Charlottes final possession bu | Forum

TORONTO - Although Wednesdays overtime loss was one that Jonas Valanciunas would sooner forget than relive, his coach hopes its something the Raptors sophomore centre will learn from. Nike Air Max 1 Mujer . In what promised to be a tricky matchup for the 21-year-old, Valanciunas held his own against the crafty Al Jefferson offensively but was taught a lesson or two on the other end. One of those moments occurred at the end of the extra period. Jefferson set a hard screen that freed up Kemba Walker, forcing Valanciunas to switch off and close out on the Bobcats guard. Walker would drain the game-winner over Valanciunas as time expired. "Weve watched film with him [and] work on it with him individually," Dwane Casey said after practice Thursday afternoon. "In the NBA, a lot depends on game experience and hes seeing every different post-up situation." Valanciunas scored 10 points and added six rebounds in 22 minutes of action Wednesday however, Jefferson poured in 24 to go along with 11 boards, leading the Bobcats with five points in overtime. "Hes still in the process, hes still learning the league, learning the speed of the game and again, hes [getting] better," Casey said, commending Valanciunas growth on the offensive end. "I thought he did an excellent job offensively when he got his catches in the post. Hes really grown from that standpoint." His biggest challenge continues to come on the defensive end, where hes still being exposed by quicker, versatile and more experienced big men. Jefferson is a nightmare assignment for any player, let alone a young and developing big. "My whole career, to this day, people always ask who the hardest [players] are to guard and I surprise them every time when I tell them Al Jefferson and Zach Randolph," said veteran forward and new teammate Chuck Hayes, who participated in his first full practice with the Raptors Wednesday. "For their size - theyre so wide - theyre light on their feet and theyve got great footwork and their shooting touch is just as good as any guard in the league." "It sucks that [Valanciunas] went through that torture chamber in a game that we needed before this road trip but its a learning process," Hayes continued. "Well see them again, Im sure and hell remember that overtime where Al got the best of him." Although Valanciunas shares the blame for what went wrong in overtime, theres plenty of it to go around. The Raptors, as a team, missed their first six field goal attempts while DeMar DeRozan shot 1-of-4. You can also cut the seven-footer some slack, given the amount of time he had spent on the bench. Valanciunas sat for over 17 minutes of game time, including the entire fourth quarter, before coming back in to start overtime. Facing Charlottes unconventional frontcourt of Jefferson and Josh McRoberts, a stretch four, Valanciunas became a late-game afterthought once again, sitting out in favour of Amir Johnson, Tyler Hansbrough, and the newly acquired Patrick Patterson. As Casey notes, it is sometimes a give-and-take with Valanciunas on the floor, certainly in a matchup like Wednesdays. Whatever advantage is gained on the offensive end, assuming the team is utilizing it, is often given right back on defence. With the game on the line, Casey - like he has done in past - opted to play it safe with more experienced and versatile defenders at the position. "Thats why its hard to win consistently with young players in the NBA," said the Raptors coach. "Jonas is going to be okay but thats the patience you have to have with a young player; take the good with the bad." While those who expected the world from Valanciunas in his second NBA season may be disappointed in the early returns, Casey is just as realistic as he is optimistic. It wont happen overnight, Casey reiterates regularly. It didnt with Tyson Chandler, it didnt with Roy Hibbert or Joakim Noah and it wont with Valanciunas. Inevitably, developing Valanciunas will become more of a priority now that Rudy Gay has been dealt. The challenge for Casey - who is trying to win first and foremost, as you would expect - centres on finding that balance between competing and nurturing the future of the franchise, a future he may not even be a part of. "I love the challenge of coaching young players, I enjoy that. I enjoy winning more," he said, half-jokingly. "But I understand where we are and what were about." Valanciunas represents the future of this team more than anyone else that is currently on the roster. The expectations, at least internally, have not changed. The word Casey continues to stress is patience. "Its a process," he insists. "Were patient [but] hes our guy, hes our starting centre for a long time and were just going to have to roll with it." Nike Air Force 1 Low Mujer .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Nike Air Max 1 Baratas . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. http://www.nikebaratasonlinees.com/nike-roshe-run.html CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Trey Burke scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and the Utah Jazz snapped the Charlotte Bobcats three-game winning streak with an 88-85 victory Saturday night. Burke hit a 3-pointer with 1:38 left to put his team up by three and added a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining. Gordon Hayward had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz, who had lost three of their past four games. Derrick Favors added 14 points. Kemba Walker scored 20 points and Al Jefferson had 19 for the Bobcats, who were playing their fourth game in five nights. The victory would have gotten the Bobcats (13-15) back to .500 on the season. At halftime, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan unveiled the teams new primary logo for when the team changes names to the Charlotte Hornets after this season. The Bobcats trailed 81-72 with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter and appeared ready to make a run. After Gerald Henderson hit a pair of free throws, Jefferson started to come alive, cutting the lead to four with a power move inside, drawing an and-one on Favours. On the next possession, Jefferson had a one-handed put-back dunk to bring the teal and purple clad fans to their feet and close the gap to 81-79. Nike Air Max Baratas. . Jefferson then tied the game at 83 with three minutes left on a dunk off a no-look pass from Walker. But Burke hit a 3-pointer to put the Jazz back in front. The Jazz had a chance to extend the lead but Alec Burks threw an alley-oop pass over the head of Haywood and out of bounds on a 3-on-1 fast break with 1:38 remaining. That seemed to trigger a flurry of turnovers on both ends of the court. With 27 seconds left, Walker beat Burke to the hole on the drive but missed the layup off the glass. Jefferson had two easy chances in front of the rim, but couldnt get the ball over the basket on either try. The Jazz got the ball and Burke was fouled. The rookie knocked down both free throws with 10 seconds left to push the lead back to three. Walker and Henderson each had 3-point opportunities on Charlottes final possession but couldnt connect. The Bobcats started the week with a win at home Tuesday night against Sacramento and then overcame deficits of 16 points and 20 points on the road to beat Toronto and Detroit. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap soccer jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap nfl jerseys china ' ' '