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Let's welcome in China.
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Yeogu, McKay to Talk Raptors, the defending NBA champions, have had a good start to the season today.
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So what's been the reason for their success so far?
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Well, I fell in love with the Toronto Raptors organization when I was working the G League showcase in Mississauga.
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And there I watched Lorenzo Brown and Malcolm Miller in the D League with head coach Jerry Stackhouse that same night, playing a Toronto Raptors game as well.
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So they played in two games in one.
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I thought that ended like a You're in high school days.
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But what I learned from this organization is that they have success.
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They're great at nurturing and growing talent that starts from the top all the way down at the top.
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You have the executive level with Messiah Jerry, who everyone says is one of the best game changes, right, and then it trickles down to the coaching unit nurse.
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He was a G lead coach, obviously won a championship with the Raptors and orchestrated that trickles down to the players.
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Paschal Seaq um was a D League finals M V P and champion Chris Boucher, who I watched ball out working the showcase.
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He was a D League M v p.
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So they are a farm system of talent, and I fell in love in the the coal in Canada, you know, homegrown talent.
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That's the way to do it anyways.
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Now there was a question of whether or not they would fall off a cliff when Kawai Leonard left.
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How is his departure effective?
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The team Welcome.
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Why, everyone knows was a big piece of that championship.
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But I think what he did he gave the Raptors validation.
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Everyone from the coaching to the players you talk about Fred Vanvleet.
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We talk about Pascal Seaq when we talk about Kyle Lowry, who we knew had struggles in the playoffs.
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But the biggest reason why they're after struggled.
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LeBron James, right?
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So LeBron James, the way he sort of faced off and gave me the heebie jeebies just a little bit.
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The Raptors, right now that they have a championship, you know they have validation.
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One of my favorite phrases is you go through it to get to it.
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The Raptors went through it largely, you know, at the mercy of LeBron James.
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But now that they have a championship they've gone through, the highs have gone through the lows, and I think that they ended better for it clearly.
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So where would you rank the Raptors among Eastern Conference contenders?
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I would love to throw them in the top three, but I have them around the four or five position in the East, largely because number one has to be.
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The Bucks combo is doing Number two, the Celtics Kemba Walker's addition.
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He's the perfect fusion of, in my opinion, Isaiah Thomas and then also Kyrie Irving at the point guard position, being unselfish.
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Also in underside score there, one of the biggest surprises of the season.
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Now the 70 sixes in the rappers like I could go back and forth.
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The only reason I give the 76 years is because they have a little bit more certified talent right between Ben Simmons and Drone bees.
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But the Raptors are right in the mix now.
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I know health has been a question for a number of their players, but if they're healthy, I would not want to play a team like that in the playoffs, you know.
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So it's one thing to make the playoffs.
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Another thing to go deep.
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What's the one thing the Raptors will have to do better to make a deep run in the place they will absolutely need more center production, meaning Serge Ibaka is pretty much holding it down at the center position.
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He's only giving you about 13 points per game.
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Outside of that, Marc Gasol, six points per game last season gave you nine.
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Not even that much, even though he's a good facilitator.
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But number one first and foremost has to be getting making sure they could hold down the paint.
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Now, I think pastel siac um, he's have him in the open court in transition and stuff like that.
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But the center position is a position that I think a lot of people explain.
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OK, we'll have to wait and see how they do.
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This is a team that many people thought.
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Would they be good?
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We're not sure.
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So far, so good for Toronto today.
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Thank you.
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Always thanks so much for watching ESPN on YouTube firm or sports analysis and highlights.