Raptors Rapture
Fansided

Toronto Raptors: Stock Take, plus Terence Davis turns it around

By Thomas Valentine

CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 8: Terence Davis #0 of the Toronto Raptors dunks the ball during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on January 8, 2020 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 8: Terence Davis #0 of the Toronto Raptors dunks the ball during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on January 8, 2020 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors – Kyle Lowry (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Toronto Raptors trudged to a 2-1 week as injuries continued to ravage the team. Whose stock rose and who fell this week?

If you can believe it, the Toronto Raptors are still fighting after a tough week of basketball. Injuries still have a grip of the team and, unbelievably, the Raptors now have another one to deal with. This time it’s Fred VanVleet, who is currently dealing with a hamstring injury.

That’s now three starting players and a key role player out of the picture due to injuries. If you’re counting, that’s 64.1 points per game gone. That doesn’t happen often, or ever. Teams go through injuries during a season — they are unavoidable. However, no one, ever, has to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. This season is an anomaly in its own right.

Excuses or not, the Raptors still had basketball to play this week — three games for good measure. The Raptors, despite the injury woes, persevered with wins against the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets sandwiching a disappointing home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers — a game the Raptors should never have thrown away.

After an impressive win against the Brooklyn Nets, led by Fred VanVleet’s dominant performance, the Raptors were forced to play a home-and-road back-to-back against the Blazers and Hornets. Against the Blazers, victory looked to be on the cards until a fourth-quarter Trail Blazers comeback led by Damian Lillard, and polished off by Carmelo Anthony, humbled the Raptors.

Shorthanded, fatigued, and on the road, the Raptors were looking to avoid a second successive defeat as they traveled to the Spectrum Center to take on the Hornets. Eventually, they got their wish, coming up big in an overtime win after clawing their way back into the game.

That game presented us with some big talking points and one which stands out the most. As always, though, I am a man of routine and ethics, which means I have to start with the bad. There’s only one place that makes the most sense.

Home/Raptors News