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Welcome Back! Toronto Raptors training camp begins today with Media Day and Im thrilled to be back for my 17th season as a Raptors broadcaster. How time flies. I can remember like it was yesterday calling Raptors games in my first season with players like rookie Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Charles Oakley and Kevin Willis and now its a whole new era. Its been a fun ride and fingers crossed the success of the franchise becomes a more consistent happening for you wonderful fans. Here are five quick thoughts as we look ahead to the season. 1. LOU WILLIAMS and JAMES JOHNSON: These two veteran players will be critical to the success of this team. These are the two newcomers that will realistically have a chance to make an impact on a daily basis. They bolster the strength of the second unit and both bring a significant skill to the table. Williams will give you instant offence and a nice jolt that you like in your back court. Johnson has the ability to guard 3s and 4s and has a knack for making plays with his athleticism and toughness. Dwane Casey will regularly be able to go 9-10 deep this season when he wants to. Its a long season and you must have depth and more importantly guys that can produce and get you over the hump. These two werent the sexy/flashy acquisitions of the NBA offseason yet they make sense for this franchise. 2. TYLER HANSBROUGH and CHUCK HAYES: Who is going to be the fourth big man this year? I think it will likely be similar to last year depending on the opposing front court match-up that game. Both are free agents at the end of the season as well as Amir Johnson so all have lots to play for. Again, depth over the course of the 82-game regular season is huge. Not lots of flash and dash with Hayes and Hansbrough but both are consummate pros and their energy, smarts and team first approach will help a great deal. 3. DWANE CASEY: The challenge that I call a Positive Problem of expectations is something he has to deal with this season unlike his previous years as the Raptors head coach. Lets be real, the Cavs and Bulls will get all the hype in the Conference and the Raps are in that next group of teams that might be able to make noise in both their divisional and conference races yet he has to make sure that this group doesnt buy into the nonsensical hype that folks will try to put on them. Kudos for winning the division and 48 games yet theyve got a long way to go and both he and Masai Ujiri know it. Keeping each player focused and prepared at times will be a bit of a challenge. Internal leadership will be critical from the players as well reminding themselves every day that theyve got bigger goals to achieve and lots to earn and prove. Nice to say, yet will they do it? This 2014-15 campaign can be successful if they stay healthy and humble and locked in on improvement yet their margin for error isnt huge. Coach Casey and his staff are grinders each day and dont get too high or low over anything. I like that. Is this team an NBA championship contender this year? Highly unlikely. Solid incremental steps are what Im looking for in a winning environment. Keep building the right foundation and tune out the noise and unrealistic expectations that a small minority will try to put on this team. Easier said than done. Tough battle to fight but it has to be fought. This is about trying to achieve multiple winning seasons and playoff appearances and providing young players with the experience and then making the signature deals when you get closer to being a legit contender based upon the foundation you set. Creep-Crawl-Walk-Run. Easy does it. Be steady. Dont try to skip steps or cheat the process. He knows that and Im sure will have this group hearing that message on a daily basis. 4. TERRENCE ROSS and JONAS VALANCIUNAS: I expect solid next steps from both of these guys. The third professional season is when you really start to see whether guys are figuring it out. I give huge credit to Bryan Colangelo, Dwane Casey and Masai Ujiri for investing the playing time and patience in these guys and the time for more consistent return on investment begins this season. Both have shown nice flashes that they can be good pros on a daily basis. Now the high-end consistency has to come to the scene. Theyve been nurtured, developed and mentored quite well and Im really excited to see the next steps both guys take. Both are terrific young men that are willing students and are figuring it out. You want the Raptors to improve? Like any good organization - your high draft picks have to deliver. The proper patient long term approach with both has been taken and the next step will play out before our eyes this season. Will be fun to watch that growth. 