TORONTO - Two weeks into training camp, Raptors All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan hasnt missed a beat, picking up where he left off following last years breakout campaign. Stitched Royals Jerseys . His conditioning, confidence and leadership qualities have caught the attention of Dwane Casey and the rest of the coaching staff, something the 25-year-old credits to his eventful off-season. With his sixth and most important season around the corner, DeRozan looks back at what he is calling the busiest summer of his life, capped off by a character building experience representing his country and helping Team USA win gold at the FIBA World Cup. DeRozan shares the highs and lows of his experience, including his toughest moment - watching Paul George suffer a gruesome leg injury, recalling what that moment was like for him and his teammates. He also has strong words for those who believe the risk of lending NBA players to international competition outweighs the reward. You can listen to the full interview HERE. Below is a transcript of the conversation. TSN.ca: DeMar, for you and Kyle both it seems like youve hit the ground running, a seamless transition from the season to playoffs to the summer and now to camp. How important has it been for you, not just this year but throughout your career, to make sure youre in game shape when you come into camp each season? DeROZAN: Its definitely important, man. Its big because me personally, I never like playing catch-up. Id rather do that on my own time, when I first start working out after the season. Me and [Lowry] understand we carry a big load and weve got to lead by example. So if we come into training camp out of shape or whatever, its going to look bad and might carry over for the rest of our team. Weve got to push them and show them were working extremely hard. Weve got to be the toughest dudes out there when it comes to working hard. Thats our mindset and its been going well. TSN.ca: Is that something youre making a concerted effort in doing during the summer, making sure youre always in game shape and ready to go? DeROZAN: Yeah, because I learned something new last year, me personally. To be prepared for the playoffs you have to really take care of your body, really be in shape, playing an extended, longer season than Im usually playing. So this summer I really stepped up my conditioning, weight training, understanding Ive got to get a lot stronger come March, April, going into the playoffs. So just a learning experience, things you go through. TSN.ca: Did it feel like it was a busier summer for you this year? DeROZAN: Yeah, for sure. I had a lot going [on]. I was in Vegas for a while, doing the [USA] training camp so this technically feels like my third training camp throughout the summer. Its definitely been a busier summer but in a good way. I competed with a lot of great players and teamed up with a lot of great players who I can learn a lot from and I think its just carrying over. TSN.ca: Is there anyone specifically on that USA team, either a player or coach, that you took a little more from, on or off the court? DeROZAN: Not just one person in particular. I think just being around 11 top players in our league for a month and a half and learning from them, day in and day out, really played a big part in mental focus and really changing my approach to the game more. TSN.ca: You had been involved in the USA program previously with the select team, how was this experience different for you? DeROZAN: Actually winning a gold medal and being on the actual team, instead of just being one of the guys trying to make the team, I feel like I just took that next step. Thats what it was all about, why I did the select team in the first place and it was an honour being a part of it because I got the opportunity to win a gold medal at a high level. TSN.ca: I imagine one of the toughest parts of the experience was being there and seeing Paul Georges devastating injury, do you remember what that moment was like? DeROZAN: Yeah, it was just a dead moment. A real dead, sad moment. Just to see anybody get hurt like that, because he was a close friend of ours and that type of player. Im a good friend of Paul and just to see somebody go down like that and have to miss a whole season is definitely sad. TSN.ca: I think a lot of people would acknowledge that a freak injury like that can happen anywhere, at any time but some might make the argument that its too big of a risk and NBA players shouldnt be allowed to participate in international competition. What would you say to those people? DeROZAN: Nah, man. You can slip down the stairs and hurt yourself. It dont mean nothing. Thats all bull crap, honestly, when people say that because when you have the opportunity to do something that you might never have in your life again, why not do it? TSN.ca: For you, what did you take out of that experience that you wouldnt have had you not been on that team, playing for your country? DeROZAN: Man, I couldnt even explain it in words, honestly. It was so much. It was just life, you know what I mean? Overall, when it comes to life and basketball, your personal life, everything. You go through so much and you see something new that basketball takes you to. It took me winning a gold medal and everything else speaks for itself. Royals Jerseys 2019 . