TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors showed last spring that they have what it takes to win in the NBA playoffs. Cheap Sneakers Online Canada .Now all the Raptors need to do is figure out a way past LeBron James.Nothing to it, right?Back in May, the deepest postseason run in Raptors history ended with a six-game loss to James and the eventual champion Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Between Cleveland and Miami, James has represented the East in six straight NBA Finals.All-Star guard DeRozan, who signed a $139 million, five-year deal to remain a Raptor, believes having a healthy DeMarre Carroll will be big help in trying to control James.Knee surgery in January derailed Carrolls first year with the Raptors, limiting him to 26 games. He returned in April and appeared in every playoff game, despite not being completely recovered. After Toronto was eliminated, Carroll took a month off to let swelling subside. With the new season set to start, hes finally back at full strength.It was tough for us last year to figure out ways to play without him, DeRozan said. Even when he came back he wasnt his full self and we still managed to make history. To have him back at the start of the season fully healthy is going to give us everything weve been searching for.Toronto wont have to wait long to see how it measures up against James and the Cavs -- the teams meet twice in the first 10 games, then dont face off again until the final night of the regular season next April.DeRozan said theres no shortage of motivation when it comes to trying to close the gap on Cleveland as a new season starts with every team on level termsIts the motivation of knowing what it felt like being two games away from having an opportunity to compete for a championship, DeRozan said. Were at the bottom of the hill now. Weve got to work our way up and take on every challenge that were going to face.Here are some other things to know about the Raptors this season.LAST CHANCE WITH LOWRY?Like DeRozan did this year, All-Star guard Kyle Lowry is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract next summer, joining a potentially star-studded group of free agents. Until then, however, Lowry isnt interested in talking about his future. Im really focused on helping my team be the best team they can be, getting to the point where we can take the next step, he said.THE NEW GUYTorontos only newcomer with NBA experience, Jared Sullinger, left Boston to a sign a one-year deal with the Raptors. Hes expected to start in the front court alongside Jonas Valanciunas. Coach Dwane Casey envisions Sullinger as a rebounding asset who can also spread the floor and connect from long range. I trust his 3-point shooting, Casey said. We want him to take it, we encourage him to take it.TWO MORE YEARSTwo years after being drafted, Brazilian prospect Bruno Caboclo isnt close to making regular contributions to the Raptors. Caboclo spent the bulk of last season with Torontos D-League team, averaging 14.7 points and 6.5 rebounds in 37 games. Famously described by commentator Fran Franschilla as being two years away from being two years away when he was drafted in 2014, Caboclo figures to be back in the D-League this season, honing his game with help from new coach Jerry Stackhouse.PASSPORT CONTROLWith a roster that already featured two Brazilians (Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira), a Lithuanian (Valanciunas), and a Canadian (Cory Joseph), the Raptors added more international assets on draft night. Torontos two first round picks were seven-foot center Jakob Poeltl, the first Austrian in NBA history, and forward Pascal Siakam, one of three NBA players from Cameroon.CALMER TIMESLast season was a whirlwind for the Raptors. Besides their deep playoff run, they launched a D-League team, moved into a new practice facility, travelled to London for a January game against Orlando, and hosted the All-Star game for the first time in February. Incredible year, it was go, go, go, go, go, said Masai Ujiri, the teams president. You name it, we did it. Its tough on our players and everybody. Having a little less on the agenda this season could be a blessing for Toronto. Authentic Sneaker Wholesale . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. Cheap Sneakers Canada .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. http://www.wholesalesneakerscanada.com/ . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. The late swerve to the ending of Mondays Raw?main event?dramatically altered the direction of where the WWEs flagship show, and its new Universal championship, are headed.Culminating with Triple Hs surprise return to assist Kevin Owens?in the Fatal 4-Way elimination title match, the WWE successfully spun the bad luck of inaugural champion Finn Balors shoulder injury at SummerSlam into a buzzworthy set of Raw episodes that followed.That must-see trend will only continue into next weeks show, with fans excited to find the answer to the natural follow-up question: Where do we go from here?Lets take a closer look at the fallout for the principal participants in the WWE Universal championship title picture:Kevin OwensA former indie star, Owens has acted like he belonged from his first day on the main roster in May 2015, making it easy to forget just how meteoric his rise within the company has been in two short years.From powerbombing then-champion Sami Zayn?onto the ring apron on his first night in NXT to going over John Cena?cleanly in his first month on Raw, there are elements to Owens career arc that make the timing of him winning the Universal championship a logical one.Thats why, even though he fell into the belt in an opportunistic manner, both in storyline and real life, Owens wearing the companys most prestigious title is still a safer play for WWE than giving Balor the belt in the first place.As decorated worldwide as Balor was before being hired by WWE, he is smaller, less charismatic on the microphone and less proven on the brightest stage than Owens. While both represent this new era WWE is ambitiously trying to project, Owens style and presentation is more classic and versatile.Giving Owens the title is also an easier play for WWE based on its heavy reliance upon booking storylines involving The Authoritys control on the companys marquee title (often to their own detriment). While it might seem like Owens lone wolf mentality doesnt mesh with the idea of being controlled by the machine, credit WWE for indirectly planting seeds for this move in the past.During an episode of Raw last November, Triple H made the rounds backstage to various competitors of the WWE championship tournament, following Seth Rollins knee injury. He pitched the idea of working with The Authority to double-cross Roman Reigns. Owens looked particularly interested in what Triple H had to say, which is consistent with his characters opportunistic nature as a heel.In fact, there was a video package featuring a quote from Rollins this past Monday that might have summed it up perfectly.People call me an opportunist ... like its an insult, Rollins said. Its not an insult.The quote could just as easily have been attributed to Owens, whose persona is even more believable as a diabolic and unrepentant heel than Rollins, which is why giving Owens the title was the WWEs best move.Will Owens title reign end up being transitional like Sheamus was?last fall, or as unexpectedly epic as what Rollins accomplished all of last year? Its difficult to predict, but bet against Owens at your own risk.With his quick wit, deceptively agile style and meatball-shaped body, previously thought to be a deterrent from ever reaching the mountain top, Owens has all the tools to be a memorable champion with an opportunity to find out how great he can be.Seth RollinsWhen it comes to booking pro wrestling, theres an old adage that theres more money in putting the title on the heel and forcing a top babyface to chase it. Wholesale Sneakers Online. In that regard, Owens is the best pure heel that the company has, with legitimate old-school qualities to his swagger.So whos the biggest money babyface currently on the Raw roster who makes the most sense to pair him against?Unfortunately for WWE, it still isnt Reigns, at least not outside of the family-friendly confines of house shows. His brand hasnt properly recovered from the companys stubborn insistence on booking him as the second coming of John Cena, and in a manner thats the opposite of organic.The answer is Rollins, whose character has no choice but to turn babyface after the manner in which he was double-crossed by Triple H and The Authority on Monday.Its far from a leap to predict an Owens-Rollins feud would make for great television, not just for the in-ring payoff at pay-per-views, but the microphone work of both during the buildup. It would also be just as fun to watch whether Rollins can get over as a good-guy singles wrestler the same way he did as a heel.Considering Rollins talent and his deserving distinction as the No. 1 pick in Julys brand-split draft, theres no reason to suggest he cant. Following his recovery from a devastating knee injury last November, documented by WWE Network cameras for its WWE 24 series, Rollins was met with cheers during his May 23 return on Raw from a Baltimore crowd that appeared ready to hail him as a returning babyface.When you take into account everything Rollins has done for The Authority, both in storyline and in real life, as a fighting champion who carried the ball almost single-handedly at times in 2015, building sympathy from the crowd for his current demise shouldnt be a factor. Todays generation of fans is smart enough to know a transcendent talent when they see one.Roman ReignsWWE is at its best when storylines blend perfectly with the real-life struggles and tension going on behind the scenes. Its because of this that, for now, Reigns needs to stay as far away from the Universal title picture as possible.There will come a day when Reigns current demise will feel like a thing of the past, and his incredible talent and look will overshadow the crowds reaction to his booking. But for now, the irony of him being constantly double-crossed on-screen by the McMahon family, only to be seemingly given royal treatment by them behind the scenes, is a level of disbelief most fans arent willing to suspend.By all accounts, WWE doesnt appear ready to admit defeat and truly allow Reigns character to blossom naturally as a heel. Because of that, more seasoning on the second tier as a babyface is needed, just as much as time is, in order to win over cynically hardened fans one match at a time.The best remedy for Reigns is a return to his feud with United States champion Rusev, which essentially hit pause when the two fought to a no-contest at SummerSlam in an ill-conceived comedown match before the main event.Reigns and Rusev are money together in the ring, and the presence of Lana?has allowed Reigns to exercise his comedic muscles that still need some work. Placing the U.S. title around his waist in a memorable feud is the best kind of rehab assignment available to Reigns, and a strong precursor to future opportunities against the likes of Owens and Brock Lesnar?down the road. ' ' '