Planungen » and then demolishing the Dynamo 5

TORONTO - As far as training camps go, this years has been a relatively quiet and uneventful edition for the Toronto Raptors, not that they mind. Valuing continuity over the summer, theyve avoided the excitement that tends to surround teams with high or notable turnover entering a new campaign (see: Cavaliers, Cleveland). 10 of the 14 players under guaranteed contract for this coming season are holdovers from last years division-winning club. Everyone who scored a point during their seven-game playoff series, save for John Salmons, is back. Once again, theyve had the benefit of good health (Amir Johnson suffered a minor foot injury in Fridays pre-season win, but returned to practice Monday), and Dwane Caseys rotation should look familiar, more or less, when it takes shape over the next 10 days. Theres just one decision left to be made. Who will claim the 15th and final spot on the Raptors roster when they open the season on Oct. 29? Toronto has three players in camp, all on non-guaranteed deals, vying for the job; hard working centre Greg Stiemsma, sharpshooting forward Jordan Hamilton and speedy point guard Will Cherry. NBA rosters must be set for opening day on Oct. 27, meaning the Raptors will have to make their final cuts - ultimately determining who stays on - by Noon et. Saturday and Casey doesnt anticipate making a decision until then. Ill tell you what, its going to be a difficult decision, the Raptors head coach admitted, speaking after practice Monday afternoon. All three guys have done something special. The coaching staff has raved about their contribution throughout camp and with each player standing out, to some degree, during the teams 5-1 start to the pre-season, theyve made strong cases for themselves to stay. Its a good problem to have, Casey said, because that means that we brought guys in that fit what we do and fit into our program. [Cherry] has played hard in practice and worked [Kyle Lowry] hard, he added. He hasnt had a chance to show a lot in games because we were experimenting with [Lou Williams] at the point. [Stiemsma] has done an excellent job in spots and then [Hamilton] has scored the ball at a high level. So all [three] guys have brought something special to the table and all three are NBA players in their own right. The Raptors were in a similar situation at this time a year ago, with three players - two guards and a forward - battling it out for one spot. In the end it went to Julyan Stone, the better defender and most versatile of the group. Unlike last year though, these three candidates play three different positions and as a result the decision could come down to whichever one addresses a more pressing need on the roster. The 6-foot-11 Stiemsma looked like an early favourite, and that still may be the case given the teams lack of size off the bench. The 29-year-old spent last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, his third team in three NBA seasons, and would become Torontos second oldest player, should he make the team. His game isnt pretty - hes committed 16 fouls and scored just nine points in 65 pre-season minutes - but his workmanlike approach and ability to defend the rim, a weakness of Torontos last year, seem to be a good fit in a situational role behind Jonas Valanciunas, Johnson and Patrick Patterson, platooning with Tyler Hansbrough and Chuck Hayes. Its all about opportunities, Stiemsma said, hoping to take advantage of this one. This whole league, my whole career has been about opportunities. Ive just got to look at it like, whatever amount of minutes I have is an opportunity to succeed, to play well and to show what I can do. Its a roller coaster. It can be up and down, day-to-day, but youve just got to try to stay consistent, control the things you can control, worry about those things and then just let the chips fall where they may. Of the three, Hamilton may have come in facing the steepest battle given the teams talent and depth on the wing, but hes had an impressive pre-season averaging 10.4 points on an efficient 63 per cent shooting. Hes knocked down five of his eight attempts from three-point range and logged over 20 minutes in half of Torontos six pre-season contests, also standing out on the defensive end. Hamilton, 24, also has the better NBA resume. After a mid-season trade sent him from Denver - where he spent his first two years - to Houston, Hamilton played nearly 17 minutes a night and made 39 per cent of his three-point tries. He also has a history with Masai Ujiri - the Raptors GM acquired him in a draft-night deal back when Ujiri was with the Nuggets, after Hamilton was selected 26th overall in 2011. As Casey alluded to, Cherry has seen less playing time, appearing in just four pre-season games. A Summer League standout in the off-season, most of the praise hes received comes from the effort and energy hes brought to practice. His disadvantage may be inexperience at the NBA level. He spent last season playing for the Canton Charge of the D-League, where he averaged 11.6 points and 4.5 assists in 18 games. The fate of Cherry will likely be determined by the coaching staffs confidence in Lowrys health and Williams ability to play - and most importantly, defend - the point guard position in a pinch. Although the Raptors could conceivably