LAS VEGAS - Nearly a month into his unorthodox NBA journey, with less than three games of Summer League experience on his brief resume, Bruno Caboclo sat on the Raptors bench, towel draped over his head as he wiped the tears that were building up in his eyes. Its been a week of firsts for the young Brazilian, a roller coaster of emotions that culminated in a frustrating evening. Five days ago he signed his first NBA contract, a "dream come true" as he described it. Three days ago he played in his first NBA game - scoring the first bucket for Torontos Summer League entry in Las Vegas - and on Monday he had his first real NBA learning experience, one he wont soon forget. With his team down by almost 30 points late in the third quarter, frustration already starting to boil over after committing his seventh turnover, Caboclo went up to contest highflying Mavericks rookie C.J. Fair, who would end up putting the 18-year-old on the wrong end of a poster. To make matters worse, he was assigned a technical foul for his reaction after being dunked on. Still unfamiliar with all of the leagues rules and hindered by a significant language barrier, Caboclo believed he had been ejected, heading straight to the bench where he remained for the duration of the game. "I wanted to get him back in the game," said Jesse Mermuys, Raptors assistant and Summer League head coach, following his teams lopsided 88-57 loss to Dallas. "I wanted him to get back out there but he was definitely overwhelmed at that point." For all the upside and the justifiable excitement surrounding the intriguing, albeit mysterious Brazilian here at the leagues annual summer tournament - his athleticism, competitive spirit, impressive defensive instincts and a wingspan you have to see to believe - this served as a reminder. Nothing about his learning process is easy, there are going to be bumps along the way. "Weve got to remember Bruno is 18-years-old," Mermuys cautioned. "He is a kid who does not speak English, this is his first experience. I cant tell you guys how proud I am of that kid." "Im super pleased that he was put in this position, the fight that he showed and that he showed an emotion and you could tell how much he cared and how much he felt bad that they were losing like that," Mermuys said of the Raptors 20th overall selection in last months draft. "You find out what a kids like and what a players like in those types of situations, you really find out who they are. And we have a great kid and a great competitor. And so from that standpoint today was a big success." With the exceptional, life-changing opportunity Caboclo has been offered by Masai Ujiri and the Raptors, comes the challenge - in his case, a unique challenge - that inevitably goes with it. Caboclo, the leagues youngest player, is just weeks into the extensive and trying process of learning the game, his coaches, teammates and a new language in a continent hes only visited once before. His translator and closest advisor Eduardo Resende has returned home, leaving for Brazil on Sunday after helping to ease Caboclos transition. Now, hes on his own. "The best way to learn is by being thrown into the fire," said a member of the Raptors front office, who has been impressed and pleasantly surprised with Caboclos quick progress. Through three games in Vegas, Caboclo is averaging 11.3 points, 1.0 steal, 3.7 turnovers and 5.3 fouls, shooting 41 per cent in 25.0 minutes per contest. He has been confident and assertive, showing flashes of what he can become with some seasoning, hard work, and added muscle. On the court, communication issues have been noticeable, as you might expect. Often, his coaches will point to the spot on the floor hes expected to be, with teammates directing him and screaming out his name. Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira, his teammate and countryman, has been an asset, serving as a translator on the floor and relaying information to Caboclo in his native Portuguese. Sitting next to an emotional Caboclo on the bench, Nogueira was the first to console the Raptors forward, offering him words of encouragement and advice. "Its American basketball, its not Brazil, its not Europe," the 21-year-old Nogueira told Caboclo. "Here, everybody [can] jump. Keep playing, think about [the] next play. Dont think about the last play. If youre thinking about the last play, you are giving up. Never give up. Use that dunk on you [to] grow up. Mermuys admits he may have overextended Caboclo a bit in the second half but didnt want to take him out of the game because he was playing so hard. Although the frustrations of the moment and the high standard hes set for himself may have played a part in Caboclos emotional outburst, Nogueira offered up another interesting explanation. "In Brazil you dont have athletic players like C.J. Fair and other guys," Nogueira said. "Americans are amazing, its amazing, everyone can jump here. In Brazil, no. Nobody dunk on him there, because he is big and hes athletic. And hes 18-years-old, so its normal he is sad." By all accounts, Caboclo is a sponge both on and off the floor, eager to learn and highly motivated to get better. Hes about three weeks into his English lessons, spending 90 minutes with his tutor almost every day before games and practices. In the hopes of better communicating with his coaches and teammates, the first sentence he asked to learn was, "Where do I go?," a question he asks frequently in practice, to the delight of the team. A lesson is only as good as what youre willing to take from it. The Raptors are confident that Caboclo will continue to evolve with each roadblock he faces. As for the emotional outpour, they see it as positive quality rather than a sign of weakness. "I just think the kid has a big heart," Mermuys said. "He tried to put us on his shoulders, he was battling out there and his emotions came to the surface because of the situation we were in. I would be frustrated if I was him too, I was frustrated as the coach. We didnt get much fight, we were down 30 and thats a tough situation in front of a crowd for your third NBA game. Its tough." "I think Bruno, he has a good head and I think thats going to help him to grow up," Nogueira echoed. "I know he is young, but a great guy. I think that play will help him in the future. He is never giving up."
