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Healthy roster and synergy key to Toronto Raptors’ excellent January

By William Ricks

TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 10: Kyle Lowry #7 hi-fiives Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors during Game Five of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 10: Kyle Lowry #7 hi-fiives Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors during Game Five of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
Norman Powell Toronto Raptors(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Roster Changes

The majority of the roster changes for the month of January have been additions and not subtractions, thankfully. The Toronto Raptors gained three key players back from injuries this month which adds more bodies and depth to the team. Even though they have added some pieces back, some players will be monitored day-to-day as they are dealing with some nagging injuries. Hopefully, they won’t have to miss any time.

Pascal Siakam is one of the three players who returned from injury in January. Spicy-P missed about a month after he suffered a groin injury. When Siakam was out, OG Annunoby and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson were serviceable at the power forward spot, even though their offensive capabilities aren’t comparable to Siakam. His absence also put some of the offensive pressure on Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry. They stepped up to the challenge and kept the team afloat during Siakam’s absence.

Spicy-P seemed to pick up right where he left off before his injury. It looks like the rehab and rest have rejuvenated him to some extent. Since he returned to the lineup, Siakam has averaged 20 points and has an effective field goal percentage of 52 percent. He also averages 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. The stroke isn’t there from the three-point line yet, Siakam is shooting below 30 percent since his return He is sure to find it eventually, but there is another roster change involving Spicy-P worth mentioning.

Pascal Siakam was announced as an All-Star starter, which is a great accomplishment. The fact that he missed 11 games and still managed to be named an All-Star starter is also impressive. It will be interesting to see whether LeBron James or Giannis Antentokounmpo select him the draft first. If he ends up on team Giannis, maybe he can become better friends with the Greek Freak. Strengthing their friendship is going to be really helpful for the Raptors down the line. Nevertheless congrats to Pascal on the All-Star nod.

Norman Powell was another player who returned from injury in the month of January. Powell was injured in the same game as Siakam in December with a shoulder injury. During his absence, Terance Davis and Patrick McCaw filled in and they performed pretty well. Since Powell’s returned to the court, he has shown very little signs of rust.

Powell has averaged 18 points since coming back from his injury, including scoring 20+ points in his first five games back. He has shot over 50 percent from the floor and over 45 percent from three. He has continued to be the spark plug off the bench, providing offence and tons of energy. If the offensive energy can continue, Powell will be an X-factor coming down the stretch of the season. It might even be worth Nurse putting him in the starting lineup over OG to see how things go.

Marc Gasol was the third key player who returned from injury this month. Gasol was nursing a hamstring injury and made his return on January 15. Gasol’s offence has been a welcomed sight since he came back into the lineup. He has averaged 11 points on over 50 percent shooting from both the field and three-point land. The defensive anchor has been effective on that side as well, as his size and IQ have been important for the Raptors on defence.

Unfortunately, Gasol left the game against the Atlanta Hawks with the same left hamstring injury. It is likely that the Raptors are going to be on the cautious side and make sure he is completely healthy before getting him back out there on the court. He is officially listed as day-to-day.

Here are some other injury notes for the Raptors

  • Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – Jefferson is dealing with a right ankle sprain he suffered against the San Antonio Spurs on January 26. Nick Nurse is calling the sprain “slight” and hopes to have him back rather soon. Jefferson has been a reliable bench option, providing hustle on the glass and effort on defence.
  • Patrick McCaw –  McCaw is still healing from what now is listed as a broken nose. He suffered the injury against the Philadelphia 76ers. He missed four games but made his return in limited fashion against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 30. The McCaw Mask is in full effect, hopefully, it brings him some on-court success.
  • Dewan Hernandez – The reserve big man has been nursing an ankle injury and hasn’t been in the lineup. He hasn’t had too much playing time anyway, but it would be nice for him to get healthy so the Raptors have another body down low now that Gasol has his hamstring ailment.
  • Matt Thomas – The three-point sharpshooter finally made his return after dealing with a broken finger. He has been out since November but is now ready to earn some minutes in the rotation now that he is healthy.

The Toronto Raptors managed to get most of their team healthy, although there are still some role players who are dealing with injuries. Gasol’s hamstring is concerning for the team, as it the same hamstring he injured in December. His defence and recent offensive spark is a big part of Toronto’s win streak, but they’d rather have him healthy in March and April. The Raptors must feel good with their team getting healthy, as they haven’t had this luxury for the majority of the season.

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