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lingzi
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Jan 31 2013, 07:39 AM
Post #1
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The Toronto Raptors will be hoping for a little help from lady luck at tonights NBA Draft Lottery. Anquan Boldin Jersey . You can see how the lottery balls fall live on TSN beginning at 8pm et/5pm pt. The Raptors head into the Lottery with just a 3.5 per cent chance at jumping from eighth to first and claiming the right to draft Kentucky star Anthony Davis. Davis is the overwhelming favourite to be picked first after being named the NCAA Player of the Year and leading the Wildcats to the national championship. A player like Davis would obviously be a huge boost for the Raptors but they arent in need of his services nearly as badly as the Charlotte Bobcats are. The Bobcats have the best chance to land the top pick thanks to a woeful .106 winning percentage this season (7-59), the worst in NBA history. Charlotte lost 23 consecutive games to close the season and are in desperate need of a player like Davis to help turn things around. Their 25 per cent chance of winning the first pick guarantees nothing, though. The last time the team with the worst record landed the top pick was in 2004, when the Orlando Magic selected Dwight Howard. After Charlotte, the Washington Wizards have a 19.9 per cent chance of picking first, while Cleveland (13.8 per cent) and New Orleans (13.7) have the next-best chances. The Houston Rockets face the longest odds at selecting first with just a 0.5 per cent shot. While the odds are against the Raptors landing Davis or another lottery pick, it wouldnt be the first time a team in Torontos position walked away with the big prize. In fact, just last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers went into the lottery holding the Los Angeles Clippers pick that had only a 2.8 per cent chance of winning. Well win that pick did, and the Cavaliers walked away with the right to draft future Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving. Back in 2008 the Chicago Bulls had only a 1.7 per cent chance at winning when they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in draft lottery history. They, of course, turned that pick into last years NBA MVP Derrick Rose. The Raptors themselves also moved up from fifth to first back in 2006 when they selected Andrea Bargnani. There are several areas with room for improvement for the Raptors but small forward and shooting guard are probably their two most glaring weaknesses that need addressing if they dont land Davis. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Kentucky or Floridas Bradley Beal would be ideal fits for the Raptors. However, barring a jump into the top-3, neither is likely to be available by the time the Raptors pick. That could make players like North Carolinas Harrison Barnes or Connecticuts Jeremy Lamb more legitimate options for the Raptors depending on how things shake out. Keep in mind, the Raptors could also drop from eighth position. The Raptors actually have a better chance of slipping to ninth (16.5 per cent) than they do at landing in the top three (12.32). Last year Toronto had the third-best shot at picking first only to fall to fifth. They used that pick on Lithuanian centre Jonas Valanciunas who is set to make his Raptors debut next season, possibly alongside this years pick. Dannell Ellerbe Jersey .ca! Kerry, While the TSN panel and the rest of the hockey world is busy discussing the tying goal in last nights contest between the Sabres and Leafs, my question to you has to do with the fourth goal scored by Buffalo! After watching the replay, it appears to me that Alexander Sulzer pushed Ben Scrivens pad into the net along with the puck. Michael Oher Jersey . Chelsea had firm control atop the Power Rankings before their recent slip-ups at home to Manchester United and at Swansea City last weekend. http://www.ravenssuperbowl47room.com/justin-tucker-jersey . 1. New Orleans - PF Anthony Davis Why? Because Davis is easily the top prospect in the draft. Hes long, athletic, tough and always plays hard. Justin Tucker Black Jersey .S. Womens Open, So Yeon Ryu was already feeling the pressure to win again. She lapped the field to end the drought Sunday. Tyrod Taylor Jersey . To make room on the roster, left-hander Eric Stults was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Tuesday, with a strained muscle in his shoulder.Rome, Italy (Sports Network) - Current world No. 1 Roger Federer and former top-ranked star Andy Roddick were a pair of second-round winners Tuesday at the $3.5 million Italian Masters, a clay-court French Open tune-up. The top-seeded and two-time Rome runner-up Federer handled gritty Argentine Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour, 24 minutes, while a sixth-seeded Roddick doused fellow American Mardy Fish 6-1, 6-4 on Day 2 at Foro Italico. The capable Canas shocked Federer in a couple of Masters Series tournaments last season and actually headed into Tuesday with a winning record (3-2) against the 12-time Grand Slam champ. This, however, marked their first-ever meeting on clay. Federer, whos now 10-1 on clay this year, reached finals here in 2003 and 2006. The Swiss great lost to Spanish clay-court king Rafael Nadal in a final in Monte Carlo just two weeks ago. Both Federer and Roddick enjoyed opening-round byes at this Masters Series event. Roddick, whos making his first ATP clay-court appearance of 2008 here, has beaten his good friend Fish in their last eight encounters on tour. Former Rome titlist Juan Carlos Ferrero was a first-round victor, as the former world No. 1 Spaniard outlasted oft-injured German Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4. Ferrero, who captured this event in 2001, should have his hands full with a second-seeded Nadal here on Wednesday. Nadal is the reigning three-time Rome champion and fresh off his fourth straight Barcelona championship last week. Ray Rice Black Jersey. The three-time French Open champ beat Chilean Fernando Gonzalez in last years Rome finale and is an amazing 103-1 in his last 104 matches overall on clay. A 12th-seeded Gonzalez barely snuck past improving Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 3-6, 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (8-6) on Day 2. The Chilean star is fresh off his clay- court title in Munich last week. First-round upsets came when Gilles Simon outlasted 10th-seeded fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), Fernando Verdasco leveled 11th-seeded fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-4 and 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic toppled 15th-seeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. Tsonga was the surprise Aussie Open runner-up earlier this year. Moya was the Rome titlist back in 2004. In other opening-round play, 14th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo handled Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4, 6-1; Argentine Jose Acasuso erased Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-2; Ecuadorian qualifier Nicolas Lapentti got past Italian Filippo Volandri 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-2; Italian Simone Bolelli blasted Frenchman Olivier Patience 6-0, 6-3; and Croatian wild card Mario Ancic dismissed Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4. Bolelli was last weeks Munich runner-up to Gonzalez. This weeks winner will take home $558,000. ' ' '
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