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LAS VEGAS - Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira, the Raptors other young Brazilian prospect, prefaces each conversation he has using the same disclaimer. "My English is not so good," hell tell you, before speaking nearly perfect English for as long as youre willing and able to listen. All eyes have been on his intriguing countryman, Bruno Caboclo, here in Las Vegas for the NBAs Summer League but unlike his quiet 18-year-old teammate, Nogueira is not the least bit shy. The only thing bigger than his personality is his hair. The Raptors acquired the seven-foot centre from Atlanta last month, a year after he was selected with the 16th overall pick and famously attempted to balance a Celtics hat on top of his trademark afro. Hair aside, what should you know about him? Nogueira has you covered... "Im a happy guy, I like to smile," said the 21-year-old, appropriately wearing a big smirk across his face. "I think you should be happy everyday because you have just one life." It doesnt take long to pick up on Nogueiras unique spirit, its refreshing in the pressure cooker that is professional basketball. "Its contagious, infectious," coach Dwane Casey said of Nogueiras personality. "Hes sharp and witty, which is a good thing in this league because its such a frustration-filled league and it can get you down and you cant let it happen as a young kid. Youve got to learn, bounce back and get ready for the next play." Asked about his perspective and approach, things that have helped him stand out early in his Raptors tenure, Nogueira credits his upbringing. He grew up in Rio de Janeiro. He was adopted. His family has supported him and has taught him positive values. His siblings are much older, his brother is 38, his sister 40. Hes the youngest, hence the nickname, Bebe. "It started in Brazil," Nogueira said of the moniker, insisting he has no preference between that and his first name, Lucas. "My family, they called me Bebe. I grew up with Bebe all my life. I dont care [if you call me that] because everyone says it, my mom says it." Nogueira was in Atlanta when he was told he had been traded to the Raptors. Initially, he was shocked, then confused and a little upset. Why would the Hawks acquire his rights on draft night only to give up on him a year later, he wondered. Generally, it takes young players a few years to pick up on a reality Nogueira was becoming aware of before playing a single game. The NBA is a business. Seeking cap space, the Hawks were eager to shed the contract of Lou Williams and acquire John Salmons non-guaranteed deal. Nogueira, a player Masai Ujiri and the Raptors liked in the 2013 draft, was the sweetener. Although the Raptors expect to have Nogueira on the roster this coming season, theyre still working on a buyout agreement with his team in Spain, where he played last year and is still under contract. But Nogueira knows better than to get his hopes up after being welcomed to Atlanta a year ago. Hes hopeful but is wisely holding off on the celebration, despite all the messages hes received over Twitter, welcoming him to Toronto this past month. "We the north? No, you the north. Im not, yet," he joked. Eventually hell join the Raptors and, like Caboclo, the long seven-footer will become part of the contingency plan for a team with winning aspirations in the short-term and a keen eye on the future. Nogueira has been playing professionally since he was 15-years-old and has helped ease the transition for Caboclo both on and off the floor, relaying information to him in his native Portuguese. "If you could transfer some of that youthful enthusiasm to Bruno, and hell get that, [it would be great]," Casey said. "Thats one thing we love about Lucas." The Raptors are happy to have him but - again, like Caboclo - theyre tempering immediate expectations, understanding that he still has a ways to go as a player. "I need to see more to really try to project [how good he can be]," Raptors assistant and Summer League head coach Jesse Mermuys said of Nogueira, who missed most of the teams mini-camp in Las Vegas nursing a minor calf injury. "Hes done some good things and hes had some bad games." Through three games in his second stint at Summer League - he played for the Hawks last year - Nogueira is averaging 6.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per contest. His defensive instincts, while inconsistent, are promising and hes looked competent as a finisher in the pick-and-roll. "Hes going to have to come in and compete in training camp," Casey cautioned. "I dont see any reason why he couldnt [make the team]. It just depends on how much stronger he gets before October. Hes got a long period of time to do it. You cant teach his wingspan." Between he and Caboclo, the Raptors have over 15-feet of wingspan coming in, but the initial focus for both will be to put on muscle and get stronger. "Soon Ill look like Dwight Howard," Nogueira joked, speaking about the eclectic variety of eatery hell have at his disposal in Toronto. Even if he breaks camp with the Raptors, its unlikely that hell crack Caseys rotation in his rookie season but the sooner he develops, the better. Toronto could use a player with his upside as a rim protector. "I wish I could jump like that," Nogueira said while watching Clevelands No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins play on Monday. He may not have Wiggins-like hops but hes no slouch. The centre averaged 1.6 blocks in just 16.6 minutes per game in the Spanish ACB league last year. "Hes got a long way to go," new teammate Kyle Lowry said. "And hes got a big fella in [Jonas Valanciunas], who hell get better with everyday in practice and get strong and they can learn from each other." Nogueira knows Valanciunas, having played against him