memphis, the 28-year-old finally realized his immense potential, finding himself at the most crucial time for both player and team. With free agency looming, Lowrys maturation as a leader - on and off the court - lifted his team to new heights at a time in which many expected them to head in the opposite direction. By channeling his toughness and stubborn nature in the right direction, he established himself as the face of the franchise - now and for the foreseeable future - and one of the NBAs elite point guards. Perhaps his most meaningful contribution to the organization occurred this summer when he bucked the trend of runaway stars and committed to Toronto long-term. Lowry - a two-way terror at the position - has spearheaded a Raptors renaissance, rejuvenating a long-suffering fan base entering the teams 20th season. Did you know?: Lowry set a franchise-record with 190 three-point field goals last season. His 11.7 win shares represented the third highest single-season mark in team history, behind only Carter. Honourable mention: Mike James (2005-06), Rafer Alston (2002-03, 2004-05), Muggsy Bogues (1999-2001), Mark Jackson (2000-01) Expert picks: Jack Armstrong 1. Alvin Williams 2. Jose Calderon 3. Damon Stoudamire 4. Kyle Lowry 5. T.J. Ford Leo Rautins 1. Kyle Lowry 2. Damon Stoudamire 3. Jose Calderon 4. Alvin Williams 5. Mark Jackson Air Max 90 Schweiz . But the young forward is more than willing to shed a little blood if thats what it takes to make the team this season. "It caught me pretty good, dazed me for that shift, but I didnt want to be off the ice for too long," he said after practice, his lip still bleeding a little despite the plastic stitches holding it together. Air Max 270 Günstig Kaufen . In fact, with a few improvements, this could very well be a decent team over the next few seasons. I will go into more detail when digging into the Canucks Off-Season Game Plan, which will be coming earlier this year since they are part of the non-playoff contingent, there are some reasons to think this is a favourable situation for President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden and whomever he selects to be the new general manager. http://www.schuheairmaxschweiz.com/air-max-720-outlet-schweiz.html .J. -- Freshman Eli Carter scored a career-high 31 points and hit the go-ahead basket in the second overtime as Rutgers rallied to stun No. CEDAR PARK, Texas -- With a two-goal lead early in the second period, Toronto Marlies coach Steve Spott knew the Texas Stars would make a surge in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately for Toronto, that surge was too much to handle as the Stars scored six straight goals and ended the Marlies season with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday. Toronto had built a 2-0 lead on goals by Frazer McLaren and Peter Holland, but Texas charged back with a wild rally late in the second period to spark its trip to the Calder Cup final. "Two mistakes, first we made a bad line change then we took a bad penalty 200-feet from Drew (MacIntyre), and all of sudden its 2-2," Spott said. "Theyre a good team, give them credit, but we made some bad mistakes." After killing off a hooking penalty by Patrik Nemeth, Texas scored on its 26th shot of the game when Mike Hedden tipped home a pass from Ritchie with 2:38 left in the period. Less than a minute later Texas tied the game when Jeffrey scored on the power play. It gave Texas goals on back-to-back shots after Drew MacIntyre had stopped the first 25. Tied 2-2 after the second period, Brett Ritchie and Matej Stransky scored 17 seconds apart to give the Stars a 4-2 lead. Justin Dowling gave the Stars another insurance goal with 5:28 remaining, while Dustin Jeffrey scored his second goal of the night into an empty net. It was Dowlings first game of the series after suffering an arm injury against the Grand Rapids Griffins in Game 5 of the second round. Air Max 95 Weiß Schweiz. . Reunited on a line with Hedden and Ritchie, he was on the ice for four of the Stars goals. "I wasnt expecting to play tonight," Dowling said. "Things kind of just unfolded how they did. I benefited a lot from going to Dallas and getting their treatment from their guys up there a Im very grateful to be back." MacIntyre stopped 44-of-49 shots for Toronto and was under siege for most of the night. Cristopher Nilstorp stopped 24-of-26 shots for Texas. His biggest stop came midway through the second period when he stopped Brandon Kozun with the left pad, turning away a flurry by the Marlies and allowed Texas to tie the game later in the frame. "Oh, that was a big save," Stars coach Willie Desjardins. "I thought that was going (in). He made some real good saves a Nilstorp was real solid throughout the series and there were a couple games where he stopped it from getting away on us." Before jostling with the Stars for seven games, the Marlies had rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs. After the loss on Tuesday, Spott took a moment to look at the future for his young team. "Next year our plan is to take this another step farther," Spott said. "The frustrating thing is we were in a good spot here tonight up 2-0. We just had a couple mental mistakes that cost us." Texas will play the St. Johns IceCaps in the Calder Cup final. Game 1 will be Sunday night in Texas. ' ' '