was calling me. But Im trying to block that out and wait for m

The Toronto Raptors are having one of the best seasons in franchise history - in a year when nobody expected it. Many believed sneaking into the final playoff spot would be a success for the Raptors this season, but even that wasnt guaranteed. But with only 11 games remaining in the regular season, Toronto (40-31) sits in third place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets for tops in the Atlantic Division and a postseason spot all but official. This will be the first time since 2008 that the Raptors will play in the NBAs second season. With all of the good fortunes the Dinos have seen this year, who has been most integral to the teams success? DeMar DeRozan is the face of the franchise and is one of the longest tenured members of the Raptors. The 24-year-old made his first All-Star Game this season and is leading the team in points scoring 22.7 per game. This is DeRozans fifth year in the Association and he signed a four-year deal last season to stay north of the border for the foreseeable future. Will the team only go as far as DeMar will take them? Kyle Lowry has quickly become a fan favourite in only his second season in Raptors colours. The rugged point guard has shown bulldog-like toughness on a nightly basis, playing considerable minutes and being the man the team has looked to when they are in need of a spark. Analysts and fans alike thought the 28-year-old should have been in New Orleans for the All-Star Game. Averaging 17.6 PPG (scoring over 20 points in eight consecutive games) along with 7.7 assists per game makes a good case for that argument. His future is uncertain in Toronto with Lowry hitting the free agent market this summer, but the Raptors are glad to have him for the time being. Is he the one to thank? Then theres Amir Johnson. At only 26, he can be considered a veteran, already playing in his ninth NBA season and is an important part of the Raps front court. He averages 11.1 PPG, 6.9 rebounds per game and is a strong force on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe the key success is coming from the sidelines. Head coach Dwane Casey is in his second year in charge of the Raptors and seems to have finally gotten through to his players. Toronto has gotten much better defensively only allowing 97.6 PPG, good enough for fifth in the NBA. Is the coachs defence-first mindset the reason the Raptors are headed to the post-season? The success could be attributed to General Manager Masai Ujiri. The Nigerian hasnt brought in a lot of highly touted talent since he took the job last off-season. Instead hes used the method of addition by subtraction to improve on the court. First, he shipped the much-maligned Andrea Bargnani off to the New York Knicks followed by sending Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings during the season. Toronto is 34-19 since Gay was traded out west. With the offence no longer going through Gay, the Raptors have been able to score more efficiently. Not to mention the players coming back to Toronto - namely Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez – have helped the Raptors to get where they are today. Do we have to look to the front office for the reason behind the sudden improvement? So, who do you think is the most integral to the Raptors success this season? As always, its Your! Call. Adidas Ultra Boost 19 Nederland . "[People] keep asking that question and its not a legit question because we dont have that right, we havent arrived yet," Casey responded. "Weve got to take each game at a time, each possession at a time and look at it that way. Adidas NMD Heren Sale .com) - After Tom Brady added to an already illustrious legacy, Malcolm Butler established his by leaving the Seattle Seahawks, well, deflated. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/stan-smith-sneakers.html . TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted that its believed the Flames are working towards a new contract with the defenceman. Adidas NMD Uitverkoop . -- Brendan Leipsic had two goals and an assist and Nicolas Petan extended his point streak to 11 games as the Portland Winterhawks slipped past the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Adidas Superstar Uitverkoop . So it was understandable if he was a little shaky early in his return to the Texas Rangers rotation. He spent most of the outing searching for his best stuff, but still managed to shut down the struggling Minnesota Twins offence.The NHLs Mar. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. Check out todays trade-related reports and speculation from around the NHL beat, including breaking news around the New York Rangers plans for captain Ryan Callahan. Blue-shirt biddingsTSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger tweeted Friday that Western Conference teams are suggesting the New York Rangers are collecting information on St. Louis Blues forward Chris Stewart. With rumours swirling around pending unrestricted free agent Ryan Callahan, Dreger tweeted "Callahan for Stewart would be a sweet deal for Blues. On Wednesday, Dreger said he was told that "Rangers general manager Glen Sather has reached out to a number of general managers and he is gauging trade interest on Callahan." The Rangers captain is in the final season of a three-year, $12.825 million deal. He has nine goals and 20 points in 38 games. Rapid responseColorado Avalanche forward P.A. Parenteau has found himself front and centre of trade rumours with the Montreal Canadiens. Talking to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post on Sunday, Parenteau addressed his current situation with the Avalanche and the potential for a move to Montreal. "Any time a top-six guy on a team is out of the lineup (rumours) are going to go around. Its parrt of the game, but its not fun with family and stuff like that.dddddddddddd Its Montreal, too, and everyone was calling me. But Im trying to block that out and wait for my turn," he said. Parenteau, 30, is in the second season of the four-year, $16 million contract he signed with the Avalanche as an unrestricted free agent in 2012. Patiently waitingThomas Vanek is close to making a decision on his future with the New York Islanders, or so his agent says. Steve Bartlett, who spoke to Newsdays Arthur Staple on Wednesday, said the Austrian winger is not quite ready to seal his fate, but that "we continue to have what I consider very good and constructive conversations with the Islanders." The Islanders acquired Vanek last October from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Matt Moulson, a conditional first-round pick in 2014 -- New York could defer the pick to next year if it is a top-10 selection -- and a second-round pick in 2015. "We certainly understand the team will want to explore [a trade] and try to recoup some of the assets they gave up," Bartlett said. "We are getting close to that line in the sand time and we understand the risks and rewards of the situation were in. (GM) Garth (Snow) and the Islanders have been nothing but great in this whole process." ' ' '