Just when you thought the Toronto Raptors were back to their winning ways, they coughed up a 12-point halftime lead and fell to the new-look Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
The good news for Canada’s lone NBA franchise, which has now dropped five of its past six games, is the impending return of DeMar DeRozan. The all-star guard is on track to return either tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers or for Friday’s matchup with the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks.
While Philadelphia started the season with 17 consecutive losses, the Sixers have improved their play to mediocre of late, posting wins in three of their past five outings.
Listen to tonight’s game live at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
Major Storyline 1: Easy there, tiger. The Raptors played into the Pistons’ hands on Monday night, unnecessarily attempting to increase the tempo of play whenever possible. Rushing led to an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers for the home team, compared to just eight for Detroit. The 76ers force a league-high 17.6 turnovers per game out of their opponents, so Toronto needs to play its own style and avoid another foot shooting party.
Major Storyline 2: Get. To. The. Line. One way to slow a frantic pace is to attack the basket and earn trips to the free-throw line. Aside from providing easy points, free throws allow your defence to set up on the other end. The Raptors have not been doing this lately, averaging three less freebies than their opponents over the past five games. DeRozan’s return should help satisfy this need, as the 7.8 free-throw attempts he averaged over the 16 games before his groin injury are good for fifth in the NBA.
Major Storyline 3: Here come the bricks. The 76ers are an atrocious three-point shooting team. And yet, somehow, they seem totally unaware of this fact. Philadelphia launches nearly 24 long balls per night (the 10th-highest mark in the league), connecting on just 30 percent of those attempts (dead last). Long shots yield long rebounds, so the Raptors need to adjust on the glass to ensure they corral all those misses.
Marquee Player to Watch, Toronto: Jonas Valanciunas. The big Lithuanian is coming off his best game as a pro—scoring 31 points on 14-of-15 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds against the Pistons. Getting Valanciunas touches in the post is another way the Raptors can control the pace of the game and avoid a sloppy footrace. Going up against an inexperienced but athletic centre in Nerlens Noel, JV may be due for another eye-popping performance this evening.
Marquee Player to Watch, Philadeplhia: Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams turned heads in his first NBA season, capturing the Rookie of the Year Award in 2014. He has been less productive as a sophomore, seeing his numbers dip across the board, save for assists. However, Brandon Jennings carved up an overworked Kyle Lowry on Monday, so ‘MCW’ can’t be written off.
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Toronto: Patrick Patterson. It’s no secret that Patterson is in a slump. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 27, the former Kentucky Wildcat reached double-digit scoring figures in 13 of 15 contests. Over the past seven outings, he has eclipsed the 10-point mark just once on a cumulative 37 percent shooting. As one of Toronto’s key contributors off the bench, it is paramount that ‘2Pat’ regains his form as soon as possible.
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Philadelphia: Robert Covington. On a team stocked with plenty of chuckers, the 24-year-old Covington is one of the few genuine deep threats. Although he’s shooting just 40 percent from the field, he’s connecting on 41 percent of his threes. He’s also is one of three Philadelphia players averaging more than 10 points per game, so with leading scorer Tony Wroten out with an injury, the Raptors can devote extra attention to limiting Covington.
Season series vs. 76ers: Raptors lead 1-0
Raptors Stats Leaders:
Points: Kyle Lowry (20.4)
Rebounds: Jonas Valanciunas (8.6)
Assists: Kyle Lowry (7.7)
76ers Stats Leaders:
Points: Tony Wroten (16.9)
Rebounds: Nerlens Noel (7.1)
Assists: Michael Carter-Williams (7.3)
Verdict: As Dwane Casey has said time and again, Toronto is not a good enough squad to look past any opponent. With losses to two teams outside of the playoff picture in the last week, the Raptors need to buckle down and play a complete 48 minutes. If they can keep that important message in mind, they should be able to handle the 76ers tonight, especially if DeRozan is able to suit up.