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. There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season.MONACO, Monaco - For Monaco, life without Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez has proved less difficult than expected. At least in the Champions League.Leonardo Jardims team has been struggling with consistency in the French league but lost only once on Europes biggest stage so far this season. Despite a poor offensive record, it only needs a draw at home against Zenit on Tuesday to qualify for the knockout phase.Monaco can even top Group C depending on Bayer Leverkusens result at last-placed Benfica.Here are some things to know ahead of Tuesdays matches:___BERBATOV HITTING FORMMonaco could qualify with a goalless draw and by doing so become the first team to have ever progressed from the group stage with only two goals scored — the side current tally.Monaco has been struggling for goals since the departures of Falcao and Rodriguez, but the good news for Jardim is that Dimitar Berbatov has finally returned to form.The former Manchester United striker has looked rejuvenated over the past week, finding the net three times, including a brace in a 2-0 win over Toulouse on Friday as Monaco posted consecutive wins only for the second time this season.___RACISM ALLEGATIONSZenits 4-0 thrashing of FC Krasnodar on Saturday sent the St. Petersburg side into the Russian leagues three-month winter break with a seven-point lead. It also restored confidence after some mixed recent form at home and in Europe, including three defeats in the preceding five games in all competitions. But theres a racism row brewing after striker Hulk accused Russian referee Alexei Matyunin of telling him that he did not like black people.That referee was previously found to have racially abused a player from Russias North Caucasus in 2011, but cleared on appeal. Zenit coach Andre Villas-Boas has said he believes Hulk and the Russian Football Union has yet to decidee whether it will investigate.ddddddddddddZenits Alexander Kerzhakov and Javi Garcia are injured and have not flown out with the team to Monaco.___LEVERKUSENS POOR EFFICIENCYBayer Leverkusen is through but still hoping for first place in the group, although captain and midfielder Lars Bender is not travelling to Lisbon because of an abdominal muscle injury. Bender aggravated the injury in the 1-0 loss on Saturday at Bayern Munich.Director Rudi Voeller said Leverkusens goal in Lisbon is clear: We want to win the group.Leverkusen looked good against Bayern in the first half, but was outplayed in the second and was lucky to escape having conceded a solitary goal. Still, it is one of the few teams in the Bundesliga that has troubled Bayern. Had Karim Bellarabi converted his chance early in the match, the outcome might have been different.___BENFICAS WOEAlready out of the tournament, Benfica is trying to avoid another unhappy milestone. If the Lisbon club doesnt beat Bayer, it will have recorded its worst-ever group campaign.Benfica also went out at the group stage in the past two seasons, when it dropped into the Europa League.The second-tier competition also brought disappointment, though: Benfica reached the final in the last two seasons, but lost both times.___HOW THEY ADVANCELeverkusen will be guaranteed first place with a win at Benfica, or if it draws and Monaco fails to win.Monaco will progress with a draw, which will be enough to top the group if Bayer loses. Monaco will also finish first if it wins and Leverkusen fails to grab three points in Portugal.Zenit will qualify with a win and can seal the groups first place if Leverkusen loses. Benfica is condemned to fourth place whatever its result.___Nesha Stracevic in Frankfurt, Barry Hatton in Lisbon and James Ellingworth in Moscow contributed to this report.
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