The Toronto Raptors picked up their form this past week, but it proved to be costly. Whose stock rose and who fell?
Finally! The Toronto Raptors are playing like a competent team once more. After dropping three games in a row and then splitting a win and a loss with the Chicago Bulls and the LA Clippers, the Raptors picked up three wins this week to finish a comfortable 3-0.
It came at a cost, though. The injury bug struck once more against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, even in a comfortable performance. After losing Fred VanVleet last week, Nick Nurse has to deal with the loss of two more starters in his lineup. Both Marc Gasol and Norman Powell were gameday casualties – one in the first quarter and one in the fourth – and the Raptors could be set to lose both for a considerable amount of time.
How they respond is key, but empirical evidence suggests that – despite losing two vital pieces to the lineup – the Raptors will survive. The bench stepped up in the absence of Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka initially, and Powell provided ample cover when VanVleet went down.
Nick Nurse has the pieces necessary to survive, he just needs to place them in the right lineups. If anyone can do it, it’s a title-winning head coach.
Overall, this week turned out to be an overall improvement from the last, even if the injuries are the overarching factor of the week. Wins against the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Detroit Pistons were enough to see the Raptors ease themselves into a perfect week.
As always, we’re here to dissect the good and the bad. Unlike last week, it’s not all bad as we were treated to some pretty decent performances. Who were they, though? Better yet, who didn’t do so well?