When the Raptors return from the All-Star Break they won’t have long to incorporate newly acquired Serge Ibaka into their lineup. Team leaders DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are well aware of the fact that they’ll have to hit the ground running, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
“With a veteran like Serge who understands fitting in and everything about the league, I don’t think it should take long,” Raptors guard DeRozan said. “It’s on us to hop out the gate and take advantage. […] It’s given us a jolt.”
The Raptors currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-24 record but a recent slide has pushed the club out of the No. 2 spot that they occupied for the first few months of the season. The decision to ship core guard Terrence Ross to the Magic in exchange for Ibaka raises the stakes for the franchise.
“We ain’t got time. You know that,” Lowry said. The Raptors return to action Friday.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, the Raptors are seriously pursuing a swingman now that they’ve acquired Ibaka.
- The 2016/17 campaign has been a rough one for the Knicks but Marc Berman of the New York Post has quantified it anyway in a midseason report card. Receiving the best grade of the first half of the season is Willy Hernangomez, while Phil Jackson was graded ‘F’.
- Top free agents are unlikely to consider the Knicks, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday, citing Kyle Lowry as one such example. Lowry is aware of the drama between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony and Iannazzone suggests that could be a deterrent.
Nets the best team in New York basketball in terms of being a functional organization
LMAO you don’t really believe that do you?
In terms of being a functional organization, he’s not wrong. Best team in NY? No, not even close. But the Nets issues organizational issues don’t even come close to the Knicks’ issues.
Yep. Agreed. Which is sad. That’s like Casey Anthony being your best babysitting option.
I’m a Knicks fan and I have to agree. Thy have a solid San Antonio disciple in GM I’m Sean Marks and a guy who seems like he could be a good solid coach in the future I’m Kenny Atkinson.
The Knicks have a gm who can’t seem to figure out what he wants to do and keeps blowing it the team each season.
That being said the Knicks still look to have a brighter future with kristaps.
The nets though, currently, don’t have drama or craziness going on. They are on the right track of trying to come back from the failures of the past gm’s.