keep two of the three and cut one of their own, that scenario is very unlikely. Like Stone a year ago, whomever does win the job wont be anything more than insurance at the end of the bench for a team with playoff aspirations. Barring injuries, they shouldnt be a factor in Caseys regular rotation and it would set them back financially to waive someone under guaranteed contract. As for the decision itself, Casey says it will be a collaborative process this coming weekend. Its always a good debate with the coaching staff and management, he said. Theres a lot involved, [a lot of] voices as far as who stays and who doesnt in those situations. We have a great line of communication with the front office, with [Ujiri] and [Jeff Weltman, VP of basketball operations], and we talk all the time as far as players [go]. They know exactly how we feel and we know how they feel, so its a team effort. The three players contending for that final gig will likely have one last opportunity to make their case on the court, as Casey will continue monitoring the minutes of his regulars during Wednesdays exhibition game at home to Maccabi Haifa before shifting to a more fixed rotation in Fridays pre-season finale. 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Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday.Reaching Major League Soccers playoffs in just their second season in the league is a significant achievement for Montreal Impact, but the clubs late season form has somewhat spoiled the party. Montreal head to Houston for the Eastern Conference Knockout Round match on Thursday (live on TSN at 8:30pm et), but the Impact will need to significantly improve their performance if they are to stand any chance of success. Its the very definition of backing into the playoffs. Montreals 1-0 loss at Toronto FC in their final game of the regular season took the clubs fate out of their own hands, and ensured a nervous 24 hours waiting and watching other teams trying to snatch their playoff place. Montreal fell from third to fifth during the course of the weekends action, but just held on thanks to New York Red Bulls win over Chicago Fire. It was a situation no-one would have expected in mid-season when the Impact were challenging at the top of the Eastern Conference. Marco Schallibaums men started the season as the form team in MLS, winning their first four matches, and amassing 29 points from 14 matches, but a late season slump saw the Impact drop down the standings. They head into the playoffs having won just once in eight matches and only earning four of a possible 24 points. Only DC United, the leagues worst team, took fewer points in the final eight games. Injuries have been an issue during the final stretch. With Alessandro Nesta and Jeb Brovsky missing games, Montreals depth at the back has been tested, and provided some minutes for youngsters Karl Ouimette, Maxim Tissot and Wandrille Lefevre. In midfield, Argentine Designated Player Hernan Bernadello and Canadian international Patrice Bernier have also spent time on the sidelines. Against Toronto, Montreal did have chances to tie the game and Reds goalkeeper Joe Bendik made some excellent saves, but the first half performance from the Impact was flat and the midfield battle was lost. Midfield is one of Houstons strengths, annd Montreals ability to grasp control of that area will likely go a long way to determining the outcome of the match.dddddddddddd. Boniek Garcia, Warren Creavalle, Ricardo Clark and Brad Davis have the ability to dictate the tempo and run the game from midfield so the Impact will need to ensure they dont allow the Dynamo to dominate that area of the pitch. Houston secured a playoff place thanks to a 2-1 win at DC United on the final day of the regular season and finished the season quite strongly, winning four of their last seven. One of those victories came against Montreal earlier this month, when they beat the Impact 1-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium with an early goal from Ricardo Clark. The Dynamo will have home advantage. They also have the benefit of having been in this position before. They won at Chicago Fire last year in the Knockout Round on their way to reaching MLS Cup for the second successive season. So Houston are clear favourites, but the Impact have matched up well against the Dynamo this year. In fact, in the two games played at Stade Saputo Montreal dominated against Houston, winning 2-0 in June, and then demolishing the Dynamo 5-0 in August. Even in the 1-0 loss in Texas a few weeks ago, Montreal had a few good chances to tie the game and could also have had a penalty called in their favour. Plus with 20 goal Marco Di Vaio in the ranks, theres always the chance they will get a goal. They just need to ensure the Italian gets the service he needs. Its set up to be an entertaining night in Texas. There has to be a winner, so if the match is tied after 90 minutes, there could be extra time and penalties. The winner will move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinal to face the MLS Supporters Shield winners New York Red Bulls over two legs, with the first match being played on Sunday. Montreal Impact at Houston Dynamo is live on MLS on TSN on Thursday night. The action starts at 8:30pm et on TSN with Luke Wileman, Jason deVos and Kristian Jack. ' ' '