Toronto Raptors: Stock Take, plus Pascal Siakam hits his stride

Marc Gasol & Norman Powell

Oh come on, this is getting a little ridiculous now. Someone call the Basketball Gods and tell them they must have us mixed up with someone else because the Toronto Raptors – and in fairness, every team in the NBA – do not deserve this sort of injury luck.

After barely having a full team back together after losing Lowry and Serge Ibaka for a considerable amount of time, the Raptors quickly saw Fred VanVleet fall foul to the injury bug last week, and then against the Pistons on Wednesday night, Marc Gasol and Norman Powell were the lastest casualties.

First, Gasol pulled up in discomfort in the opening stages of the game, grabbing his hamstring when working back in transition. It was quickly assumed that he would not return to the court, and the news came that he wouldn’t. Hamstring injuries are a nasty business and despite not having any official timeframe, we might not see Gasol for a few weeks.

To make matters even worse, the Raptors would lose Norman Powell late in the day to yet another shoulder injury, and he too looked in a lot of pain. Injuries always suck in any context, but given that Powell was maybe playing the best basketball of his career over the last four games prior, this comes as an even bigger blow.

Powell was stepping up in the absence of VanVleet, just like he stepped up in the absence of Lowry. Seeing the Raptors lose two key contributors is worrying, so this is not good.

VERDICT: STOCK DOWN