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. Christian Jaros Jersey . 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. Nate Thompson Jersey . Fans in the Jets viewing region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 5:30pm ct and listeners can tune in to TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg. Craig Anderson Jersey . Louis Blues were workmanlike, methodical and -- most of all -- effective on Monday night. http://www.hockeysenatorsonline.us/johnny-oduya-hockey-jersey/ .Y. -- When the New York Islanders lead was cut in half in the opening minute of the third period, the sense of impending doom began wafting through Nassau Coliseum.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A 16-driver championship field that would be whittled down to create a winner-take-all season finale is among radical changes reportedly being considered by NASCAR. NASCAR chairman Brian France has repeatedly said he wants to place a greater emphasis on winning, and hes never ruled out tinkering with the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format in an effort to create the "Game 7 moments" he covets. The Charlotte Observer first reported Friday night a possible overhaul to the Chase format that France first introduced in 2004 and has made periodic changes to several times since. Citing anonymous sources, The Observer outlined three major changes beginning with expanding the field from 12 drivers to 16 -- meaning a win during the "regular season" would virtually guarantee a driver a spot in the field. Once the field is set, The Observer said NASCAR is considering eliminations during the 10-race Chase. The field would be cut after the third, sixth and ninth races. The proposed eliminations would drop the lowest four drivers from title contention after the third, sixth and ninth races, leaving four drivers eligible for a "winner-take-all" race in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The four remaining drivers would go into Homestead with their points reset and tied in the standings, The Observer said. A statement from NASCAR chief communications officer Brett Jewkes was non-committal on The Observer report. "NASCAR has begun the process of briefing key industry stakeholders on potential concepts to evolve its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship format," Jewkes said. "This dialogue is the final phase of a multi-year process that has included the review of extensive fan research, partner and industry feedback and other data-driven insights. NASCAR has no plans to comment further until the stakeholder discussions are complete. We hope to announce any potential changes for the 2014 season to our media and fans very soon." But driver Denny Hamlin posted a series of Tweets on Saturday afternoon that supported the format if NASCAR ultimately moves forward with the changes. NASCAR is expected to officially outline any changes later this month. "This points system change is going to be a really good thing. Trust in it and watch how exciting each chase race is going to be," Hamlin posted. Hamlin also Tweeted that every Chase race will now be as exciting as the September race at Richmond, which is the final race to set the Chase field. He also responded to two fans who criticized the format. One arggued it was "artificially construed excitement" instead of the traditional consistency that NASCAR used for decades in crowning its champion. Kyle Turris Jersey. "Consistency will keep you up top," Hamlin replied. Hamlin received support from 2012 Cup champion Brad Keselowski, who replied on Twitter to him that he also liked the reported new format. "Guess we may be in the minority here," Keselowski said. NASCAR has been working feverishly behind the scenes to improve its on-track product, particularly at 1.5-mile tracks, and at least some changes are expected to the points system to meet Frances desire to put a greater emphasis on winning. France was thrilled with the finish of the March race at California, where feuding drivers Hamlin and Joey Logano relentlessly raced for the win. The two ended up wrecking -- Hamlin ended up with a broken bone in his back that sidelined him for more than a month -- and Kyle Busch slid through the carnage for the victory as a furious Tony Stewart nearly came to blows with Logano on pit road. Its that kind of competitiveness, compelling action and drama that France seeks every week. Despite introducing The Chase in 2004, NASCAR has failed to create many of those breathtaking "Game 7" moments in the finale. The debut was successful as Kurt Busch beat Jimmie Johnson for the title by eight points, and five drivers went into the 2005 finale mathematically eligible to win the championship. Then Jimmie Johnson reeled off five consecutive championships, snapped only by Tony Stewarts race-winning, championship-deciding showing in the 2011 finale. Keselowski won easily in 2012 when Johnson was felled by mechanical problems, and it was Johnson, again, in an easy Sunday drive for win No. 6 in November. So a shake up to the system wouldnt be unexpected. But it may not necessarily look like what The Observer reported -- the newspaper was clear the format is only being considered -- because its not unlike NASCAR to float ideas to gauge reaction. For example, NASCAR officials met in October with drivers to discuss an overhaul to qualifying procedures. Among the "potential" changes discussed that day was road course-style qualifying everywhere but Daytona and Talladega. NASCAR said it was considering a 60-minute drafting session for Daytona and Talladega qualifying. In reality, cars will qualify as usual next month at Daytona while NASCAR is now apparently considering three rounds of "knockout style" qualifying -- similar to what Formula One and IndyCar use -- everywhere else but Talladega. 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