Is anyone else tired? I sure am. Hopefully the Toronto Raptors didn’t engage in the same kind of post-game/writing drinking and four hours of sleep getting that I did. Or, if they did, that they’re as used to working with the tank on empty as your boy. They probably just went home to bed after Friday’s blowout victory, though, putting their legs in those weird snowpant-looking massage pants things they’re all wearing, watching some film, and getting a solid eight hours in with another go ’round Saturday at the Air Canada Centre.
The visiting Atlanta Hawks figure to be even more tired, having flown in late last night after getting run off their own floor by the Detroit Pistons. The Raptors, meanwhile, handled their business promptly and only tasked Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan with a combined 60 minutes, a reasonable total. DeMarre Carroll had the night off, the prospects got some good run in, and things went about as well as you’d hope on leg one of a back-to-back.
In other words, there wouldn’t really be any excuse for not coming out and sticking it to a reeling Hawks team that’s lost eight of nine and is missing their best player. All week, the Raptors have won games in which they were favored heavily, and complacency can’t be allowed to set in with this five-game winning streak, especially with the Cleveland Cavaliers set to visit (potentially with the top spot in the Eastern Conference on the line) on Monday. Atlanta first, though.
“That’s our whole key, that’s our charge: Not get happy on the farm because we had one game both ways,” head coach Dwane Casey said before the game. “We’ve gotta continue it, we’ve gotta continue to improve on it. The team tonight’s gonna come in guns a-blazing, getting beat the way they got beat last night.”
The game tips off at 7:30 on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet 590. You can check out the full game preview here. I also teed up this matchup and talked bigger picture Raptors-Hawks things with Robby Kalland on yesterday’s podcast.
Raptors updates
With DeMarre Carroll resting for Friday’s blowout against the Lakers, he’s expected to be available in this one. While Kyle Korver is the more difficult cover, I wonder if the Raptors don’t task Carroll with Kent Bazemore instead, given the “system” nature of guarding Korver (whereas Carroll thrives more as a one-on-one defender). However they approach it out of the gate, Terrence Ross and Norman Powell figure to be important if Korver gets hot, and that’s a matchup Powell did a pretty good job with a season ago.
Just as big an issue is the battle on the glass, where the Hawks are roughly average at an opponent’s end but could do serious damage thanks to Dwight Howard if the Raptors aren’t diligent throwing extra bodies into the mix. Lucas Nogueira has been derided some for his defensive rebounding, and justifiably, but it requires a team effort when Jonas Valanciunas, who looks to be at something less than 100 percent, is off the floor.
That will be especially true if the Raptors go small at any point. The Hawks are by nature a little smaller in the frontcourt outside of Howard, and the rest of their big-man rotation affords Toronto the opportunity to play faster and more switchy if they choose to. The Pascal Siakam-Patrick Patterson pairing could see time, as could the Carroll-Patterson duo, when Howard’s out of the game. Some of that willbe gameflow dependent, and head coach Dwane Casey probably won’t just bend to whatever the Hawks do, but they present some fun options. The Raptors have proven fun, fast, and annoying when adding an extra wing to the mix or downsizing in general, and I’d bet they play at least a few minutes four-around-one or with a four-four inside pairing.
As a side-note, Casey would only say (with a wink) that the usuals are all available “so far.” He may have been giving us a hard time, but he may have also been hinting at something. Check back before tip-off for an update. UPDATE: Carroll plays, as expected.
PG: Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph, Fred Vanleet
SG: DeMar DeRozan, Norman Powell
SF: DeMarre Carroll, Terrence Ross
PF: Pascal Siakam,Patrick Patterson, Bruno Caboclo
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Lucas Nogueira, Jakob Poeltl
ASSIGNED: None
TBD: None
OUT: Delon Wright, Jared Sullinger
Hawks updates
Paul Millsap isn’t traveling with the Hawks, which is a huge loss. He’s their best player, an elite defender who the Hawks may have entrusted switching on to DeRozan, and their most efficient scorer. Without him, the Hawks started Thabo Sefolosha at the four Friday, and doing so again in this one would get their best perimeter defender on DeRozan, with some switchability two-through-four. That would mean throwing Korver on Siakam, which they’re probably fine with, and it may give them some additional options on offense.
And hey, at least Mike Scott is back!
For what it’s worth, Atlanta’s pre-game notes had Mike Muscala, not Sefolosha starting. Regardless, they’ll likely be using at least a bit of last night’s three-wing lineup with Sefolosha are the four. (The Raptors are preparing for both scenarios, Casey says.) UPDATE: Muscala starts.
PG: Dennis Schroder, Malcolm Delaney
SG: Kyle Korver, Tim Hardaway Jr., DeAndre’ Bembry
SF: Kent Bazemore,Thabo Sefolosha, Taurean Prince
PF: Mike Muscala, Mike Scott
C: Dwight Howard,Kris Humphries, Ryan Kelly
TBD: None
ASSIGNED: None
OUT: Tiago Splitter, Paul Millsap
Assorted
- As an update, the Raptors’ appeal of the Kings’ ending technically wasn’t submitted until yesterday. That means the NBA has until next Friday to rule on the appeal. There was some confusion over the process timeline, but the Raptors actually only had to file an intent to appeal within 48 hours, then they had five business days to put their case together. It’s all a little strange, but we’ll have to wait another week to be hear the NBA’s denial of the protest.
- I watched Delon Wright’s pre-game workout yesterday, and man, it’s easy to look good in these sessions but he looked good. He’s gotten so smooth pulling up off the dribble, one of his weaker areas, and it doesn’t look like he’s lost much, if any, of the size he was able to put on in the offseason. He’s still probably a month away, but this is just a reminder that the Raptors have a fourth point guard on the roster capable of playing NBA minutes.
- Related: A lot of people have asked me about potential trades. I first want to note that deals are really unlikely until after Dec. 15, when players signed in the offseason are eligible to be dealt. Specifically for the Raptors, I don’t think they’ll rush to make a move just to “balance” out the roster. I know people like three guys at each slot on the depth chart, but they won’t be in a rush to deal a guard they like long-term just to even out positions. A deal will have to make sense now, for in April-June, and for the future.
- Well, well, well:
Raptors have jumped the Warriors for 1st in O-Rating when adjusting for schedule. Up to 17th in defense, too.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) December 3, 2016
- For those still asking:
Was asked about odd home-home back-to-back Raptors have Fri-Sat. Went back and looked – it’s the first they’ve had since Feb 14-15, 2012.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) December 1, 2016
The line
After staying off the board most of the morning, the line opened at Raptors -9 (I had guessed 7.5 in the preview), then bumped to Raptors -8. I don’t keep a spreads database, but I’d have to imagine this is the first time the Raptors have ever been favored by eight or more points in four consecutive games since the Vince Carter years, and maybe ever. The respect! How are they supposed to #ProveEm when they don’t #TheySleep? Are they finally #UTG? That, or it’s just an odd stretch of games at home, where the Raptors generally do a good job making life tough on opponents.
