Dein erstes Forum » long hell play. But he knows that he only wa

TORONTO - At the ripe old age of 26, Amir Johnson - the teams second-most experienced player - is one of only two Raptors starters that can give a firsthand account of what it will be like to compete in the postseason. "All he says is, its crazy," DeMar DeRozan told reporters following Torontos win over the Pistons Wednesday. The Raptors longest-serving members, Johnson and DeRozan have had two coaches and 56 different teammates in five seasons with the club, all without appearing in a single playoff game. Before becoming a fixture in Toronto, Johnson logged 56 minutes in 11 postseason contests spanning over two seasons with the Pistons. At the time, the forward was primarily a spectator, mentored by the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Antonio McDyess. Johnson is a man of few words but hes shared a couple with DeRozan, who is poised to make his playoff debut next month. "Amir says one word and you really just have to go off that one word, how he explains something," said the Raptors all-star guard. "Everything is crazy to him. So, he always says its crazy." "Its crazy, D," Johnson interjected from his locker on the far side of the room. "See, so its crazy," DeRozan continued. "Playoffs are going to be crazy." Up until this season, DeRozan and Johnson had endured 190 losses to just 119 wins in Raptors red. They havent played in a meaningful late-season game since their first year with the team, Chris Boshs last. Their bond is a unique one, as you might expect, having experienced the trials and tribulations of the Raptors four-year playoff drought together. "Thats my dog, man," DeRozan said of Johnson, both hail from the state of California. "Amirs known me [since] I was running around with the same pair of dirty shoes on playing basketball. We always used to look up to Amir, especially in LA. He was a big star and everything. Its definitely cool just to be here with him." "People dont know, Amirs my cousin," he said with a smirk, jokingly, we think. "You can ask Amir." So we did. "Oh man, I dont know," he responded, this was news to him. "I have no idea. Somewhere down the line, I guess. I guess were cousins, I dont know. Ive got to talk to his mom, talk to my mom and see." DeRozan, the Raptors leading scorer, is enjoying a career year but the playoffs - as coach Dwane Casey has cautioned - are a different animal. The atmosphere is intensified, the competition more fierce, scoring opportunities are harder to come by, weaknesses are magnified and in a seven-game series the oppositions scouting report will undoubtedly feature DeRozan. Theres been a steep playoff learning curve for Raptors stars of the past. Bosh, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady each shot under 40 per cent from the field in their first postseason series. Making his playoff debut as a 23-year-old in 2000, Carter shot just 30 per cent, turning the ball over nearly three times per contest in a three-game sweep to the Knicks. Even with that in mind, DeRozan believes hes more prepared than most. While many players on losing teams find it far too maddening to watch their peers compete for a title in April and May, the Raptors guard has done just that each year hes missed out, making notes and using them for motivation. "I had to [watch]," he admitted, "just to understand, to see how it was. Youre playing the same team, possibly seven times. Just to understand that and see the different schemes out there and try to really get a knowledge of how its played." "Thats why I work so hard. It always bugged me going home early, just sitting there, doing nothing. It used to make me so hungry. Ive got a lot of friends that play in the playoffs and Ive always got to hear them all summer talk about their experience in the playoffs. Its always pushing me even further. I just want to get there, not even for myself, just for this organization as well. It definitely feels good that were moving in the right direction now." Tyrod Taylor Browns Jersey . After losing Brett Cecil to groin tightness on Friday, the Blue Jays watched as R. Zane Gonzalez Browns Jersey .J. -- Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch deservedly draw the attention for what theyve done in getting the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. http://www.brownsauthenticproshop.com/Yo...s-Jersey/.Those stars, most notably the top line of James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel, struggled against the Montreal Canadiens and must be better as the Leafs look ahead to facing the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers this weekend. Darren Fells Jersey .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Antonio Callaway Jersey . On Sunday, head coach Patrick Roy said the teams leading scorer will skate at Mondays morning practice and the club will make a decision on his status for Game 6 at that point.HOUSTON - Andre Johnson wants to finish his career in Houston and has moved past whatever bad feelings kept him away from the team for much of this off-season.Johnson, who is in his 12th season, isnt sure how long hell play. But he knows that he only wants to suit up for the Texans.I dont want to play for nobody else ... I dont even think it would feel right, he said.Thats a change from an off-season where he wondered if Houston was still the place for me before skipping all of the teams off-season work. He returned in time for training camp and certainly doesnt feel that way anymore.I couldnt imagine how it would feel to put on another uniform, he said Thursday.Johnson was drafted in the first round in 2003 in the franchises second season and hes by far the longest tenured player on the team. Despite dealing with years of lean times, which have included two 2-14 seasons, and more than his fair share of quarterback woes, Johnson is still confident that things will end well for him here.Yeah, why not? Johnson said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. You always want it to turn out OK. I always want things to work out here. Ive always wanted that.But at 33, Johnson has started wondering just how many years he has left to play. In moments of quiet reflection he sometimes thinks about the career of his idol Jerry Rice and marvels at how long he was able to play.You see something on TV, like watching the NFL Network and you see a clip of Jerry Rice or something, Johnson said. And you sit there and youre just like: Man this guy played for 20 years and Im in my 12th year. How did he play eight more years? I cant imagine myself playing for eight more seasons. I just cant see that happening.But he wasnt ready to completely rule it out on Thursday, perhaps buoyed by Hooustons win against Tennessee on Sunday where the Texans set a franchise record with 45 points.dddddddddddd.I wouldnt say never, but right now I just cant imagine that, Johnson said.When he was younger his goal was to play for 10 seasons. After he passed that number, he decided 15 years might be a good time to hang it up. Now that hes in his 30s, hes gotten a kick out of helping mentor younger players and has taken a special interest in DeAndre Hopkins, a first-round pick last season.Its fun just to see him grow as a player, even grow as a person, Johnson said. Hes learning and I think thats the biggest thing. Every day he is in here working his butt off. I get to sit back and watch it.Hopkins has more than 1,000 yards receiving this season and said that there isnt anything Johnson hasnt helped him with.Everything and all of the above, Hopkins said.Though Hopkins is slowly taking over as Houstons go-to receiver, Johnson is still producing at a high level and has 65 receptions for 720 yards and two touchdowns this year. Its another solid season in a career where he has had 1,100 yards receiving or more seven times, including a career-high 1,598 in 2012.He has 13,381 yards receiving in his career, just two yards shy of eclipsing Torry Holt for 12th on the all-time list. Johnson could also reach another milestone on Sunday at Jacksonville, needing just eight catches to become the 10th player in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions.It will be big when it happens, Johnson said. Not many people have been able to do it. To be in that category, it will mean a lot.If he does it on Sunday he would tie Marvin Harrison for fastest to reach the mark by doing it in his 167th career game.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Blackhawks Jerseys Store Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Penguins Jerseys Store Capitals Jerseys For Sale Blues Jerseys Store Cheap Kings Jerseys Adidas Lightning Jerseys Stars Jerseys For Sale Cheap Predators Jerseys Ducks Store Sharks Jerseys For Sale Cheap Sabres Jerseys Rangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '