After dropping their fourth straight 108-106 to the San Antonio Spurs the Raptors play their second game in as many nights against the Grizzles in Memphis on Wednesday.
The Raptors limp into the FedEx Forum, bleary-eyed and out of answers. Toronto has to erase the image of Norman Powell’s last ditch heave from Tuesday’s fourth quarter and try to regroup after another tough loss at home. With both teams battling injuries the Raptors missed an enormous opportunity to leave home on a high note, and instead get set to battle a well-rested and dangerous Grizzlies team on the road.
The Raptors can take some solace in the Grizzlies’ recent play. Memphis is just 4-6 in their last ten games and are coming off a loss at the hands of the Houston Rockets. The Raptors have won three straight against the Grizzlies dating back to February of last year and one of those wins came on April 1st in a 99-95 win in Memphis. The Grizz are just 2-3 in their last five games with close losses to the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls joining their defeat at the hands of the Rockets on Saturday.
The Numbers
Below is a chart of how both teams have stacked up this season in offensive and defensive categories.
| Toronto | Memphis | |
|---|---|---|
| Offense | 109.96 | 99.65 |
| Defense | 104.91 | 99.43 |
| Differential | 5.05 | 0.22 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 10.91 | 10.93 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 31.64 | 32.80 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 46.55 | 42.60 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 81.43 | 77.95 |
| Three Pointers | 9.22 | 9.04 |
| Assists | 18.8 | 20.7 |
| Steals + Blocks | 14.11 | 13.20 |
Projected Starters
Toronto
- PG: Kyle Lowry
- SG: Norman Powell
- SF: DeMarre Carroll
- PF: Jared Sullinger
- C: Jonas Valanciunas
Memphis
- PG: Mike Conley
- SG: Tony Allen
- SF: Chandler Parsons
- PF: JaMychal Green
- C: Marc Gasol
The obvious omission at first glance is DeMar DeRozan who will sit out at least his second game as he deals with a sprained ankle. To put such a definitive number of games on an ankle injury suggests the time-off may be a combination of rehabilitation and rest, and no one needs that more than DeRozan. Norman Powell was more than serviceable in his place last night, and despite some key-misses at the rim his play was energetic and encouraging against a tough Spurs team. Terrence Ross made up the other half of DeRozan’s missed minutes and his shot was bang-on early, making four straight before finally missing. The misses kept coming after that, but Ross will have to continue to pull the trigger with DeRozan’s production missing again on Wednesday night.
In Memphis the Grizzlies are all healthy with the exception of Brandan Wright (out indefinitely) and Troy Daniels (downgraded to doubtful for Wednesday’s game) and neither make nearly the same impact DeRozan does. Still, a healthy Grizz team doesn’t necessarily mean a successful one. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley have struggled lately, with Conley failing to find the consistency that made him an elite point guard at the beginning of the season. In his most recent loss against Houston he scored just 15 points on 35 percent shooting and failed to reach the line once. That’s an important matchup for Kyle Lowry who’s shot is struggling. If Lowry can attack the basket early and get to Conley, the Raptors could use their depth to stay in the game.
The Big 5
Five things to look for if the Raptors are going to succeed:
- Patrick Patterson. Patterson looked strong in his first game back since missing 10 of his last 12 against the Spurs last night. He finished with 12 points on 5-6 shooting with four rebounds and one assist. His defensive timing and rhythm was there and he continues to be more important to this team than people realize. His help on defense against the crafty passing of Gasol inside and the athleticism of Green will be paramount if the Raps want to pull out a W.
- Ball Movement. Without DeMar DeRozan to bail them out late in the shot-clock, the Raptors struggled moving the ball against San Antonio. The offense looked lost at times trying to figure out who was going to take the shot. Lowry needs to make sure everyone is on the same page each time Toronto brings the ball up the floor.
- Marky Marc. Mark Gasol feasts on the Raptors, and his recent 32 point outing against the Rockets is a reminder of the offensive damage he’s capable of. He draws fouls and passes out of the Center position better than almost anyone in the league. It will be up to Sullinger, Nogueira and Valanciunas to play smart defense against one of the best in the NBA.
- One Shot. The Grizzlies have the worst field goal percentage in the NBA. They live on the glass and second chance opportunities. The Raptors’ rebounding struggles have been well documented this year but with Sullinger getting up to speed and Patterson healthy it’s imperative the Raps limit the Grizzlies to one shot each position.
- KLOE. Kyle Lowry Over Everything may not be the best attitude all the time, but with DeRozan out Lowry’s confidence in his shot needs to stay up. He’s only made eight of his last 34 threes since returning from a day off against Brooklyn and that shot needs to drop if the Raptors have a chance of taking down the Grizz. Shooters gunna shoot Kyle, do you.
The Skinny
A back to back on the second night against Memphis after losing to the Spurs at home sounds like a nightmare scenario for a team without their leading scorer, but as we’ve seen across the NBA over the last few weeks it’s not just the Raptors struggling. The Grizzlies are just 9-12 in their last 21 games, a mark of futility that stretches way further than what the Raptors are dealing with.
Toronto has won three straight against Memphis and are more than capable of exposing the Grizzlies’ brutal shooting numbers. As long as the team chips in and players don’t hesitate to create their own shots there’s no reason why the Raptors can’t walk away with a much needed win.
Tip :8:00 PM on TSN4.
*This post has been edited to show that Jonas Valanciunas is starting for the Raptors, and not, to many people’s chagrin, Marc Gasol
