Toronto Raptors: Here’s what NBA players did the last time they considered boycott

A brief history of the NBA boycott and what it means for the Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are considering boycotting Thursday’s contest against the Boston Celtics. The frustration from players stems from a situation in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where a black man named Jacob Blake was shot at several times by police after he reportedly […]
Toronto Raptors: Here’s what NBA players did the last time they considered boycott – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Josh Wilson / Raptors HQ

Blue Jays sign undrafted free agents OF MacKenzie Mueller, INF Harrison Ray, and UTL Zac Cook

With the shortest draft in MLB history wrapped up, teams are now able to sign any non-drafted player as a free agent, though the maximum signing bonus is restricted to just $20,000. The Blue Jays kicked off their non-drafted free agent frenzy by adding two college position players to their system.

Harrison Ray, 2B, Vanderbilt
A teammate of Toronto’s first-round pick Austin Martin, Harrison Ray is a college senior produced by Vanderbilt’s program.
Ray is known more for his glove and his speed rather than his bat. In 2020, he slashed a .242/.347/.355 line, a little bit off from the .267/.358/.397 line he slashed as a Junior in 2019. In 2019, Ray stole 21 bases while getting thrown out just three times.
Here’s a highlight of Ray making a diving catch to send Vanderbilt to the College World Series finals in 2019.

MacKenzie Mueller, OF, Baylor
After getting into just six games in his Freshman season with Rice, Mueller joined Cisco College in 2018 and then joined Baylor’s baseball program for his final two years of NCAA eligibility. Between 2019 and 2020, Mueller slashed a .276/.366/.517 line, smashing six home runs and driving in 23 runs.
Zac Cook, UTL, Texas-Arlington
Cook was enjoying a monster …

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Author: Cam Lewis / Blue Jays Nation

One Year Ago Today: Toronto Raptors make Playoff History in Game 1

A year ago today. History was made for not only the Toronto Raptors, but also for the nation of Canada On May 30th of 2019, the Toronto Raptors would appear in their first NBA finals game of NBA history. It was also Canada’s first appearance ever in the finals. They did not disappoint. They played […]
One Year Ago Today: Toronto Raptors make Playoff History in Game 1 – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Alexandro Fidanza / Raptors HQ

Toronto Raptors: Terence Davis is here to stay

The Toronto Raptors have a recent history of finding diamonds in the rough. Undrafted guard Terence Davis looks to be the next player to fit that mold. The Toronto Raptors are slowly being credited for their amazing player development by basketball fans across North America. Is it due to the fact that the Raptors have […]
Toronto Raptors: Terence Davis is here to stay – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Kyle Oliveira / Raptors HQ

Toronto Raptors: Stock Take, and Pascal Siakam in the MVP hunt

The Toronto Raptors made a little bit of history this week en route to a perfect week. Whose stock rose and who fell? Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends, first and foremost! Secondly, and technically, more importantly, the Toronto Raptors title-defense just keeps ticking along nicely doesn’t it? The Raptors were the proprietors […]
Toronto Raptors: Stock Take, and Pascal Siakam in the MVP hunt – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Thomas Valentine / Raptors HQ

Dmytro Timashov is a Toronto Maple Leaf. It’s Important to Remember How Impressive That Is

History won’t look back on December 5th, 2018 as a day to write home about, at least from a hockey perspective. To most, it was another slate in a long and winding season. Forgettable, really. But for those who attended the Toronto Marlies’ game that night, and watched the Providence Bruins hand Toronto a 5-0 defeat on home ice, the putridity of that loss lingered for a while.
December 5th, 2018, then, was a low point for all Marlies involved — Dmytro Timashov being chief among them. It didn’t seem that way at first, though.
Timashov’s start to the 2018-19 AHL season was, statistically speaking, cause for optimism. After two moderately ho-hum years mixed with the occasional flash of brilliance, Timashov entered that early-December contest with 14 points 22 games, a points-per-game pace of 0.63 that set him on course for a career-high. Four months later, Timashov would eventually achieve his new personal best. But for all of his box-score improvements, the on-ice product seemed relatively unchanged.
Timashov still grappled with stark inconsistency. It appeared unshakeable, even. A terror in the possession game one night, Timashov would then outright vanish for the three that followed, driving those who were enamoured with his ability …

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Author: Mike Stephens / The Leafs Nation

Aaron Sanchez’s most recent major injury shines some light on the Blue Jays’ choice to move on

You can add another chapter to the incredible unfortunate injury history of Aaron Sanchez. The former Blue Jay and current Houston Astro was shut down a few weeks ago due to a shoulder issue, but now, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, Sanchez’s injury will spill into 2020.

Aaron Sanchez said he had a tear in his shoulder capsule. Julio Urias had a similar injury and surgery in 2017. Sanchez said he will pitch next year, but will definitely not be ready for opening day.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 26, 2019

The last three seasons of Sanchez’s career have been an absolute trainwreck. After his breakout season in 2016, various injuries have made it impossible for Sanchez to pitch consistently. He had his blister issue in 2017 and a continuation of the finger issues persisted in 2018. In 2019, Sanchez was finally healthy, but, due to missing so much time over the course of the previous seasons, his velocity and stamina were down, making him much less effective than in the past.
Sanchez had reportedly been struggling with a nagging shoulder issue and was shut down for the 2019 season in order to get surgery. According to Rome, this surgery will be similar to …

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Author: Cam Lewis / Blue Jays Nation

Allen Iverson: The Toronto Raptors Biggest Enemy

Who was the biggest villain in Toronto Raptor’s history? You might already know “The Answer”. Allen Iverson was the definition of a Raptors villain. There have been many who have torched the Toronto Raptors over the course of their careers. For some, seeing the Dinos on the floor allowed them to dial-up better performances than […]
Allen Iverson: The Toronto Raptors Biggest Enemy – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Jeff Borsuk / Raptors HQ

Ranking every first-round pick in Toronto Raptors history

In the course of the Toronto Raptors franchise history, there has been a fair share first-round picks walking in the door. How do they rank from worst to first? 24 years of Toronto Raptors basketball has produced some exciting first-round draft picks. Not all have gone so well, as frequent misses in the lottery had […]
Ranking every first-round pick in Toronto Raptors history – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Raju Byfield / Raptors HQ

Listen to That’s A Rap #34: NBA Finals talk with Golden State of Mind

The best season in franchise history culminates with a Finals date with the Golden State Warriors. We talked with Daniel Hardee of Golden State of Mind to break down the NBA Finals. “Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor” is now interchangeable with “Toronto Raptors are in the NBA Finals.”
It’s the battle of the Greens. E-40 vs. Drake. The Death Lineup vs. the Extinction Lineup (Siakam at Centre). NBA’s best offense vs. the best defense (I’ve said that for each of the last two series, ironically).
For this monumental series, we invited Daniel Hardee from SB Nation’s Golden State of Mind to preview the NBA Finals. That’s right, Raps fans, soak it in. An NBA Finals preview that involves the Raptors!

On the Latest Episode:
You’d figure a first-time NBA Finalist would be ripe for some deer-in-headlight moments and an easy opponent, especially for a Warriors team making it’s fifth consecutive Finals trip. However, this Raptors squad is different. Those deers have been disposed. The starting lineup includes a Finals MVP (Kawhi Leonard), an almost-Finals-MVP (Danny Green), a Defensive Player of the Year (Marc Gasol), a soon-to-be Most Improved Player (Pascal Siakam), and …

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Author: JayRosales / Raptors HQ