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ruogu1234 · Dołączył: 23 Paź 2019 Posty: 331

SACRAMENTO - Some say that living well is the best revenge. At least four players on the Raptors roster subscribe to that philosophy. When Torontos Patrick Patterson, John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez and Chuck Hayes return to Sacramentos Sleep Train Arena Wednesday, theyll be feeling a lot better about themselves than when they were last in the building, when they called it home. Its been nearly two full months since that fateful night in Los Angeles when a seven-player trade shook the foundation of the Raptors franchise. As reports began to circulate hours before tip-off, the timing of the deal caught everyone off guard. In exchange for the bloated contract and modest production of Rudy Gay - along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray - Toronto took back four veteran wild cards. Each of the four had experienced some level of individual success in the league. Vasquez and Patterson - the youngest of the four - were both coming off career seasons, one in New Orleans, the other in Houston. Hayes - a nine-year vet - had been a starter with the Rockets and Salmons, now in his 12th season, was a key contributor to playoff teams in Chicago and Milwaukee. At 34 and 30 respectfully, Salmons and Hayes immediately became the elder statesmen on a young Raptors squad. Each of them had started in at least one of Sacramentos first 18 games. They were rotation players for a team that was 5-13 at the time of the trade. "Coming from here in Sacramento, things werent that great," Salmons said, candidly reflecting back on the trade after wrapping up practice in the Kings gym Tuesday. "So when we got the opportunity to come here we just wanted to take advantage of it. Losings not fun and this team had a chance to make a run at the playoffs." Without Gay, who was shooting 39 per cent and hoisting just under 19 shots per game, most anticipated there would be at least some addition by subtraction but no one - even internally - knew what to expect from the incoming Kings players. Likewise, they didnt know what to expect from a Raptors team that had a 6-12 record prior to that game in LA on Dec. 8. "I mean you hear stuff about other teams, but the only thing you really know is their record," Salmons added. "You know their record, you know their roster but you dont know the whole story. So coming in all we saw was the record, we didnt know that the locker room was full of good guys." Toronto has gone 19-10 since the trade was made official, 19-9 since the acquired players made their Raptor debuts, good for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference over that stretch. Not only did the trade improve the Raptors bench, it made their bench. On most nights, Dwane Casey has settled into a strict nine-man rotation, using the four ex-Kings as his primary reserves. Torontos bench combined for 35 points on 52 per cent shooting in Mondays win over the Jazz. They have scored 30 or more in three of the last five contests and are averaging 26.6 points since the trade. Casey has entrusted them to be on the floor in key situations. Quite frankly, theyve earned it. "I feel like we got four veteran, solid players that really helped us in a lot of different ways and gave us some toughness off the bench," the Raptors coach said. "Right now, obviously [Toronto is] playing at a very high level," said Kings coach Mike Malone. "I think all four of our guys are helping them at different points." The newcomers have each put their stamp on the teams run. Often the first player off the bench, Patterson is logging fewer minutes than he was in Sacramento, yet averaging three more points per game, contributing nearly 10 as a Raptor. Hayes has carved out a niche as a reliable, savvy and hardworking stopper and rebounder. Salmons, a two-way player, has become Torontos third ball handler. Of the four, Vasquez is the only one who has seen his scoring average dip since coming to the Raptors. Still, hes not complaining. "Im in a different situation right now and Im pretty happy," said Vasquez, who has stepped in as a reliable backup to Kyle Lowry, something the team was desperately searching for early in the season. "I think winning really makes everything so much better. Id rather be in a winning program right now than going through a tough time [in Sacramento]." You would have to be naive to think that Wednesdays return to Sacramento is just another game for those four. The Kings are 11-19 since sending them to Toronto and the statement theyre hoping to make has more to do with their collective success than individual performances. "You always look forward to playing the team that traded you," said Vasquez, averaging seven points and four assists with the Raptors. "More than that its about winning. At the end of the day, whether I play well, whether I dont play well, I just want to go back to Sacramento with a win." Vasquez was only with the Kings for a couple months to begin the season. For Salmons, his connection with the Sacramento franchise goes back seven years. In 2006, the Philadelphia-native pulled out of a deal with the Raptors to sign in Sacramento. After being moved to the Bulls, then to the Bucks, Salmons eventually found his way back to the Kings but became expendable when new ownership decided to take the team in a different direction. The trade to Toronto was Salmons fifth since being drafted out of Miami in 2002 