The Toronto Raptors are visiting the Memphis Grizzlies, and because I already wrote a lengthy pre-game and not much has happened since, I went back through the history of the Naismith Cup. I’m visiting family in Drumbo, ON, right now. There is not a lot to do. Anyway, the Naismith Cup was originally awarded to the winner of a Raptors-Grizzlies preseason game when the latter were based out of Vancouver. It later became, the series sort of transitioned to the NBA Canada Series, but for the purposes of this pre-amble, it’s Raptors-Grizzlies.
Let’s re-write history and assume the Cup has been eligible changed hands whenever the Raptors and Grizzlies (either iteration) have met in the regular season. That’s 43 meetings, in which the Raptors are 20-23. The Grizzlies are currently in possession of the cup, having won the last meeting between the teams to snap a three-game Raptors winning streak. The Cup must be returned to Canada, for the sanctity of basketball in this country. It is imperative.
When the Raptors play a struggling Grizzlies team on Friday, then, it won’t only be the Raptors’ four-game win streak and their confidence in their ability to avoid trap games on the line. No, the future of Canadian basketball and the legacy of Dr. James Naismith are in the balance.
Or something.
The game tips off at 8 on TSN and Sportsnet 590. You can check out the full game preview here.
Raptors updates
Everything looks as expected for the Raptors, with Delon Wright and Lucas Nogueira still out, Bruno Caboclo still with Raptors 905 (who tip off at 7), and everyone else available. Malcolm Miller is technically with the Raptors, too, though he’s still ramping up from offseason ankle surgery and missed the 905’s last game with a bruise on his other ankle. This would represent his first time being active for the Raptors this season, though he’s been around the Air Canada Centre and BioSteel Centre plenty.
This all means the rotation will probably be the 10-man look head coach Dwane Casey has stuck to for a few games now, including a starting lineup that’s been better with OG Anunoby and over the last stretch and an all-bench unit that hasn’t quite figured it out as a fivesome just yet:
- Lowry-DeRozan-Anunoby-Ibaka-Valanciunas – 138 minutes, +4.2 net rating
- VanVleet-Powell-Miles-Siakam-Poeltl – 28 minutes, -3.4 net rating
Since Powell returned from injury (to the bench) six games ago (all of which Wright has missed), here’s a quick look at how the minutes have broken down:
PG: Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Lorenzo Brown
SG: DeMar DeRozan, Norman Powell
SF: OG Anunoby, C.J. Miles, Alfonzo McKinnie
PF: Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam, Malcolm Miller
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Jakob Poeltl
OUT: Delon Wright, Lucas Nogueira
TBD: None
905: Bruno Caboclo
Grizzlies updates
With injuries to Mike Conley, Wayne Selden, and even Brandan Wright, the Grizzlies have had some of their best potential lineups taken away from them. Conley is obviously an immense loss, an underrated borderline All-Star – I say underrated because he was almost properly rated, then got paid handsomely, and has since become underrated again because of the contract as a point of reference – and Selden is a really fun piece, Wright a capable backup with a specific matchup skillset. Memphis doesn’t have their two most commonly used lineups available for this one, then, and the three lineups they have available that they’ve used the most are somewhat awkward on paper.
They’ve also been major negatives in small samples:
- Chalmers-Brooks-Parsons-Green-Gasol – 65 minutes, -4.3 net rating
- McLemore-Evans-Brooks-Green-Gasol – 59 minutes, -25.0 net rating
- Chalmers-Evans-Brooks-Green-Gasol – 28 minutes, -48.4 net rating
Tyreke Evans was also a late addition to the injury report with right hip soreness, so some of these lineups could be thrown out, as well. Still, the Grizzlies are a gritty bunch, and Gasol is spectacular enough on his own to dictate playing terms and take over games, regardless of the rest of the lineup.
UPDATE: Evans is playing and starting, but Andrew Harrison is drawing into the starting lineup for Ben McLemore.
PG: Andrew Harrison, Mario Chalmers
SG: Tyreke Evans, Ben McLemore, James Ennis
SF: Dillon Brooks, Chandler Parsons
PF: JaMychal Green, Jarell Martin
C: Marc Gasol, Deyonta Davis
OUT: Mike Conley, Wayne Selden, Brandan Wright
TBD: None
Memphis: Vince Hunter, Kobi Simmons, Ivan Rabb
Assorted
- Over at The Athletic, I finished up my mini-series on the bench by looking at the chemistry between Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam. RR readers can get 20 percent off a subscription at this link.
- Jonas Valanciunas is back to the buzz-cut. Make your daily fantasy purchases accordingly. 20-and-10 coming.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 8, 2017
- The Raptors are holding another design contest for game-day graphics. You can vote here.
🚨 Thread Alert 🚨
Presenting this week’s finalists for #MyRapsDesign. