Toronto Raptors: Perseverance through injuries in December
Roster Changes
Injuries have been the story of the Raptors’ season. December was brutal as multiple players sustained serious injuries that require them to miss a considerable amount of time. Three players on the roster have been out since the middle of December, and there is no sign of when they will make their return to the lineup. Here is a breakdown of the injuries and roster changes that have happened in the past month.
The biggest injury by far for Toronto is emerging star Pascal Siakam. Siakam was hurt in the team’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons on December 18. It was labeled as a groin injury and he was ruled out indefinitely.
Siakam was having an all-star worthy campaign before his injury averaging 25 points, eight rebounds one block, and a steal. He was Raptors’ primary scoring option and was one of their better defensive players. Losing him has resulted in Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet having to pick up the load offensively.
OG Anunoby and Rondae Hollis Jefferson have both had some time at the power forward spot since Siakam has been out, and they both have been serviceable during that time. Although neither of their offensive games is equivalent to Spicy-P’s, their effort and activity on defense and on the glass compensate.
Both haven’t been consistent offensively since Pascal’s been out which could be a cause for concern. Nick Nurse acknowledged that he needs to do more to get both OG and Hollis-Jefferson involved on offense. With there being no timetable on Siakam’s return, OG and RHJ will continue to get minutes at the power forward spot. Hopefully, they can start to produce more on offense to take some of the pressure off Lowry and VanVleet.
Norman Powell was another player injured against the Pistons. He is dealing with a shoulder injury and has been out indefinitely. Powell is a key contributor off the bench and even played well as a starter when Kyle Lowry was out with his hand injury. Powell has provided a boost offensively when in the rotation averaging 14.4 points on 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.
Powell was able to travel with the team to Boston, which should be seen as a good sign. Even though he still is labeled “out indefinitely”, he seems to be further along the rehab process than Siakam. There should be hope that he returns to the lineup soon. Patrick McCaw has been the beneficiary of Powell’s minutes, along with Terence Davis. McCaw has shown improvement in his game and even had his best game as a pro against the Boston Celtics (18 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.)
Marc Gasol was the third player injured in the Pistons game. Gasol hurt his hamstring and was also slapped with the “out indefinitely” tag. The defense that Gasol brings to the table is what the Raptors miss. He is a force down low defensively and when put together with his intelligence on that side of the court, he is very hard to replace.
Serge Ibaka and Chris Boucher have done a nice job holding down the fort since Gasol’s injury. Boucher has performed well, having two 20 point outings since Gasol went down. Ibaka has also upped his scoring output as he has had three 20 point outings of his own. Both have been forces on defense as well by blocking shots and bringing an intimidation factor on the inside.
Matt Thomas has been out since fracturing his finger in November and still hasn’t made a return to the court. Per Nick Nurse, he hasn’t been cleared for contact yet, so it is unknown when the sharpshooter will come back. The plethora of injuries resulted in Oshae Brissett being called up from the 905 and he has been decent in the minutes he has played in.