Andrea Bargnani, Linas Kleiza lead Toronto Raptors training camp roster
European stars Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza spearheaded the Toronto Raptors training camp as it opened Tuesday at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada.
The Raptors, who have shaken up their roster following the departure of Chris Bosh this summer, will be splitting their training camp in two stages.
Starting from 28 September to 1 October, the Raptors are be training on their home court at Air Canada. The team will then shift to high-altitude training, when the second phase of training camp begins
on 2 October at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
The Raptors also announced Tuesday the complete list of their training camp roster. Bargnani and Kleiza are expected to lead this young mix of players, as they look to move on from Bosh era.
The 24-year-old Bargnani has immediately emerged as the franchise leader, but the Italian centre appears reluctant to embrace his role.
Drafted first overall in 2006, Bargnani averaged 13.7 points, 4.8 boards, and 1 .0 per blocks per game in four seasons with the Raptors. In his first three years with the team, Bargnani displayed tremendous
potential with his perimeter game and vastly improving inside play, but lacked consistency nevertheless.
However, last season, the Italian really stepped up his game to another level, averaging career highs in points (17.3), rebounds (6.2), and blocks (1.4).
Kleiza, on the other hand, aims to revive his NBA career after a one-year stint in Europe.
The 25-year-old Kleiza is just fresh from competing at the World Basketball Championship, where the Lithuanians finished third behind Turkey (silver) and the United States (gold).
In four seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Klieza played solid minutes off the bench, averaging 8.3 points and 3.5 boards. However, his effort was not enough for the Nuggets to increase his playing time.
Klieza, who reportedly signed a frontloaded four-year deal worth $18.8 million, will likely start at the small forward position, replacing Hedo Turkoglu.
The Raptors also have high expectation on Leandro Barbosa (acquired via trade) and second-year guard DeMar DeRozan, and rookie forward Ed Davis, who underwent a knee surgery last week.
After training camp, the Raptors are set to open up their preseason against Steve Nash and the new-look Phoenix Suns on October 6 in Vancouver.
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