Re: Two Raptors make history! http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/211937One who arrived with a significant amount of hype and another who crept in under the radar have both achieved something new in the annals of the Toronto Raptors.Andrea Bargnani, the highly touted No.1 draft pick and Jorge Garbajosa, a 29-year-old free agent from Spain, were both named to the NBA's all-rookie first team yesterday, the first time Toronto teammates have earned that honour.Brandon Roy of Portland was the lone unanimous choice in first-team voting by the league's head coaches, each of whom voted without choosing anyone from their own teams. Bargnani was named to the first team on 28 ballots and the second team on the other. Garbajosa made the first team on 13 ballots and the second on 11.Bargnani made his mark by being the third-leading scorer among rookies, averaging 11.6 points per game. He started the season slowly but became an integral part of the Raptors' rotation in the middle of the season. He also displayed a character that seemed oblivious to the hype that came with being the first European drafted first overall."Andrea seems impervious to anything and everything," coach Sam Mitchell said during the recent Raptors-Nets playoff series. "I don't care what you ask Andrea, he's always fine. I have no idea what goes on in his head. All I know is 7:30, 8 o'clock, Big Rook's ready to play."I know two things: he's not going to turn down any wide-open shot and he's not afraid to go play. He's going to show up and when he says he's ready to go, he's ready to go."Garbajosa made his mark not with flashy plays or athleticism but with the smarts that come with being an 11-year professional. The 6-foot-9 small forward came to Toronto after a stellar career in Italy and Spain and became one the team's unsung stars.His season ended with a gruesome injury in early March when he fractured his left leg and dislocated the ankle in a fall during a game in Boston.Bargnani also finished second to Roy in rookie-of-the-year balloting, while Garbajosa was fifth in rookie rebounding at 4.9 per game and tied for fifth with Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge in the voting.Rounding out the first team were Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies.The second team is made up of Utah's Paul Millsap, Adam Morrison of the Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas of the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota's Craig Smith. Boston's Rajon Rondo, Charlotte's Walter Herrmann and New Jersey's Marcus Williams tied for the final spot on the squad.
