Week 7 saw the Toronto Raptors finish a mediocre 0-3 as they faced off against tough playoff opponents in both the East and West. What Raptor performances made the top five?
The Toronto Raptors saw a nice boost as they welcomed back Kyle Lowry back into their rotation and starting lineup to begin week seven. With the Raptors clicking on all cylinders over the past few weeks, there was some questioning whether the return of Lowry could potentially hurt the team’s chemistry. Well, since Lowry has returned to the floor, the Raptors are 0-3 with losses against the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
There were a few glaring reasons for this poor week, however. Firstly, Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry were both still getting into a rhythm on the offensive and defensive end. Both players needed to work on their shot-making and chemistry. The rotation has been tweaked since their injuries with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson earning rotation minutes and Norman Powell pushing for a bigger role in the offense. Players like Lowry and Ibaka will need to find a way to adapt to the new changes Nick Nurse has implemented.
The second reason for their poor week can be directly correlated to their bad shooting. No not just Lowry and Ibaka, but the entire team as a whole shot poorly from the field the entire week. The team as a whole shot 43-percent against Houston, 38-percent against Miami and 43-percent against Philadelphia. Those numbers will have to go up if the Raptors are to beat the tougher teams in the league.
Fred VanVleet‘s unfortunate injury against Philadelphia could be the last reason why they were unable to muster up a win this week. While it is hardly an excuse as they were already 0-2 for the week prior to the injury, VanVleet’s presence could have seriously helped against Philly as they were able to keep the game close at the end of the fourth quarter and could have used VanVleet’s shot-creating and playmaking abilities.
It is not abnormal for teams to have bad weeks and this was just that for the Raptors. Still, it raises some questions. Can this team actually compete against the tougher competition in the league? Was their strong start unsustainable? Many of these questions will be answered as the season continues.
Regardless, win or lose, it is still important to recognize performances from players that still play at 100-percent and leave it all on the court. With that being said, what Raptors performances made the top five this week?