5. DEMAR DEROZAN: Congrats on winning the gold this summer with Team USA. Neat opportunity for him to play with and against the best in the world and to be coached by an outstanding staff. That Residue of Success really helps him as he continues to mature as a pro. Fabulous experience for him. Give him credit. Hes taken advantage of the chances hes gotten and grown from them. Hes a hungry and motivated Gym Rat who has the love affair with the sport that excellent players have and its no surprise hes becoming a really nice player. He doesnt take short cuts and respects the game. Nice to have one of your top players with this makeup. I think youll see this team take on that approach even more due to his presence, increased confidence in being vocal, accomplished resume and experience. Need your better players to really set the tone and Im confident his tone will be all business. Vans Shoes For Sale Cheap . - The Oakland Athletics have finalized an agreement on a 10-year extension to play at the Coliseum through the 2024 season. Vans Shoes Wholesale Australia . Messis 75th-minute goal answered some of the criticism the clubs all-time leading scorer had received for his lacklustre performances in the teams recent losses in the league, Champions League and Copa del Rey final. http://www.cheapaustraliavans.com/. -- The anointed starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders is strengthening his hold on the position this training camp instead of losing it. Vans Shoes Clearance Outlet .C. -- Unable to get much lift off his sore right ankle, Bobcats centre Al Jefferson figured it was time to make an adjustment. Vans Shoes Online Australia Sale . PETERSBURG, Fla.PHILADELPHIA -- That high-octane, ball-control offence belonged to the San Diego Chargers. Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes to Eddie Royal, and Nick Novak kicked a 46-yard field goal with 7 seconds left to lead the Chargers past the Philadelphia Eagles 33-30 on Sunday, spoiling Chip Kellys home debut. On Phillys turf, the Chargers (1-1) looked more like the Eagles ideal offence. They racked up 539 yards, held the ball for 40:17 and sped things up. "We kind of no-huddled the no-huddlers," Rivers said. "We had our own rhythm of no-huddle going. It was a heck of a team win." Michael Vick threw for a career-best 428 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. But a porous Eagles defence couldnt stop Rivers all day. He finished 36 of 47 for 419 yards, and the Chargers punted only once. They fumbled twice inside Philadelphias 10 in the first half. The teams combined for 1,150 total yards. The Chargers got good news after the game when they learned receiver Malcom Floyd was fine after leaving on a stretcher with a neck injury on a hard hit by DeMeco Ryans and Nate Allen on the first play from scrimmage after halftime. "All the tests right now look good, so its great for the organization to go out and get a win for Malcom," coach Mike McCoy said. Following a dynamic 33-27 victory over Washington last Monday, the Eagles (1-1) needed more time to get their up-tempo offence going against San Diego. They crammed 53 plays into the first half against the Redskins, took a 26-point lead in the third quarter and held on to beat the defending NFC East champs. But it was the Chargers who moved the ball seemingly at will in the first half. Those two turnovers were costly, however, and the Eagles had a chance to win at the end. "It was big for our offence to just convert on third down, trying to keep their fast-paced offence off the field, knowing how explosive they were," Royal said. The Eagles had a first down at the Chargers 10 before Vick was shaken up on an incomplete pass. Nick Foles came in and threw another incompletion before Vick returned and misfired on a throw. Alex Henery kicked a tying 32-yard field goal that left Rivers plenty of time to answer.dddddddddddd "It doesnt matter how we score as long as we score," Kelly said. "But I still think we left too many opportunities offensively out there." Rivers quickly led the Chargers down the field with less than two minutes left, and Novak nailed his fourth field goal to win it. "Last week, we didnt finish the game," McCoy said about blowing a 21-point lead in a 31-28 loss to Houston. "We made too many mistakes. Today, we finished." The Eagles took a 27-23 lead when Vick ran in from the 2, but the defence couldnt hold it. Henery allowed the ball to slip through his hands when Fozzy Whittaker fumbled on the kick return and the Chargers started at the Eagles 39. A few plays later, Rivers tossed a 15-yard TD pass to Royal for a 30-27 lead. DeSean Jackson had 193 yards receiving, including a 61-yard TD, for the Eagles. LeSean McCoy had a career-high 114 yards receiving. "We made our share of plays today and I think were going to get better," Vick said. Antonio Gates led the Chargers with 124 yards receiving, Floyd had 102 and Royal added 90. Rivers found Royal wide open on a third-and-10 for a 24-yard TD pass for a 20-10 lead, but the Eagles got a field goal then tied it when Vick hit Jackson in stride on a deep ball. Vick tossed a 13-yard TD pass to Riley Cooper to cut San Diegos lead to 13-10 in the second quarter. Then the Chargers wasted two excellent opportunities on consecutive drives. Brandon Boykin forced Gates to fumble after a catch, and Casey Matthews recovered at the Eagles 2. The Chargers were at the Eagles 8 on their next possession before Trent Cole forced Ryan Mathews to fumble and Mychal Kendricks recovered. Vick quickly moved the Eagles into field-goal range, but Henery missed a 46-yarder wide right at the end of the half. NOTES: Royal has five TDs on 10 catches in two games. ... Chargers rookie LB Manti Teo didnt play because of a sprained right foot that he injured in a preseason game Aug. 8. ... Eagles starting CB Bradley Fletcher was sidelined because of a concussion. ' ' '