Game 23: Golden State Warriors (15-8) 128 - Toronto Raptors 131 (19-4)

[S.R.]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/...vp-candidates/

At the quarter mark of the season:

Coach of the Year
Nick Nurse, Toronto Raptors — “It’s definitely unique,” Nurse told me of the situation he was entering when he was first hired as Dwane Casey’s successor. A first-time head coach usually doesn’t enter a season with expectations to reach the Finals while managing the on-and-off court challenges of incorporating a dominant talent like Kawhi Leonard to the existing framework of a winning organization.

Through his first 21 games at the helm of an NBA team, it’s safe to say Nurse has exceeded expectations. He’s been even-keeled and has earned his players’ respect early while managing to balance a deep roster worthy of playing time. Look no further than his fluid starting lineups and evolving rotations as proof that the Raptors are buying what Nurse is selling.

Dwane Casey, Detroit Pistons — Casey has done a great job getting the most out of Blake Griffin, who has stepped up as the Pistons’ veteran leader and best player. But beyond Griffin and Andre Drummond, it’s a fairly weak roster outplaying expectations at 10-7. Look no further than Detroit’s dramatic buzzer-beating win in Toronto to see the extent to which Casey already has his players responding to him.

Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks — He’s totally re-worked the Bucks’ offence, transforming them from a team that shot the 25th-fewest three-pointers last season to the second-most of any team so far this season. Budenholzer has also managed to somehow get even more out of Antetokounmpo than ever. Like Nurse, he’s been masterful at balancing a deep roster while also exhibiting excellent late-game play calling.

Executive of the Year

Masai Ujiri/Bobby Webster, Toronto Raptors — Does Webster, the Raptors’ GM, technically get the award? Either way, the Raptors’ brass is the clubhouse leader given how much Toronto’s off-season moves have contributed to its NBA-best 17-4 start.

From replacing Casey with Nurse to swapping DeMar DeRozan for Leonard (a clear upgrade on both ends of the floor) and managing to finagle All-Glue-Guy first teamer Danny Green from San Antonio in the process, the Raptors’ busy — and contentious — summer raised the team’s ceiling from outside contender to legitimate Finals threat.

Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder — Re-signing George was an enormous coup that will keep the 12-7 Thunder competitive. Don’t overlook how he’s improved the team’s depth, either. The acquisition of Dennis Schroder in particular gives OKC a tertiary scoring option its lacked recently, and another playmaker to help ease Russell Westbrook’s historically massive workload.

Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks — Like the Raptors, the Bucks have clearly made a good call in their coaching hiring. They’ve also done a great job of providing Budenholzer with players (read: shooters) poised to excel in his three-point-happy system. Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton, Ersan Ilyasova, and rookie Donte DiVincenzo were all relatively under-the-radar acquisitions that have boosted the Bucks considerably.

Raps are in tough, EoY and CoY awards typically favour "turnaround" candidates from teams that made a big positive swing in the W/L column. I'd have to put Bud out front for CoY, he's the guy finally bringing the potential out of Giannis and Co. that the league has been waiting on the past few seasons. Ujiri/Webster have a good shot at EoY because of the Kawhi acquisition. If the Raps stay out front this season I'd say they're the frontrunners, but if Toronto falls off in seeding at all after having finished 2nd overall last year, voters will look elsewhere.

[KeonClark]

1 of 82. This ain't our Super Bowl.

Yeah in the standings. Dont kid yourself it's the feature game until the demar game. Well ahead of any Boston or philly game. I've already had my nhl fan friends bring it up to me. The ratings will reflect it

[Hotshot]

Klay Thompson can see a Warriors vs. Raptors NBA Finals in June... �� pic.twitter.com/uiOo85KPrN

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) November 27, 2018

Bring him home?!

[rocwell]

Yahoo Sources: Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a multiyear shoe endorsement deal with New Balance. https://t.co/FdgnrCnTrg

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 28, 2018

[KeonClark]

Bring him home?!

Klay is from Los Angeles

[KeonClark]

Yahoo Sources: Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a multiyear shoe endorsement deal with New Balance. https://t.co/FdgnrCnTrg

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 28, 2018

Hahahah the white, old and nerdy shoes? The memes write themselves

[MixxAOR]

wow Kawhi with New Balance? Grandpa shoes?

[Hotshot]

wow Kawhi with New Balance? Grandpa shoes?

He is a fun guy.

I laughed out loud when I read this excerpt from New Balance Wikipedia page:

Basketball

The company previously partnered with Matt Bonner of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s San Antonio Spurs, providing him with shoes over a period of several years. James Worthy from the Los Angeles Lakers also used New Balance shoes. During the 2010–11 NBA season, Bonner was sent a prototype for a signature shoe that he was developing with the brand, but the shoes fell apart at the beginning of the game that he first wore them in. After Bonner was informed that the prototype shoes were not meant to be worn, a representative informed him that New Balance was ceasing its sponsorship of basketball.[19]

[MixxAOR]

He is a fun guy.

when they said he don't give a fuck about anything other than ball..they weren't lying

[The Great One]

wow Kawhi with New Balance? Grandpa shoes?

What's with all these old brands returning? first Puma then Fila and now New Balance.

I gotta be honest though, Puma's are pretty slick.

[golden]

Yeah in the standings. Dont kid yourself it's the feature game until the demar game. Well ahead of any Boston or philly game. I've already had my nhl fan friends bring it up to me. The ratings will reflect it

It's a feature game, which is nice for the fans and media. But it's still just the early regular season and we've got bigger fish to fry. Lasty year, we won a big-ass statement game to snap the Rockets crazy win streak and that meant squat. This game is a nice little early season treat, but it's kind of like an hors d'oevre at 5pm on New Year's Eve. Will be cheering my ass off and commenting on every possession, nonetheless. lol.

Kawhi on resting in back-to-backs: "You want to play, but I've been through the league long enough to know where the important games are, and that's in April, May and June."

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) November 1, 2018

[planetmars]

Yeah was thinking.. aren't these shoes that older people wear? Either way everyone in Toronto needs to buy a pair before Kawhi hits free agency.

[KeonClark]

What's with all these old brands returning? first Puma then Fila and now New Balance.

I gotta be honest though, Puma's are pretty slick.

New balance been thriving bro check out the feet of every Male baby boomer at the mall

[MixxAOR]

I can imagine the commercials now. Kawhi in retiring home.

[rocwell]

What's with all these old brands returning? first Puma then Fila and now New Balance.

I gotta be honest though, Puma's are pretty slick.

cuz NBA is cool. And it's market is hot. They want part of that market share.

Look whisky companies are profiting from NBA too. In freaking China lol

Pernod Ricard announced last week that Chivas Brother's Scotch whisky portfolio hit a sales upswing of 2.4 per cent over the first half of the 2017-18 financial year.

Much of that growth has come from Asia. With the Chinese market bouncing back to growth and its partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the region as well as broadcaster Tencent has further pushed up sales.