BURNABY, B. Stitched Blues Jerseys .C. - Amir Johnson has injured his ankles so many times, hes become intimate with playing hurt. Feeling good is fleeting.So the 27-year-old Toronto Raptors workhorse spent several weeks of his off-season in Santa Barbara, Calif., at The Peak Performance Project a€” or P3 a€” learning how to reduce the chances of rolling his ankle.It was something different for sure and it was very interesting, Johnson said after Fridays practice.Sport scientists in Santa Barbara attached sensors to Johnson a€” much like the motion sensors used in building a video game character a€” and then watched the six-foot-nine player move.They can basically break it down where they can see your skeleton on the video screen, Johnson said. He had me doing a series of moves where I slide, I jump and I run and they can see the way I land or the way I move.It all came down to how Johnson plants his feet, and minor tweaks, such as turning his foot a certain way, the scientists said, will help keep him from rolling it.So I have been working on this all summer pretty much and change the way I move or take different steps, Johnson said. Canadian star Andrew Wiggins has worked at P3, as along with dozens of other professional athletes of all sports, including fellow NBA players Al Jefferson and Dwight Howard. It felt good, Johnson said. Im all about doing different stuff and it was different for me so I was excited about it. I put all my effort into it.I think its too early to tell (the results) but so far so good.The summer spent in California was a relatively quiet one for Johnson, who travelled to Thailand a year earlier, posting pictures of himself riding an elephant on social media.The Raptors would love to see a healthy Johnson, who has played the better part of his Toronto career with nagging ankle injuries.Johnson is going into his 10th season in the NBA, and along with all-star DeMar DeRozan a€” who both arrived in 2009 a€” is the longest serving Raptor. Coach Dwane Casey has liked what hes seen of Johnson at training camp.Amirs been fine. He knows how to play, hes gone hard in the scrimmages and the drills, he and James (Johnson) were battling today and I thought it was a good battle for Amir, Casey said. But Amirs an old vet, he knows when to hold em, he knows when to roll em.A vet maybe, but Johnson, whos heading into his 10th NBA season, doesnt see himself as old a€” even if his ankles tell him otherwise some days.It depends on how you take care of your body, he said. If you do that a€” eat right and stay in the gym a€” you pretty much can play as many years as you want. I mean look at Kevin Garnett. Hes going into his 20th season which is incredible. He has longevity.Johnson, who signed a five-year deal worth $27 million in 2009 a€” a move that had former GM Bryan Colangelo mercilessly mocked by fans and analysts a€” is heading into another contract season. He insists it wont be on his mind.I pretty much never worry about that, Johnson said. For me my game is pretty much the same. I take steps where Im getting better and better and each year Im going up the charts so I never worry about that. Cheap Blues Jerseys . "I have had no discussions with Chad Johnson or his representation," Popp said Friday in an email. However, he appeared to confirm a report on Twitter from TSN this week that Johnson was on Montreals negotiation list. St.Louis Blues Gear . Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the club. Clemons spent his first five NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of Clemson. https://www.cheapblues.com/ . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory.MADRID, Spain -- Top-ranked Rafael Nadal is back in a clay court final at the Madrid Open, where Japans Kei Nishikori denied an all-Spanish meeting by converting his 10th match point in a grueling victory over David Ferrer on Saturday. Nadal, the defending champion, reached his first clay final since winning in Rio de Janeiro in February with a 6-4, 6-4 win against countryman Roberto Bautista Agut. Ferrer saved nine match points before Nishikori ultimately overcame his late nerves for a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3 victory that propelled him into his first Masters series final. Earlier, Maria Sharapova held her nerve to reach her second consecutive womens final, where she will play Simona Halep of Romania. After Nishikori won the first set, Ferrer delivered an ace to save his first match point in the 10th game, then broke Nishikori on the fifth try one game later. Ferrer took it to a third set after saving two break points. Despite needing treatment on his right thigh before the start of the deciding set, Nishikoris powerful groundstrokes overwhelmed Ferrer for a key break in the sixth game. There was a dramatic ninth game that lasted nearly 20 minutees. St.Louis Blues Store. Nishikori smashed error after error with victory in his grasp as the local fans backed Ferrer, who ultimately hit long for the 12th-ranked Nishikori to earn his 14th straight win, including a perfect 10-0 on clay this season. Bautista Agut, playing in his first career Masters series semifinal, couldnt match the experience of Nadal, who continues to improve after coming to the Magic Box centre having lost at consecutive clay tournaments for the first time in a decade. Nadal took advantage of Bautista Aguts timid start to break right away for a lead he would never surrender. Nadals concentration dipped temporarily in the second set as Bautista Agut clawed to within 4-3 before Nadal overcame his 21 errors by pulling away to reach his 90th career final. "Psychologically speaking about Monte Carlo and Barcelona, whenever I had nerves, I was not ready and I was a little bit down," said Nadal, bidding to be the first repeat winner from his sixth final appearance. "I am mentally more stable and more confident things will go well. This is great news going into tomorrows match and for the future." ' ' '