Toronto Raptors: Examining potential return dates for Marc Gasol

Boston Celtics (Mar. 20)

Toronto hosts the Boston Celtics two days after the Sixers contest, so if Gasol can’t go against Philly, perhaps he’s good to go against Brad Stevens’ squad?

As prolific as the shorthanded Raptors have been in recent weeks, the Celtics have been every bit as good and have kept pace with Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings every step of the way. Boston leads the season series 2-1, making winning the Mar. 20th contest all the more critical for the Raptors. While catching Milwaukee figures to be a tall order, remaining above the Celtics in the standings is more than doable and should be a priority for Nurse and Co. as the regular season begins to wind down.

Boston may not have a Joel Embiid-type on its roster, but the likes of Enes Kanter and Tacko Fall – who rarely plays but remains a load amongst loads – give the Celtics plenty of bulk in the middle, and that could spell trouble for Ibaka and whoever else Nick Nurse plays at the five. Having Gasol in the mix gives Toronto’s head coach so much more lineup flexibility, not to mention the impact Gasol has on defence. Kanter, while nothing special in terms of a defender, is a talented offensive player who, over time, could easily beat Ibaka down.

Boston’s lineup isn’t as physical as Philadelphia’s, so Gasol not being available for the Celtics contest wouldn’t be the end of the world. But if Toronto is targetting a date and Mar. 18 in Philly is too soon, then maybe the 20th is more realistic. It could potentially be a pseudo-must-win game for both teams.