TORONTO – For those who haven’t jumped onto the Toronto Raptors’ bandwagon yet, Thursday night’s contest is an important one. How Toronto fares against the Chicago Bulls will likely determine whether the Raptors suddenly get a fresh infusion of fans or not—8-1 with statement wins over Washington and Chicago would be pretty difficult to ignore.
Of course, it’s an important contest for those involved as well. “It’s the top two teams in the East right now, so it’s a pretty big game for us,” Amir Johnson said Thursday morning.
The Raptors have only played three teams with records at or above .500 so far this season. As a result, some doubt has been cast as to whether their 7-1 start is an accurate gauge of where the team actually stands. Should they pull off a win against the Bulls, however, those doubts are likely to be cast aside.
Even Raptors coach Dwane Casey, a man who never takes an opponent lightly, acknowledged that Thursday’s matchup is his team’s toughest by far and will require his guys to rise to the challenge.
“They’re a team that we’ll compete well against as long as we meet their level of intensity and physicality on both ends of the floor,” Casey said. “Everybody talks about defence, but against this team you’ve got to [play] physical offence and bust through their grabbing and holding, and play through their physical defence.”
Terrence Ross, for one, wasn’t buying too heavily into the pre-game hype.
“I feel like whoever we play we’re going to get their best shot now,” he said. “I think the biggest thing for us is just staying focused, paying attention to the scouting report and just playing our style of basketball.”
Whether Ross acknowledges the hype or not, it’s there. Even though it’s early, this game feels like it could be a launching pad for significant success this season. Both teams want the win; tonight should be a lot of fun.
Major Storyline 1: Raptors back on American national television. The Raptors will appear on TNT’s nationally televised broadcast for the first time since 2013 and, as Paul Jones has already noted, playing on that stage is a big deal. That said, it won’t really change what the Raptors do on the court. “All of our games are nationally televised across Canada,” Casey said. “It’s good for our organization [to be on American national television], but when you’re out there playing you don’t know [what channel you’re playing on]. It doesn’t matter, you’ve still got to go out there and get the job done.”
Major Storyline 2: The White Squad. Led by Lou Williams’s eight-point fourth-quarter explosion, the Raptors’ bench combined to score 36 points in Toronto’s win over Orlando on Tuesday night. So far this season, the Raptors’ reserves are averaging 35.6 points per game, and have been instrumental in the team’s unprecedented start. In fact, they’ve been so good that Patrick Patterson, one of the bench’s leaders, has decided they deserve a nickname, dubbing the second unit “The White Squad” because of their practice uniforms.
Major Storyline 3: Derrick Rose fires back. On Tuesday, Derrick Rose spoke honestly about his concerns connected to life after basketball and the reason why he doesn’t play injured. The comments weren’t received particularly well, so on Thursday, the 2011 MVP fired back: “[The two knee injuries] have let me know what’s real. As long as I’m being myself, inspiring people the way I am, touching people the way I am, that’s all I can do. Caring about myself and just being positive.”
Marquee Player to Watch, Toronto: Jonas Valanciunas. Facing Joakim Noah, the reigning defensive player of the year, Valanciunas has no small task ahead of him. However, if he’s able to get any sort of rhythm going, the Raptors will have a great shot at victory. Last season, Valanciunas scored a combined 30 points and 22 rebounds in the Raptors’ two wins over the Bulls, and just six points and 10 rebounds in their two losses.
Marquee Player to Watch, Chicago: Pau Gasol. After years of being under-appreciated in L.A., Pau Gasol signed with the Bulls in free agency. The move has worked out great for Chicago with Gasol averaging 18.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. His work ethic has also caught the eye of his teammates, including Noah who spotted the Spaniard prepping for Thursday’s matchup by watching tape of Toronto’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. When asked why Gasol would watch that particular game, Noah wasn’t sure but jokingly talked about Gasol’s commitment to the team because he “wouldn’t watch that s—.“
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Toronto: Patrick Patterson. Patterson will have the tough task asked to guard the likes of Taj Gibson and impressive Yugoslavian rookie Nikola Mirotic. Gibson is a banger and dynamic finisher around the rim, while Mirotic is your classic stretch-four. Patterson’s defensive versatility will be put to the test.
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Chicago: Aaron Brooks. After a rocky return to the NBA following a stint in China, Brooks appears to have found a great situation in Chicago. Currently coming off the bench to back up Rose, Brooks is averaging 12.6 points and 4.4 assists per game. With D.J. Augustin’s departure in the off-season, it looks like Brooks is willing to take the mantle as the Nate Robinson-type small-but-really-talented-scorer that Chicago needs this season.
Last Season vs. Bulls: 2-2
Raptors Stats Leaders:
Points: DeMar DeRozan (21.9)
Rebounds: Jonas Valanciunas (7.1)
Assists: Kyle Lowry (5.8)
Bulls Stats Leaders:
Points: Jimmy Butler (19.5)
Rebounds: Pau Gasol (11.1)
Assists: Derrick Rose (5.8)
Verdict: This game’s a true toss up. Both teams are laden with talent and have deep benches, and both are playing excellent offence right now. The one edge Toronto has at the moment is they’re playing a little better defensively. With the home crowd sure to be revved up for the TNT broadcast, the Raptors can definitely edge this one out.