Dein erstes Forum » Dwane Casey was less acquainted with the se

TORONTO - For over a month Nando De Colo was Torontos forgotten man, an afterthought at the bottom of a playoff-bound roster, a masked phantom lurking on the end of the Raptors bench. Who was he and why was he brought here? As the visitors locker room cleared out after Saturdays win in Milwaukee, a reporter approached De Colo, who was suddenly making an impact in an expanded role for his new, undermanned club. Curious about the origins of his first name, which isnt a traditional French moniker, said reporter asked the Raptors guard where it came from. "It came from my parents," he replied, straight-faced, flaunting a quick wit we didnt know he had. Up until last week we didnt know much about him at all. The acquisition of De Colo, trickling in minutes after the trade deadline passed, went under the radar. A player from the end of one bench exchanged for a player on the end of another. Masai Ujiri opted to hold onto Kyle Lowry and keep the band together, that was the headline. Austin Daye for De Colo was a footnote. Now, six weeks later, the move is owed some belated acknowledgement. Ujiri was familiar with De Colo having seen him play overseas and with the Spurs. He knew what he was getting. Dwane Casey was less acquainted with the second-year combo guard but was equally as intrigued by his intangibles and has been looking for a way to find him more playing time. With Lowry resting a sore knee, Casey has been provided that opportunity and De Colo, to his credit, is taking advantage of it. "Its what I was expecting and what we needed and wanted, as far as another ball handler," Casey told TSN.ca. "That was the main thing we saw. We needed another guy that can handle the ball, to create, to be a passer, a facilitator, a transporter of the ball, to get it across the court. "Hes done that." In extended minutes, backing up and playing alongside temporary starter Greivis Vasquez, De Colo has been a sparkplug coming in off the bench to begin the month of April. Over the last two games hes tallied 11 assists to just three turnovers in 42 minutes of action. After easing into his new surroundings, De Colo no longer appears reluctant to let it fly. Hes shooting and scoring with confidence, something he lacked upon arriving in Toronto, playing sporadically last month. "Hes still learning our system," said Casey, "still getting comfortable and the more he gets comfortable the more hes going to knock down shots. I think were seeing that now." The easy explanation for his confidence boost is the increased playing time that has come as a result of Lowrys injury. "Im finding a rhythm," said De Colo, who has attempted 16 shots over the last three games, the same number he hoisted in his first 14 contests with the Raptors. "Im in shape after adjusting to find a rhythm of the game with a new team. Now I just try to play my game, try to be aggressive like everybody wants on the team and since then Ive been good." Since arriving from the Spurs, De Colo has been touted for his basketball intellect and decision-making ability. Teammates and coaches have cited his time playing for the venerable Gregg Popovich with a world-class organization in San Antonio, as well as his experience overseas - where he competed professionally from the age of 19 - and with the French national team. In a year and a half with the Spurs he was sent back and forth from the NBA Development League an astonishing total of nine times, a product of the close proximity between San Antonio and its D-League affiliate in Austin. More so than the path hes traveled to get here, De Colo credits his approach. "I think its something Ive always had in my game," he said. "I try to see what happens and make good decisions. I know I can pass the ball. I must be aggressive on this kind of team and I have to take the open shot." Casey has entrusted De Colo to run his offence, immediately vaulting him over the young Julyan Stone and Dwight Buycks in Torontos backcourt rotation. When Lowry makes his return - hes expected to be cleared this week - the Raptors head coach has a decision to make. Can he afford to juggle minutes for three point guards going into the playoffs or does De Colo go back to the end of the bench? Although Casey has been most impressed with him as the primary ball handler, its conceivable that the Raptors could feature more two point guard lineups in the postseason, when the defence is likely to apply more pressure on Lowry. Of equal importance, the Raptors need to find out what they have in De Colo, a free agent at the end of the season. If Lowry is retained this summer and Vasquez - a restricted free agent - proves too expensive, De Colo may make more sense as an affordable backup, assuming he continues to impress. All of a sudden, De Colo has become more than late-season bench fodder. The Raptors under-the-radar deadline acquisition has helped keep them afloat in the absence of their most important player and could continue paying out come playoff time, and beyond. Nando is a name worth remembering. Tanner Pearson Jersey .com) - DAngelo Harrison posted 21 points to guide No. Alex Iafallo Jersey . Thats 14 consecutive losses to the two-time defending champs, and most of them were over before they even began. Result notwithstanding, Sundays game had a very different feel to it. http://www.authenticlakingspro.com/Ilya-...k-kings-jersey/. -- With the Memphis Grizzlies struggling to find their offensive rhythm, O. Dion Phaneuf Jersey . One out away from finishing off an impressive shutout, they let a must-win game slip away. Marcel Dionne Jersey . The appointment of Boullier continues the behind-the-scenes restructuring at McLaren, who recently brought back former team principal Ron Dennis as its new chief executive.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Bills coach Doug Marrone is maintaining his faith and patience in EJ Manuel despite the rookie quarterbacks latest dud. "He has the ability to do it," Marrone said Monday. "Theres no doubt in my mind." That doesnt mean Marrone is anywhere close to being satisfied with Manuels development, and the lack of consistency the first-round pick out of Florida State has shown in failing to string together one good outing after another. "Do I want to be standing here today having to go through these pains of whats going on? Absolutely not," he said. "But Ive learned over the years that this is the stuff you go through. And you have to just put your head down and just keep working." Manuels performance is under the microscope a day after a 27-6 loss at Tampa Bay that pushed the Bills (4-9) to the brink of extending the NFLs longest active playoff drought to 14 consecutive seasons. In dropping to 3-6 on the season, and 0-4 on the road, Manuel went 18 of 33 for 184 yards while throwing four interceptions to double his season total. He led an offence that managed a season-low 214 yards, converted just one of 11 third-down opportunities and crossed midfield just three times. "He did not play well," Marrone said. And yet when it came to laying blame, the coach noted there was plenty to go around in a game where very little went right for a young team showing signs of regressing in having lost seven of nine. "Hey, if everything was going well around him and he was the culprit, it would be easy for me to say wed go ahead and pull him and put another quarterback in there. I dont have any problem with that," Marrone said. "But at the end of the day, we need to make sure that people around him are doing what theyre supposed to do." Two of Manuels interceptions came on passes that glanced off receivers hands. Protection was an issue, with Manuel being sacked seven times. The running game -- usually the Bills strength -- was relatively non-existent in managing a season-low 67 yards and led by Manuel, who scrambled five times for 29 yards.dddddddddddd And penalties were an issue, with Buffalo being flagged 11 times for 114 yards. That included an offensive holding penalty against rookie receiver Robert Woods, which negated C.J. Spillers 83-yard touchdown catch early in the third quarter. The Bills defence was inconsistent, too. Buffalo limited the Buccaneers to two field goals off five turnovers and held them to 28 yards offence in the second half. The damage, however, was done in the first half, when the Bills gave up two lengthy scores, starting with Bobby Raineys 80-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage. Add it up and Buffalo, which travels to play Jacksonville (4-9) on Sunday, is assured of finishing its ninth straight season without a winning record. "We will get this thing turned around," running back Fred Jackson said. He then paused, before adding: "Im sure people are sick of us saying that." Frustration is beginning to set in a day after the Bills veteran leaders were given the opportunity to voice their concerns during a closed-door, 25-minute meeting immediately following the loss. Centre Eric Wood, on Monday, said the Bills need to "grow up" if they want to make the transformation from losers to winners. "Just a couple of weeks ago, we were saying were not far off from where we want to be as a team, and then you go and lay an egg like yesterday, and you feel like youre starting over at Square 1," Wood said. "Were not. We have good players on this team. Weve just got to do some growing up." Defensive tackle Kyle Williams said player accountability is a concern. "I think you look at where we stand right now, you can question everything," Williams said. "Everythings a red flag. Everythings discouraging right now. But we have to get guys, all of us, to respond and respond better." 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