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Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan is doing things that havent been accomplished in the NBA in 30 years, which is fitting since DeRozan is a type of throwback player. He also is invoking the name of Michael Jordan, which is the type of effort it will take for the Raptors to overthrow the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers.DeRozan was named the Eastern Conferences Player of the Week Monday after averaging 34.7 points and shooting 54 percent from the floor during Torontos 3-0 week. DeRozan leads the league in scoring, averaging 34 points per game.He is the first player to score at least 30 points in eight of his first nine games to start a season since Jordan did it during the 1986-87 season. DeRozan is doing it with a flurry of drives and mid-range jumpers and very few 3-pointers.Hes playing at an All-Star level, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. Getting bumped, getting hit, still finishing the play. Hes playing an old mans game with physicality. The game has slowed down for him and the key is hes converting those plays.DeRozans weekly award from the league ends LeBron James streak. James won the first two weekly awards of the season in the East and remains an imposing road block to the Raptors, who lost to James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in last seasons conference finals.The two best teams in the Eastern Conference in 2015-16 meet again Tuesday in Cleveland for already the second time this season. The Cavs beat the Raptors last month at Air Canada Centre. Now the defending champions might be even better than they were last season.Cleveland has made at least 10 3-pointers in every game this season, breaking a record set by the Houston Rockets two years ago. While its early, the Cavaliers are on pace to make more 3-pointers than any team in history -- and coach Tyronn Lue still isnt completely happy.I think we can shoot better, Lue said. Its been sporadic.Mike Dunleavy, acquired from the Chicago Bulls over the summer, is off to a terrible start shooting 3-pointers. A career 37-percent 3-point shooter, Dunleavy is making just 27 percent of them (7 of 26) this season. Lue, however, isnt concerned with Dunleavys struggles.Hes a great shooter and hes always been over his career, Lue said. You come from playing 32, 34 minutes and being a starter and now youre coming off the bench when youre playing 16 minutes a game, its tough to try to find your rhythm.The Raptors didnt win any games at Quicken Loans Arena last season -- including the three during the playoffs. They lost the series when James dominated Game 6 at Air Canada Centre. Thats why Toronto players have already discussed the importance of home-court advantage over the Cavaliers in the playoffs.In order to get there, the Raptors likely will have to win a game in Cleveland at some point. They learned how difficult it can be to beat a motivated James in the postseason.He just took over. He took it to another level, Casey said of James. Mentally, physically, defensively, offensively, he wasnt going to let them lose. He can have an imprint on the game in whatever way that night calls for. Jamal Murray Jersey . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. Dikembe Mutombo Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-tyler-lydon-nuggets-jersey/ . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Michael Porter Nuggets Jersey . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. Will Barton Nuggets Jersey . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. Does any team have a bigger buzz around it than the Nashville Predators?In less than a year, the Predators have been involved in two of the biggest blockbusters in recent history, acquiring center Ryan Johansen and defenseman P.K. Subban and continuing the transformation of a once defense-first hockey club into an exciting, puck-possession, offensive outfit.The end result? The Preds enter the season as a popular pick to go a long way.Theres no question that the expectations are maybe higher than theyve ever been before, said veteran Predators GM David Poile. I have to take that as a good thing. I realize we havent won a game yet, we have to play them, and all those clichés I can give you. But the fact is, a lot of people think we have a good club and I believe our players think that, I know our coaches do, and well do our best to fulfill our expectations.Last seasons first-round win against the Anaheim Ducks signaled the Predators ascension. Theyll need veteran goalie Pekka Rinne to bounce back this season and theyll need goals from players other than Filip Forsberg and James Neal.But with the NHLs best blue-line corps led by Roman Josi, the skys the limit for this team.Best new facesSubban brings his razzle-dazzle game to the Music City in what seems like a perfect fit, not just in the sense of a market embracing his ebullient personality, but certainly on the ice where head coach Peter Laviolette espouses an aggressive, offensive-minded game. Subban should feel he has more freedom here than he did in Montreal.Joining a blue-line that already has Josi -- is there a Norris Trophy in his near future? -- as well as Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, Yannick Weber and Matt Carle underlines this teams No. 1 strength: puck-possessing, puck-moving D.Carle might prove to be a sneaky signing at just one year for $700,000. Bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 30, and freed of the burden of that big contract he signed, a third-pairing role with low expectations should bode well for the veteran Carle on this team. Plus, hes reunited with Laviolette, under whom he played some of his best hockey with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier in his career.Biggest unknownsWho else will score goals other than Forsberg (33 goals last season) and Neal (31 goals)?How about Colin Wilson, who had just six goals and 18 assists in 64 regular-season games last season but then put up five goals and eight assists in 14 playoff games? Everyone loves a player who steps up come playoff time, which Wilson also did the previous spring with five playoff goals in six games, but the Predators would love Wilson, 26, to also show that kind of production in the regular season.dddddddddddd It would go a long way to alleviate the teams scoring concerns up front.Absolutely. That is a question, said Poile. Weve kind of labeled him Playoff Wilson. Well, we need him to be not only Playoff Wilson but also Regular-Season Wilson. Theres no question he can do it because weve seen it on occasion the last two playoffs. This year, hes a year older, more mature, wiser, our expectations are very high for him to have a good regular season in addition to a good playoffs. Just by him scoring at the rate that he should be, that could be a huge difference for us.Another unknown is Rinne, who turns 34 in early November. After years of saving this teams bacon, the aging goalie must now prove hes still capable of a prime-time performance. His save percentage dipped from .923 in 2014-15 to .908 last season. Rinne needs to be good for the Predators to be a true Cup contender.And finally, what about the loss of longtime captain Shea Weber, traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Subban? His presence in the dressing room leaves a crater on the leadership front, no matter what anybody says. Talk to other players on Team Canada during the World Cup, not to mention head coach Mike Babcock, and the respect and admiration for Weber as a leader is through the roof.Veteran center Mike Fisher was named captain, an excellent choice; hes as respected as any player in that room. But it remains a question mark entering this season how the team will fill Webers overall leadership skills.Sure thingsThe blue-line corps, as mentioned, for my money is the best in the NHL. Its going to carry this team to many a win this season.Up front, Forsberg continues to improve as an elite goal scorer, and hes only 22. He put up 26 goals in his first full NHL season two years ago and followed that up with 33 last season. No reason he cant get to 37-40 goals this season if he stays healthy.PredictionIm banking on Rinne bouncing back and the offense up front getting better. I just love the way this team plays and how that blue-line corps is constructed. The Central Division race is going to be an absolute beast, where Id argue four teams can all win it. But give me the Preds atop the division when the regular season ends in April, and a deep playoff run to follow. First in the Central. ' ' '