Here are five thoughts on the Toronto Raptors seven-game loss to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Basketball Shoes From China . 1. JOE JOHNSON (Nets): If I had to pick the guy that was the MVP on this Series, No doubt in my mind it was him. Forget his numbers for a second which were impressive to say the least. It had more to do with his presence and the inability for the Raptors to find a viable/consistent solution to overcome his vast talents. Bottom line, hes a very difficult cover and his strength, post skills, passing ability, creativity off the bounce and distance shooting make him a fascinating and gifted offensive player. Give him credit, He took on all the challenges and made the adjustments and was the difference in this series. 2. STATEMENT: Thanks again! You - the fans have made a wonderful statement across the North American sports landscape and in the NBA community that Toronto and the country of Canada is a growing and vibrant hoops hotbed and will be heard from for generations to come. Cant tell you the impression its made on folks all across the NBA. Utterly remarkable to say the least. Great Opportunity for Raptors President and GM, Masai Ujiri, to now build from a position of strength in his retention and recruitment efforts as he formulates his vision for the long term success of the franchise. A step forward. Long way to go though - yet you can start to see the light. 3. KYLE LOWRY: No idea what will happen with him regarding his future with the Raptors. Im hopeful they can work something out. Ill say this though, the man has really impressed me this season. Every day he left everything out there on the floor for you and competed like few players ever have in a Raptors uniform. For that, we should be grateful and impressed at the same time. Hes been a joy to watch this season and an inspiration to so many young players that can learn from his sheer will and effort that you can overcome a whole lot if you give it your all. He came up short but the man is a winner. Fingers crossed it all comes together and hes back in Toronto. 4. MARCUS THORNTON (Nets): In a Game 7, many times you need that guy that just comes out of left field that gets you over the hump particularly when youre the road team. Give coach Jason Kidd credit, he played a great hunch and it paid off huge dividends for him. His perimeter shooting, creativity, rebounding and overall explosiveness were the edge the Nets sorely needed to pull off the road win in a deciding game. He was lousy in the early part of the series after playing quite well since being acquired from Sacramento but Coach Kidd showed renewed faith in him and was justly rewarded for it. Joe Johnson was the MVP but he was the difference. 5. DWANE CASEY: Actions speak louder than words. Three years and each year his teams have gotten better and he has grown each year as a head coach. As good a coach as he is - and hes a very good one - hes an even better man. Class act. He did an outstanding job this year and when I reflect over the three year period he has been consistent and stayed true to his core beliefs which I truly respect. He led a team this year that had many limitations (as we could all plainly see in this Series) to 48 wins, an Atlantic Division title and came up a bit short to a much more experienced, talented and deeper Nets team. Yes - Were all bitterly disappointed in the loss of this series yet when you take time to reflect, this organization has a true leader who is bright, steady and wont be out-worked by anyone. When I evaluate a coach, I always point to year three as my barometer of where you truly judge them. Theyve had more than enough time to get things the way they want and now you want to see that vision unfold before you. He has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind that hes more than deserving of being the head coach of the Raptors and when I evaluate him against his peers Im quite impressed. As a former coach, I think I have a pretty decent feel when I compare/contrast coaches strengths/weaknesses and when I look at coach Casey I see a man who has rolled up his sleeves, paid his dues and is truly a right fit for the task of the challenges that lie ahead for the organization. Hes a coachs coach and I can tell you flat out that the men in his profession not only truly like him but all respect him tremendously. Happy for his success. Good man. Good things do truly happen for good people. Fake Basketball Shoes . The 12th-ranked Haas served well throughout the match at the Ibirapuera arena, allowing only one break point to the 152nd-ranked Italian. Both players held serve until the first-set tiebreak, when Haas stepped up his game to easily clinch the set. Basketball Shoes Online Store .com) - Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil and New England Patriots punter Ryan Allen were selected as the AFCs top players for Week 14 of the NFL season. https://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.com/ .A. Dickey earned an American League Gold Glove on Tuesday to become the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to win the award.PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Zach Johnson made a quadruple-bogey 8 on his second hole and still managed a 67 in the Honda Classic on Thursday. Tiger Woods had good birdie chances on his opening four holes and couldnt break par. Johnson made seven birdies after his soggy start -- two straight shots into the water -- and it took a few minutes for him to digest a wild round at PGA National. He looked as though he might have shot himself out of the tournament, but he ended the round two shots behind co-leaders William McGirt and Rory Sabbatini among the early starters. "It was easy to put behind me because it was the second hole," Johnson said. Woods was playing for the first time in a month -- and only his third tournament this year -- and he didnt show many signs of rounding into form. Coming off pedestrian finishes at Torrey Pines and Dubai, the worlds No. 1 player couldnt make any putts until he was scrambling for par. He had only three birdies in a round of 71 and likely will start the second round Friday outside the cut line. "I hit it good starting out," Woods said. "Hit it kind of scrappy in the middle and then hit it good at the end." The big blow came on No. 2 when he pulled his tee shot into thick rough, advanced the ball only about 25 yards, found a bunker and took double bogey. British Open champion Phil Mickelson, Masters champion Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy were among the late starters at a tournament that features seven of the top nine players in the world, making it the strongest regular PGA Tour event of the season. McGirt is getting used to this position. Just two weeks ago, he had a two-shot lead going into the final round at Riviera until he closed with a 73 and tied for sixth. In his next start, hes right back at the top. McGirt had a tap-in eagle at No. 3 and kept bogeys off his card. "About as well as Ive played since Ive been out here," McGirt said. "Just stayed out of my own way." Sabbatini is a past winner at the Honda Classic. Brendon de JJonge, Derek Ernst, Tommy Gainey and Brice Garnett were among those at 66, while Luke Donald joined Johnson in the group at 67. Basketball Shoes Sale. Johnson had a day to remember. Anyone with an 8 on the card before breakfast gets cold has reason to think the tournament effectively is over. Johnson looked to be in shock as he stood in the 11th fairway. He was between a 6-iron and a 7-iron, went for the 6-iron and saw it come down in the water. Because he carried the water the entire way, he had to drop well back in the fairway. Johnson went up 10 paces (still behind the hazard line) and went with the 7-iron. That didnt make it. So he took a few steps back and changed to the 6-iron and pulled that to the left back of the green. "That was the worst shot I hit of the three," he said. But instead of getting down, Johnson thought back to the time he was in the second stage of Q-school. On the opening hole, he took an 8. "I hit the ball eight times without a penalty," he said. "And I finished second." He still had at least 34 holes remaining and started putting them to good use, especially how he closed out the back nine with three straight birdies. "Not surprising knowing how tough this guy is," said Woods, who played alongside Johnson and wound up four shots worse. "He was pretty stoked about what he did today." Woods is still trying to emerge. As the defending champion and an eight-time winner at Torrey Pines, he missed the 54-hole cut. At Dubai, where he was a two-time winner, he tied for 41st. Woods has played in only four tournaments, not including the Presidents Cup, since the Tour Championship last September. He talked Wednesday about possibly altering his pre-Masters schedule, though he has not made clear what he meant by that. The biggest issue was converting birdie chances. He opened with three shots pin-high, two from about 18 feet, the other from 6 feet, and never touched the hole. "It certainly wasnt together today," he said. "Didnt get into a roll early." ' ' '