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Toronto Raptors: 5 things right and wrong, including VanVleet’s All-Star case

By Alexandro Fidanza

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 10: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors goes up for a shot on Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on January 10, 2021 in San Francisco, California. 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. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 10: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors goes up for a shot on Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on January 10, 2021 in San Francisco, California. 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. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images) /

The Toronto Raptors core is still winless when starting together (there had to be one wrong in the article)

The Toronto Raptors failing to win a game with their starting core of Lowry-VanVleet-Anunoby-Siakam is probably one of the odder things this season. Against the Knicks, they won without Siakam in the lineup, and Lowry was unavailable against the Kings. Not only have they not won together, but their minutes on the floor haven’t been good.

In 226 possessions together this season, they have a net minus 1.3 per 100 possessions.  Last year the same four had had a net plus 7.8 per 100 possessions. A big reason for that is that four combined with Marc Gasol at the five where they were a net plus 13.1 difference in that department. And if you look at the stats with Ibaka and the core four, they were a net minus 2.5, per Cleaning the Glass.

Gasol’s presence was that crucial and his departure has hurt the team the most, but the Raptors have to find a way to win games without him. There should be no world where the Toronto Raptors’ core of Lowry-VanVleet-Anunoby-Siakam that everyone believes in is currently 0-7 when playing together.

To stay on the optimistic side, it wasn’t a terrible week for the Raptors. It was a very good 1-3 week. Siakam looks like himself, 4th quarter Kyle is still here, VanVleet is playing his best basketball, and Chris Boucher is looking like prime Hakeem Olajuwon. Most importantly, the offense is starting to click and that is something that hasn’t been emphasized enough.

dark. Next. Toronto Raptors: Why being Bad might not be so Bad

They have a more lenient schedule this week as they face the Trailblazers today, and the Hornets twice later in the week.

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