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. Royals Jerseys 2020 . New York (16-9-8) took over first place in the Eastern Conference and has the best record in the league with one game remaining. Houstons five-game unbeaten streak was snapped, and the Dynamo (13-11-9) are sixth in the East with one game remaining. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ .Mack, a reserve guard who came in averaging 3.8 points, made all six of his 3-pointers as the Hawks went 16 for 28 from behind the arc.Trailing 50-38 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Cleveland 89-48 the rest of the way and sent the Cavaliers to their largest loss of the season.CHICAGO - Forget Patrick Kanes flashy moves and Jonathan Toews steady play. Same for the rest of the talented forwards on the Chicago Blackhawks. Instead, check out the players who line up right behind the teams biggest stars. Chicagos athletic defencemen play a prominent role in the NHLs most potent offence. Duncan Keith leads all NHL defencemen with 30 assists. Niklas Hjalmarsson is on pace for career highs in goals and assists. Brent Seabrook has three goals and 23 assists after he had 20 points in 47 games last season. Nick Leddy and Johnny Oduya also have provided valuable support on offence. Its hard enough for teams to deal with the likes of Kane and Toews. Now, when Keith & Co. are coming up and taking aim, the Blackhawks turn into a goaltenders nightmare. "I love our defence. Theyve been huge for us the past two seasons," forward Patrick Sharp said. "They all skate well. They all move the puck and with the forwards that we have in our locker room, we like to get it with speed and they do a good job of getting it to us. Our defence (has) been the key to our team this year." The importance of Chicagos offensive defencemen was on full display Monday night, when the Blackhawks beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 for their sixth win in the last eight games. Leddy helped set up Kanes tiebreaking goal in the second period, and then capped the scoring with his fifth of the season in the third. Seabrook added two assists. It was the Blackhawks 15th game with at least five goals, running their league-best total to 145. They also lead the NHL with an average of 2.87 points a game by their defencemen, according to STATS, a significant increase from their 2.08 average for last seasons Stanley Cup-winning team. St. Louis, which hosts Chicago on Saturday night, is next on the list with 2.64 points a game for its defencemen and 128 goals overall. "I think as a defence corps you know that its important that we help control the offensive goal, not just necessarily scoring points but just being in on the attack and being an extra option that might create some space for our forwards," said Keith, who also had an assist against the Devils. Keith is one of the top contenders for the Norris Trophy after he took home the awward for the NHLs top defenceman in 2010. Fake Royals Jerseys. The 30-year-old Keith, who was selected by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2002 draft, has led the team in ice time every season since he made his debut in 2005. He plays alongside Seabrook in Chicagos top defensive pairing. "The two of them have been together basically since they broke into the league," said coach Joel Quenneville, a former NHL defenceman. "Thats been a big part of our team. When you think about all the shifts theyve played together, theres a lot of familiarity with one another and I think they complement each other for the right reasons." That familiarity is a common theme when it comes to the Blackhawks defencemen. Seabrook, a first-round draft pick by Chicago in 2003, had two of the Blackhawks biggest goals in their run to the title last season. He scored in overtime in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against Detroit after Chicago battled back from a 3-1 series deficit, and then had another overtime winner in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals at Boston. Hjalmarsson also was drafted by the Blackhawks and is in his seventh season with the team. The 22-year-old Leddy, a 2009 first-round selection by Minnesota, was acquired in a trade in 2010 and has played for Chicago for four seasons. Oduya came over in a February 2012 trade with Winnipeg. "Youre with a group or a linemate or a defence partner for a certain amount of time, you develop that chemistry on the ice and even off the ice," Keith said. "You become more familiar with one another and closer. I just think it helps the overall game on the ice knowing what guys tend to do out on the ice and what they want to do." The Blackhawks (26-7-6) also have done a strong job of finding the right players for their system, which emphasizes puck possession. The eight defencemen on Chicagos roster range in height from 6-foot (Leddy and Oduya) to 6-3 (Seabrook and Hjalmarsson) and weight from 190 pounds for Oduya to 221 for Seabrook. The top defencemen are all strong skaters who are comfortable with the puck on their stick and can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. "The style of play fits the player and the player fits style of play," Oduya said. "I think thats important." ' ' '