The Toronto Raptors got three days to figure things out. A back-to-back left them looking exhausted – Saturday marked their fifth game in seven nights, down Kyle Lowry for the entire stretch – and so a trip to Miami to recharge was in order. It seems strange, perhaps, for the team to route to South Beach instead of New Orleans when their next game is against the Pelicans, but with only a modest travel toll associated and the need for some decompression and bonding, it’s hard to argue with the decision. It’s hard to argue with choosing to go to Miami ever, really.
The break also provided two full days of practice, something the Raptors haven’t had a lot of with their two new pieces. While Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker have hit the ground running, the chance to get full sessions in should, in theory, help the defense play on a string even better. Perhaps more importantly given how the Raptors have approached the last few games, they’ve also had some time to tweak the offense – they’ve been using more of their motion sets, but ball movement’s been at a minimum, and getting everyone up to speed should help. The starting lineup, in particular, could use a boost of chemistry, what with their minus-3.7 net rating in 88 minutes together so far, and all. (The Raptors four next most-used lineups since the break have been major positives, for whatever that’s worth.)
On Wednesday, they draw a Pelicans team that’s also still figuring itself out following a major addition. Nobody expected DeMarcus Cousins’ arrival to be seamless, but the Pelicans falling to the very periphery of playoff contention is surprising, and it should make them a hungry opponent in this one. A loss could push New Orleans to 5.5 games back of a playoff spot – coincidentally, the team they’re chasing, Denver, is hosting the team Toronto is chasing, Washington – and it’s hard to imagine them making up that ground and jumping four other teams in the process if they drop this one.
Hunger all around. It should make for a fun one. (I say this in almost every pre-game news and notes post. Basketball is just really fun, it turns out.)
The game tips off at 8 on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet 590. You can check out the full game preview here.
Raptors updates
The last time these two sides met, DeMar DeRozan was sidelined. The Pelicans just won’t get the Raptors at their best this year, as Kyle Lowry remains on the shelf following right wrist surgery. The Raptors have managed to go 4-2 during Lowry’s current time on the shelf, with the defense getting lifted a little higher thanks to the deadline acquisitions and the offense somewhat surprisingly staying afloat. I wrote about how the offense has managed to keep rolling for The Athletic today, and it extends beyond just “hey DeRozan, go be amazing” (although that’s a big part of it).
The Raptors could also be without DeMarre Carroll, who suffered a left ankle sprain on Saturday. Even with three days off between outings, Carroll seems unlikely to play in this one – while he didn’t require a walking boot and played up his own pain tolerance, Carroll didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday and was listed as questionable for Wednesday. The Raptors generally don’t give guys the thumbs up if they didn’t get into a practice, and with a back-to-back looming, they probably won’t push Carroll, even with Lowry also out. If Carroll can’t go, the guess here is that P.J. Tucker draws the starting nod. Normally, this is a Norman Powell role, but Tucker has some additional size to help on the Pelicans’ bigs and has quickly found a groove since coming over.
Check back before tip-off for confirmation on Carroll and, if he sits, the starting lineup.
UPDATE: Carroll sits, per our pal Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
UPDATE II: Tucker will start, as expected.
PG: Cory Joseph, Delon Wright, Fred VanVleet
SG: DeMar DeRozan
SF: P.J. Tucker, Norman Powell
PF: Serge Ibaka, Patrick Patterson, Pascal Siakam
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Jakob Poeltl, Lucas Nogueira
TBD: DeMarre Carroll
ASSIGNED: Bruno Caboclo
OUT: Kyle Lowry
Pelicans updates
The Pelicans have had so much churn at the back end of their roster of late that I had to quadruple-check to make sure I even had the right guys listed. Their roster has even changed since Monday. Reggie Williams has returned to the D-League following the expiration of his 10-day contract, Jarrett Jack and Omri Casspi are gone due to injury, Steezus has been brought in to help with depth, and on top of everything else, Omer Asik is sidelined due to an illness.
But hey, Steezus Walks, and that’s going to help lift the Pelicans to all new heights.
Anthony Davis called Jordan Crawford a "walking bucket."
— Justin Verrier (@JustinVerrier) March 8, 2017
For those curious, while the Pelicans haven’t exactly hit the ground running with Cousins, there are some encouraging signs. Namely, the new starting lineup that includes Hollis Thompson has outscored opponents by 9.2 points per-100 possessions in 60 minutes together. (That’s already the fifth-most commonly used Pelicans lineup on the year, which tells you all you need to know about what New Orleans has had to deal with. The Raptors, who have faced injury trouble of their own, have eight lineups that have played more minutes together.)
UPDATE: Oh, hey, more Pelicans turnover! The rumored addition of Wayne Selden Jr. has gone through, and he’s now officially a member of the roster. The 22-year-old got a preseason look from the Grizzlies and has turned in a solid D-League campaign, averaging 18.5 points on 54.3 percent true shooting.
PG: Jrue Holiday, Tim Frazier
SG: Hollis Thompson, E’Twaun Moore, Jordan Crawford
SF: Solomon Hill, Dante Cunningham, Wayne Selden Jr.
PF: Anthony Davis, Donatas Motiejunas
C: DeMarcus Cousins, Alexis Ajinca, Cheick Diallo
TBD: None
Assigned: None
Out: Quincy Pondexter, Omer Asik
Assorted
- For what feels like the 30th game in a row, Raptors 905 overlap with the parent club. They’re still out west for another pair of games before finally returning home Monday, and they’ll tip off sometime during the Raptors’ fourth-quarter tonight (10 p.m.). Bruno Caboclo is the only player on assignment, but Axel Toupane is rejoining the team today after being cut by the Milwaukee Bucks late last week.
- Speaking of the 905, former 905er Jarrod Uthoff is being signed to a 10-day contract by the Dallas Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. Uthoff has been one of the best players in the D-League since the 905 dealt him. Some may look at this as a mistake on the part of the Raptors’ organization, but with Jerry Stackhouse going nine- or 10-deep most nights, Uthoff never really found a groove or a comfort level. At the time, the trade seemed like the 905 doing right by the player, and if that was the case, it certainly worked out.
- Since it’s International Women’s Day, shout out to Shelby Weaver, Nicki Gross, Teresa Resch, and all of the awesome women in the Raptors’ organization, as well as Meghan McPeak, the terrific voice of the 905, and the host of amazing women who cover the team regularly (Holly MacKenzie, Lori Ewing, Rachel Brady, Kayla Grey, and I’m surely missing a bunch more going off the top of my head). And to Kat Stefankiewicz, who is just the best in her role as in-game host and general, smiling face of the entire Raptors community. They all bring such amazing energy to the overall Raptors experience, and while they deserve praise and respect every day, today’s a good impetus to show them some extra appreciation.
The line
The Raptors are 3-point underdogs on the road here, with a 203.5 over-under. With no Lowry and likely no Carroll, it’s difficult to argue with oddsmakers essentially calling these two teams even on neutral court and then giving the Pelicans the home-court edge. The line’s gone up a bit from Pelicans -2 or even Pelicans -1.5 some places, perhaps owing to the negative reports about Carroll’s likely status earlier on.