but he took this one more personally than the others. He felt slighted by an organization that he had spent most of his career playing for. "When I got traded I had mixed feelings, strong mixed feelings," he admitted. "Im not going to say I was totally mad at the [Kings] organization it was just, I dont know, it was just a little tougher this time." Now, as he and his teammates get set to make their much-anticipated return, that animosity is water under the bridge, more or less. Salmons, like the other three, is sincerely happy to be a Raptor. Winning is the best medicine. "Guys enjoy winning," said Salmons. "Theres the old saying, winning cures everything so the more we win the more people want to sacrifice to continue winning." Nike Air Max Plus Goedkoop . Pillar is batting .305 with 17 extra-base hits, 19 RBI and five stolen bases in 34 games for Buffalo this season. The right-handed hitter had an International League high, 18-game hitting streak this season and currently owns an IL high 26-game on base streak. Nike Air Max 97 Dames Sale . The group of Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Sergei Fedorov, & Slava Kozlov were a dominant force for The Wings at one point in the 90s. http://www.airmaxkopennederland.com/uitverkoop-air-max-90.html . "If we only consider this season," Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said, "there is just one club in Manchester -- and its ours. Nike Air Max 90 Goedkoop Bestellen . About seven hours before facing Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round series, team officials said the oft-injured Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would not even be with the team for the rest of the post-season. Nike Air Max 720 Heren Sale . According to TSNs Farhan Lalji, Richardson is heading to Toronto for a physical and is expected to sign with the Argonauts.Dave Tippett is known for getting the most out of his players in the NHL, and hell be counted on to do the same as Team Canadas coach at the upcoming world championship. Tippett, whose Phoenix Coyotes narrowly missed the playoffs, was named to that post Wednesday and will be joined by assistants Peter DeBoer of the New Jersey Devils and Paul Maurice of the Winnipeg Jets. Itll be up to that staff to try to make the most of a roster that wont be as star-studded as the group that won gold at the Sochi Olympics. "Thats the exciting thing for me is to try to get players in, get them in roles and get them in situations where they can succeed at," Tippett said in a phone interview. "Thats always been our philosophy in Phoenix is we might not be a cap team, but we got players that can do jobs in certain areas and really excel at it. "Once the team gets settled in here well try to figure out where everybody kind of fits, but thats one of the challenges, whether youve got young players or veteran players or superstar players, is getting your group together and getting them all in situations where they can play well." This Canadian team will include David Perron of the Edmonton Oilers, Sean Monahan of the Calgary Flames, Morgan Rielly and James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs, forwards Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers, Cody Hodgson of the Buffalo Sabres, and Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets, along with defenceman Jason Garrison of the Vancouver Canucks among already confirmed theyll go to Minsk, Belarus, for next months tournament. Five more players have accepted invitations to play for Team Canada at the World Championship, including forwards Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers, Cody Hodgson of the Buffalo Sabres, Nazem Kadri of the Toronto Maple Leafs and MMark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets, along with defenceman Jason Garrison of the Vancouver Canucks.dddddddddddd There isnt Olympic experience there, but Jason Chimera of the Washington Capitals was there in 2007 when Canada last won gold at the world championship, and Reimer went 4-0 at the 2011 tournament. Tippett, from Moosomin, Sask., was an assistant coach in 2009 and 2013, and DeBoer, from Waterloo, Ont., was on staff in 2010 and 2011. Maurice, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has experience with the bigger, international-sized ice surface from coaching in the KHL. Theres a certain style of play that has come to be expected from Tippett-coached teams. The ice means there are some adjustments, but dont anticipate that changing too much. "Theres some things that you have to be aware of: spacing and sometimes running around where youve got to be a little more position," Tippett said. "I think the Canadian teams that have done well over there have gone over and played a real simple, hard, Canadian style of hockey. Those are principles that we want to put into place." One challenge for Tippett is to do that with just a couple of days of practice in Zurich. "Youve got to get everybody on the same page as quick as you can," he said. "I know every Canadian team that goes over there, its about continuing to try to improve as the tournament moves on." Tippett wants to get a team mind-set in place right away. Dont be surprised if it mirrors what Team Canada did in February. "Were very fortunate," Tippett said. "We have a very good template just from a few months ago of the Olympic teams." The IIHF world hockey championship runs from May 9-25 in Minsk. Canada opens the event on May 9 against France (TSN, 9:30am et/6:30am pt). ' ' '