After a pair of closely contested losses against the West’s elite, the Raptors enter Friday night’s game in Los Angeles versus the 2-2 Lakers eyeing their first win halfway through their current six-game road trip.
Wednesday’s loss was frustrating given the Raps had hung in with the defending champion Warriors for 41 minutes and 30 seconds before the Dubs took control, but the performance from the team’s young players — namely second-year bigs Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam, and reserve guard Delon Wright — left a lot to be excited about regardless of the outcome.
But tonight, facing a young Lakers squad still figuring out its rotations, there won’t be any moral victories to be had.
With the kids responding well to the newfound responsibilities placed on them, DeMar DeRozan looking comfortable since battling the flu last week (he’s averaging over 27 points — on 54 per cent shooting — and three steals per game since the season opener), and newcomer C.J. Miles shining in his role off the bench, the Raptors are the betting favourites for good reason. That’s not to say Toronto will have it easy tonight — far from it — particularly if starters Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell continue to struggle from the floor.
The Lakers have been a hard team to predict thus far this season — on paper you’d think the Raps could be poised for a blowout victory, but Los Angeles is coming off an impressive, gritty overtime win against the Wizards in Washington, and are a top-10 rebounding team this season, an area the Raps have struggled against thus far. With no go-to scorer emerging on the roster yet (a role that was tabbed for second-year forward Brandon Ingram, who doesn’t seem ready for the responsibility yet), the Lakers also spread the ball around well and boast seven (!) players who are averaging double-digits in points so far this season.
This is the Raptors’ first shot at Lonzo Ball, the much-hyped rookie who is as enigmatic as he is unique and fun to watch. The second-overall pick turns 20 today so needless to say the Raps will be looking to spoil the party.
Projected Starting Fives
Raptors:
Kyle Lowry
DeMar DeRozan
Norman Powell
Pascal Siakam
Serge Ibaka
Lakers:
Lonzo Ball
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Brandon Ingram
Larry Nance Jr.
Brook Lopez
Raptors Player to Watch
The Lakers active big man rotation of Brook Lopez, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle, and rookie Kyle Kuzma (who spent two years at Utah with Poeltl and Wright) will have to be kept off the glass for the Raps to succeed — particularly since both Jonas Valanciunas and Lucas Noguiera are expected to be sidelined again.
The Raptors got a monster rebounding night from Poeltl with those two out on Wednesday — 14 boards, 12 on the offensive glass — and they’ll need that type of performance from him again tonight. Of course, Poeltl’s game is far more than just hitting the glass. He’s one of the more opportunistic big men we’ve seen in a Raptors uniform and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He also has hands that makes him a stable target for teammates to find him near the basket for easy looks.
Like against Golden State, Poeltl will have a size advantage against the Lakers bigs (the only rotation player comparable to his seven-foot, 250-lb. frame is Lopez, who is one of the worst rebounding centres in the league) and the Raptors would do well by taking advantage of it all night.
While they’d like to see Lowry escape his horrid shooting slump (37.5 per cent from the field and just 27.6 per cent from deep), that’s something they’ll be able to survive against this Lakers team. A poor effort on the boards is not.
Lakers Player to Watch
It’s Lonzo Ball, of course. Four games into his career he’s confirmed what we suspected. He struggles to stay in front of opponents on defence, struggles with his shot, and almost never seems to have the ball in his hands for longer than a second or two, which is unique for today’s breed of point guard.
He also seems to respond incredibly well for a player walking onto the court with a massive target on his back — surely something he’s learned to deal with his entire basketball life thanks to his old man — and is one of the more unique players to enter the league in recent memory. Through four games, he’s seriously struggled to find his scoring touch (a 29-point outing against the pre-Earl-Watson-firing Suns is the only reason why he’s currently averaging double-digits), but is a truly gifted passer who looks to push the ball early and often.
On the surface, his numbers look very impressive, nearly averaging a triple-double with 11.5 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. But if you dig a little deeper the numbers suggest that the Lakers are actually far-worse offensively (and only marginally better defensively) when Ball is playing, with a net rating of -9.9 (92.2 offensive rating) when he’s on the court compared to +7.0 (109.0 offensive rating) when he’s off. It’s a relatively small sample size, given he’s played 143 total minutes and sat just 54 thus far, but clearly it will take some time before Ball and the Lakers find their groove and figure out how to utilize him — and the players around him — best.
Intriguing sub-plot
Hey, remember when Delon Wright said he’s a better passer than Lonzo Ball? LET’S SETTLE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
The Raptors and Lakers tip-off at 10:30 p.m. ET, with coverage beginning at 10 on Sportsnet ONE.
