The Three Man Weave recruit a point guard to help distribute the hoops insight this week. Stephen Nogosek Jersey . After going 3-3 with DeMar DeRozan out can the Raptors string together a win streak, can the Knicks be fixed, and what does it mean for Kobe to surpass MJ? All that and more, as hosts of TSN 1050s 1 On 1 With Will & Duane, Will Strickland and Duane Watson, are joined by NBA TV Canada’s host and basketball analyst Akil Augustine. In the week ahead, the Raptors square off against five sub-.500 teams (Pacers, Knicks, Magic, Nets, Pistons). Is 5-0 a realistic record? Strickland: Absolutely. As a team looking to walk amongst the elite, you have to close out games vs lesser opponents while you have the opportunity. Execution on both ends of the floor, sustaining the inevitable runs teams make in games and having a high compete level every night, no matter the record or health of the team youre facing are all key. Augustine: It would be ideal. Im not sure about realistic. There will be more fourth quarter growing pains without DeMar. 4-1 would be the combination of ideal and realistic. Watson: It better be. DeRozan or no DeRozan this team is capable of beating on the lesser opponents in the Eastern Conference and if they want to be considered elite, then they need to. No moral victories, but the recent loss in Cleveland would have been a different outcome if DeRozan was healthy. Cavaliers, Hawks and Wizards are all breathing down the Raptors necks, and they need to stockpile the wins where they can. Veteran NBA sharp-shooter Ray Allen has told teams to call him In January. Which team would he be a perfect fit for in a playoff push? Strickland: Hard to imagine a team who wouldnt want an Olympic Gold medal-winning, two-time NBA Champion, the Associations all-time leader in 3-pointers made and arguably the greatest jump shooter in league history. Overtures will be made to the 39-year-old Walter Ray Allen by the Warriors, Spurs, Bulls, Rockets and maybe even Doc Rivers Clippers. But his relationship with LeBron James may have him hoisting the rock off Lake Erie in Cleveland for the playoff stretch and beyond. Augustine: Hes just gonna chase LeBron around for another ring. I cant see him joining a team like the Spurs or... I cant see him in anywhere except that good old mistake by the lake. Watson: While I’m sure they are not loudly campaigning, a team like the Memphis Grizzlies could use his shooting to spread the floor for bigs like Randolph and Gasol, or give room for Mike Conley to create would be ideal. His clutch performance in the playoffs is renowned, but for a team lacking offensive weapons on the bench, Allen would be a perfect compliment. Magic Johnson thinks the Lakers should tank the season. Should they? Strickland: Negative. It’s understandable that Magic’s looking toward the Lakers legacy and life after Kobe Bryant. But, no matter how impassioned, Johnson is thinking like a bad owner/GM (until Sam Hinkie wins something in Philly, this fingers pointed at you, Sir!). Players play and have no control over front office machinations. The pressure and expectation on an organization firmly affixed on the Mt. Olympus of the NBA is immense and wont be relieved any time soon. Augustine: Yes. Period. This is worse than that mid- 2000’s Smush Parker, Chris Mihm Lakers squad. Watson: The Lakers cannot afford to tank, Bryant’s recent outbursts illustrate that. As long as he is on the court, he’s a competitor, and he has demonstrated his ability to still play at an elite level. He’s getting very little support, but a team that is pulling a full-on 76ers will not garner TV games or sell-outs and aside from the legacy of the franchise, they are not going to miss out on that money. Can the dysfunction called the New York Knickerbockers be fixed this season? Strickland: No. The Knicks are epically bad, full of terrible contracts, selfish players and resistant to the offensive New World Order Triangle of coach Derek Fisher. With reports of Carmelo Anthony threatening teammates and also to sitting out with a possible knee surgery, early season players-only meetings and outside criticism from offensive mastermind Dennis Rodman, itll take more than The Worm turning to cure all that ails the soap opera in the Rotten Manzana. Augustine: No. They have buried themselves with bad contracts, (mainly Melo and JR Smith) and have no pieces. Reminds me of what Isiah Thomas did with the Knicks, signing Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury, etc... Watson: No, and Phil Jackson is part of the problem. Carmelo Anthony only buys into Carmelo Anthony, if Jackson wanted to take the Knickerbockers in a new direction, he should have let him walk. What does it mean for Kobe Bryant to pass Michael Jordan on the NBA All-Time Scoring List? Strickland: Everything. He will attempt to deflect. But with every fiber of his being, Kobe Bean Bryant has always chased Michael Jeffrey Jordan, be it for titles, points or cultural significance. And when Kobe actually does, we should celebrate it. Oft times, we look to the past for greatness many didnt have the fortune of seeing in HD to comment and critique on their favorite social networking medium. To see the greatest-ever 13th pick in NBA draft history continue to compete so relentlessly after 19 years and a trillion miles on his hoops odometer is a gift. Love him or hate him, respect the work and the resume. Augustine: It means job well done. But we all know Kobe wants a different number, six.... as in six championship rings. Watson: Let’s be honest, Bryant has missed games due to injury over the past four years that could have had him challenging for the No. 2 spot over Karl Malone - a player who never won a championship. Malone was a good player that could score, but Bryant’s impact as a player has been far more than that, and much more like the player he idolized, Jordan. It doesn’t make him as great as him, but strengthens the discussion, lest Raptors fans not forget the 81-point game. Follow them on twitter: Will Strickland @WallStrizzle1, Duane Watson @duanewatson and Akil Augustine @akilaugustine Drew Smith Jersey .“I always did my stuff ahead of the deadline. The best deal Ive ever done was the Darryl Sydor deal. We did that at the end of January in 04, and Syd was the missing piece. Chris Flexen Jersey . With the Pirates in the thick of the race in the NL Central, the timing couldnt be better. Liriano struck out a season-high 11 in seven innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season and Pittsburgh beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Tuesday night. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/540l-donn-clendenon-jersey-mets.html . The Los Angeles Clippers showed them just how ugly that life could be. Jared Dudley scored a season-high 21 points, Chris Paul added 16 points and 17 assists, and the Clippers jumped all over the Bulls in Roses absence for a 121-82 victory Sunday.SHENZHEN, China - Andy Murray was one win away from his first final of the year after beating Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-3, 7-5 in the Shenzhen Open quarterfinals on Friday.Murray saved all four break points he faced.He hasnt reached a final since winning Wimbledon last year, after which he needed back surgery and didnt return until this year. He accepted a wild card into Shenzhen to improve his ranking from 11th into the top eight, thereby qualifying for the ATP Finals in London in November.On Saturday, Murray will take on Juan Monaco of Argentina, who elimiinated third-seeded Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7), 6-4 with a break in the last game. Robinson Cano Jersey. Monaco has reached the semis for the third time in his last four events.Fourth-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain outlasted eighth-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, hitting 19 aces in the 2-hour, 36-minute quarterfinal at Shenzhen Longgang Sports Center.Up next, sixth-seeded Santiago Giraldo of Colombia, who defeated Viktor Troicki of Serbia 7-6 (6), 6-3. Troicki upset top seed David Ferrer a day earlier, but lost his serve twice to Giraldo. ' ' '