at the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. The newest Raptor raved about JVs skill set but remembers trying to get under his skin. "Lucas may have gotten under his skin, but Jonas kicked his ass," a Raptors staffer joked. Nogueira was fifth in rebounds per game and second in blocks while Valanciunas was awarded MVP of that tournament. With Valanciunas gregarious personality and Nogueiras jovial nature, the Raptors locker room should be a lively one for years to come. Nogueira has spent just one day in Toronto, flying to Canada directly after learning about the trade before heading out West to work out with his new teammates. He hasnt had much time to process where his journey has taken him, and wont get ahead of himself before the next step becomes official, but the Raptors young Brazilian prospect continues to smile and look forward to what appears to be a promising future. "The NBA only has 450 jobs for seven billion [people]," he said after crunching the numbers in his head. "I have one job, so I dont have [a] reason to stay sad. I had bad moments in my life but everybody [has] bad moments so I think, okay, I can be sad sometimes but 95 percent [of the time] I want to be happy, because I feel blessed." Air Max Nz . Ending a nine-game losing streak? That gave the Milwaukee Bucks veteran forward a reason to smile. Air Max Clearance Nz . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. http://www.airmaxnz.com/ . 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. Air Max Nz Online .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Wholesale Air Max Nz . -- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew practiced in a limited capacity Friday, a positive sign he might be able to play against the Tennessee Titans.BOSTON -- DeMar DeRozan understands that a playoff berth for the Raptors has meaning beyond Torontos locker room. Terrence Ross scored 24 points, Kyle Lowry 23 and the Raptors edged closer to their first playoff spot since 2008 with a 99-90 win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. "Not just the franchise, the whole city of Toronto and Canada," said DeRozan, sitting at his locker with his left foot in a bucket of ice. "Ive been here five years and see how passionate the fans are. It definitely means a lot. We feed off them, the energy they bring every single night. That would be great for the city and we have to take advantage of the opportunity." DeRozan added 20 points for Toronto, which increased its Atlantic Division lead to 2 1/2 games over Brooklyn. The Raptors could have clinched a playoff spot if the Knicks lost at Sacramento later Wednesday, but New York beat the Kings 107-99. It was Lowrys eighth straight game of 20 or more points and helped the Raptors snap an 11-game losing streak in Boston. "Im not going to lie," Lowry said. "I think everybody tonight is rooting for that Western Conference team over there." The Raptors are also chasing a division title. They face Boston in the back end of a home and home on Friday. "We cant be satisfied just making the playoffs," DeRozan said. "We could go out there and play four games and be home. Weve worked too hard to get to this point just to slow down and pace ourselves. Weve got a long, long way to go." Jared Sullinger led Boston with 26 points, going 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and Avery Bradley scored 16. Boston lost for the seventh time in eight games. "Sully got hot and I thought even though we were really undersized we played pretty well in that time," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. Toronto captured its 19th road win, one off the club record set 2000-01. Boston guard Rajon Rondo was cut on the forehead midway into the third quarter and received nine stitches. He returned to tthe bench early in the fourth quarter with a bandage that ran from the bridge of his nose straight up to his forehead and he re-entered the game with 8:05 to play.dddddddddddd. He finished with 15 assists and nine points. "I think it obviously says a lot," Stevens said. "He wants to play and I think the most important part about it is he came back in and guarded DeRozan. He went after it and I think he did a pretty good job on him." The Raptors had opened a 79-64 lead early the fourth quarter, but Boston went on a 9-0 run. Toronto pushed it back to 85-75 before Sullinger nailed consecutive 3s 34 seconds apart, narrowing it to four points with just under 6 minutes to play. "I saw that Rondo went down so I saw that we needed production, so I took it upon myself and just tried to get the best shots possible," Sullinger said. Chris Johnsons basket -- on an officials reviewed goaltending call -- closed it to 93-90 with 1:49 left, but Lowry and Ross hit consecutive 3s on the next two possessions to send the Raptors to the victory. In the third quarter, Lowry nailed consecutive 3s on Torontos first two possessions, pushing the Raptors lead to 61-46. They held at least a nine-point lead for the rest of the quarter, opening it to 77-62 after Ross nailed a 3 at the buzzer. Toronto, which blew an 11-point second-quarter lead in less than 2 minutes, held a 55-46 advantage at halftime. NOTES: A few minutes before the opening tip-off and about 10 after the National Anthems were completed, the Celtics asked the crowd to rise for a moment of silence to honour two Boston firefighters that were killed battling a fire in the citys Back Bay section -- about three kilometres away. ... Stevens praised Raptors G Lowry before the game. "(He) is playing terrific," Stevens said. "He was arguably an All-Star earlier. He makes a lot of plays that dont go talked about." ... Sullinger had 25 points and 20 rebounds when the Celtics beat the Raptors at home on Jan. 15. He had eight boards on Wednesday. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '