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Raptors to lean on Lowry’s leadership with Nurse sidelined – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

February 26, 2021

Rules ruin everything.

When the news broke early Friday afternoon that six members of the Toronto Raptors coaching staff — head coach Nick Nurse and just about all of his staff — were being held out from Friday’s night’s game against the Houston Rockets due to health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 testing, the first thing that leapt to mind was: Who was going to coach this team in their game Friday night against the Houston Rockets?

Natural reaction, right? Well maybe the very first thought should have been: Let’s hope all involved remain sound and healthy and the exposure throughout the staff and the team can be easily contained.

But that aside, it was back to who is going to coach, and please, please, please let it be Kyle Lowry.

What could be more perfect? The Raptors franchise player has largely shed the reputation that followed him early in his career that he was to coaches what sun is to soft ice cream — a bright light that could make things messy.

But as he matured the reason he was a challenge to coach remained. Lowry has been a high IQ player since he stepped into the NBA, and if he thought he knew better it was hard to contain himself, and he thought he knew better a lot.

It’s not all that unusual. There aren’t too many shrinking violets playing point guard in the most competitive basketball league in the world.

It’s just that early in his career Lowry had a hard time sharing his views diplomatically.

“When I was younger, I knew what I knew, but the emotional side would kind of get in the way and people wouldn’t listen to me,” was how Lowry explained it to me once.

And imagine how Lowry took that?

Those issues are in the past now. Part of being a franchise player is having the ear of the head coach and Nurse and Lowry relate more like partners or co-workers rather than boss and subordinate. They are two smart basketball minds that work — mostly — as one.

But imagine Lowry actually coaching? Drawing up plays in timeouts? Adjusting to match-ups on the fly? Refusing to sub himself out even with body parts showing through his skin? Sitting guys for not taking charges?

That seemed to almost be on the horizon given the Raptors’ sudden lack of options.

But alas, rules.

According to Raptors general manager Bobby Webster it is a technicality within the league’s collective bargaining agreement that would have prevented Lowry from becoming the NBA’s first player-coach since Dave Cowens did it for the Boston Celtics for part of the 1978-79 season.

“I don’t know if we have the budget to add that to his resume. I think there was probably some additional compensation,” joked Webster.

But seriously. It’s against the rules.

“You can’t really pay a player to do anything outside of his contract,” said Webster.

And how much does that suck, at least in this case?

Plan B for the Raptors turned out to be a pretty good one. Raptors assistant coach Sergio Scariolo has three European titles, two Olympic medals and a World Championship on his resume in his role as the head coach for the Spanish national team. This is his third year as an assistant to Nurse with the Raptors.

Luckily for the Raptors — as it turns out — Scariolo had been in quarantine in Tampa for the past week after returning from Poland where he coached Spain in FIBA qualifying. He was conveniently due to finish quarantine Friday morning and thus wasn’t included in the contact tracing that had eliminated the rest of the coaching staff after one of the coaches did test positive for COVID-19, according to sources.

“I just joked with him that the last team he coached he was out in Poland and I said you should be ready for this,” said Nurse. “But you guys know his resume. I don’t know how many hundreds or thousands of games he’s been a head coach, but it’s unique and he acknowledged that much as far as the NBA game and, obviously, under the circumstances. So look forward to it and I think it’ll be a new challenge for him, but I think everybody’s ready for it.”

Were it not Scariolo — and not Lowry — another option might have been to bring Raptors 905 head Patrick Mutombo over from the G-League bubble in Orlando. As it was, joining Scariolo as front-of-the-bench assistants were Mark Tyndale, Jamaal Magloire and Jim Saan. Nurse and the rest of the staff are able to participate in pre-game preparation but can’t communicate to the staff on the bench during the game.

Which brings us back to Lowry.

“Listen, we make jokes about it, but he does so much out on the court and he takes on a little bit bigger role,” said Webster. “I’ve spoken to him a number of times, spoke to him this morning, put in his head, he knew this was a possibility. Obviously with Fred [VanVleet], as well. Those guys are in many ways the de facto coaches out there, so just trying to get it in their head as early as possible so they could think about it.”

The Raptors are a deep team on the floor and off, and they had options and an identity.

“It’s Nick Nurse’s team. They run Nick Nurse’s stuff. He’s a great coach. I respect the heck out of him,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. “Not having him over on the side doesn’t necessarily make me feel any better because it’s his team that’s coached. It’s the players that they have that make them really good.

“It’s a really tough situation they have for him and his coaching staff. But walking from the bus to the locker room, they have a bunch of other coaches. If that happened to me we’d be down to our trainer… or somebody would be coaching. For them, they have a bunch more guys.”

There was some consideration given to cancelling the game — a decision that rests with the NBA — said Webster, but once most of the players were cleared through two rounds of testing this morning it was judged reasonable to move ahead.

The exception was Raptors forward Pascal Siakam who — according to sources — had an inconclusive rapid test and required a more invasive PCR test as a follow-up with the result not expected to be available until after the game. If he clears that test he would presumably be available when the Raptors host the Chicago Bulls at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Sunday.

And so against Houston the band played on with their leader, Lowry, in his normal role as maestro on the floor. No harm in that, but those pesky league rules got in the way of Lowry coaching himself for at least one night and the possibility of the sharp-minded Raptors guard finally playing for someone who saw things exactly his way.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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