Its the beginning of a new week and TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on All-Star Weekend, the Toronto Raptors coming out of the break, Kyrie Irvings All-Star performance, a resurgent Marco Belinelli and Drakes potential impact. Tyler Naquin Jersey . 1. NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND: Yes, I know there was next to no defence played last night in the All-Star Game, but I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing skill and athleticism on display from the best of the best. The bottom line is that its a celebration of the sport and our stars and, as long as no one gets hurt and the fans have fun, thats the key. I agree with the general consensus that the events on Friday and Saturday need to be improved and, with the All-Star Game coming to Toronto in 2016, Im hopeful that the weekend activities are upgraded. We need even more of the top stars to take part in the other events surrounding the Sunday main event in order for fans to really get excited. 2. RAPTORS BACK FROM ALL-STAR BREAK: Im here in Washington, DC already ahead of the Raptors (I had an NCAA TV game in the area over weekend) and, when you look at the first two games starting off the last 30 games of the regular season and see tough match-ups against the Wizards and the Chicago Bulls on a back-to-back, the challenge is right in front of you for positioning in the Eastern Conference playoff pecking order. A sense of urgency will surely be evident from their opponents with the Raptors currently occupying the third seed. Its going to take the teams best shot with good tests right off the jump to see if this group is ready to finish the season strong and make some noise come springtime. Usually the first few games after All-Star break are difficult to get players refocused on the task at hand and the ones who take advantage and show up ready to capitalize can earn victories that sometimes end up being the difference in crucial playoff seeding. Every game counts and really matters. Urgency and preparation are critical. 3. KYRIE IRVING, Cavaliers: Irving took a bunch of heat for being selected as an All-Star with his team underperforming so far, yet he produced. He was brilliant last night and showed his enormous potential and talent on a big stage. His Cleveland team started to play a whole lot better as they went into All-Star break and, if they can continue their improvemen,t they might be able to make a run at the eighth seed in the East. The Raptors see the Cavs twice in the next few weeks and I cant wait to see Kyle Lowry go head-to-head against Irving. Im sure hell be fired up to play against him and show him what hes got and beat his team since he was snubbed for the All-Star game. 4. MARCO BELINELLI, Spurs: The former Raptor won the Three-Point Contest on Saturday and its nice to see him come into his own over the past few seasons as a pro. Ioved his potential when he played for the Warriors before his Toronto stint and when I reflect on his lost season in Toronto, it was a shame it didnt work out. Hes a really talented scorer/shooter with tremendous court sense and is a tough competitor. Hes one of those guys I look back on that you wish could have hit his stride here. He was a good acquisition at the time and wasnt used effectively and his injuries, conditioning issues and inconsistent role in the rotation ended up making it a wasted season. Its a shame because a good one got away. 5. DRAKE: Whether youre a fan of his music or not is secondary because the more I reflect on his association with the Raptors, the more I see the impact that Drake can have for the organization in the next few years assisting in recruiting players to play in Toronto, as well as with retention efforts of players you want to keep here. Hes a passionate guy about his hometown and, as a former college coach who used to recruit for a living, you never know whats going to influence a player to commit to your team. I learned a long time ago that "what you think matters doesnt and what you think doesnt does." Its amazing when you look into the minds and thought process of talented athletes to see what their agenda is. Any way you can tip the scales in your favour, you do it. Hes got tremendous respect and cred with todays NBA player and if that helps even just a little bit, its a partnership thats well worth it. Obviously, money and playing time are always huge factors for players and agents, yet when you get past that, you never really know whats going to put you over the hump in the process. Every single edge you can gain on your competition, the better. The thing I like about him, too, is that his passion for the sport is legit. Satchel Paige Jersey . It was a move of some time in the making. “He hasnt thrown well, clearly some guys are being used more than him right now and the only way to get out of this funk is to pitch,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Roberto Perez Jersey . With Washington teammate Nene drawing double-teams coming off his big game against the Lakers, Gortat scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Wizards to a 100-92 win in overtime over Milwaukee on Wednesday night. http://www.authenticindiansproshop.com/indians-francisco-lindor-jersey/ . -- A.J. Burnett was happy to escape from New York.Marit Bjoergen lived up to her billing as the hot favorite by winning the womens 15-kilometer skiathlon at Sochi on Saturday, giving the Norwegian cross-country skier her fourth career Olympic gold medal. Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze. Bjoergen was the most successful athlete of the Vancouver Games with three gold medals, a silver and a bronze and showed right away she has the ability to match that feat in Sochi. With a group of five skiers staying together until the last kilometer, Kalla tried to pull away in the final tough uphill section and decide the race before the final sprint. Only Bjoergen was able to match her pace going up the hill, and the Norwegian then went in front as they entered the stadium. Kalla had no answer for the strong finish by Bjoergen, who had time to turn her head and then raise her arm in celebration as she crossed the line. The skiathlon event starts with 7.5 kilometers of classical-style skiing before switching to freestyle, making it a tough test of the athhletes all-round abilities. Larry Doby Jersey. Kalla won the 10K freestyle event in Vancouver four years ago and showed she has vastly improved her classical style skiing since then. She has never finished on the podium in a skiathlon on the World Cup circuit and celebrated as if she had won on Saturday, raising her arms to celebrate as she crossed the line behind Bjoergen and then jumping up and down holding her skis in the air. She prevented a Norwegian sweep of the medals, with Therese Johaug finishing fourth. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland was fifth. Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland, a three-time overall World Cup winner who has been struggling with a foot injury, was with the leading group of seven skiers at the halfway mark but slipped and fell just as she was about to enter her station for the ski change and lost several seconds. She exited the ski change 7.4 seconds behind Kalla, and never came any closer during the freestyle. Entering the last lap, she was nearly 19 seconds behind and she finished sixth, 58.1 seconds back. The next womens event is the individual freestyle sprint on Tuesday, when Bjoergen is again among the favorites. The mens 30K skiathlon is Sunday. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '