Toronto Raptors Get a Break With Scheduling
It’s been a tough slog over the first few weeks of the NBA season for the 6-5 Toronto Raptors, when you look at their scheduling.
Included there were three of those new scheduling mini-series, back-to-backs, against rivals Miami, Philadelphia and Chicago. So that’s why tonight’s game at home against the last place Houston Rockets (2-9), and Friday’s tilt on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder (11th in the Western Conference at 4-6) is a welcome respite. After that, they play Indiana (eighth in the Eastern Conference, at 5-5) and Detroit (second last in the East, at 3-8).
The Raptors are now fifth in the Eastern Conference. The knuckleball is the groin injury to power forward Pascal Siakam, out for “at least two weeks”. The offence takes a hit whenever he isn’t on the floor, especially in the half court. There’s a big drop in shooting percentage.
Siakam had been assertive so far, averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists, all career highs. He had been good defensively on the boards as well, helping the transition game. This is the season where Siakam said before the start his objective was to be a Top 5 player in the league.
So the team will be looking more to Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby tonight, as they try to make some hay against weaker teams. This also buys them time to get Siakam healed.
Another lineup balm with Siakam out was the return of PG Fred VanVleet to the lineup Monday night against the Bulls, after being out three games with a back injury. The Raptors lost Monday, 111-97, but an underlying story was the play of VanVleet – 27 points, three rebounds, four assists. Can he get Barnes more involved tonight, in the elbow or post?
“Hell of a player, one of the best point guards in this league,” the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan told Associated Press, talking about VanVleet.
The Raptors were 36 of 85 in field goal shooting (42.3%) Monday, and 42.7% in their 113-104 win over the Bulls on Sunday. In Siakam’s last game, Friday’s 111-110 loss to Dallas, the team shot 44.3%. Siakam went down with the injury in the third quarter. In the 143-100 blowout win over San Antonio two nights before, the team shot 53.8%.
So eyes are on VanVleet, for tonight, since on top of everything else the Rockets defense isn’t very good.
DraftKings has the Raptors favourites with the spread at -10 (85 per cent of the handle so far), the Over/Under at 225 (68 per cent of the handle on the Over so far), and the moneyline for the Raptors at -475 (94 per cent of the handle). VanVleet Over 19.5 points (Odds at -135) is currently one of the most bet NBA player props.
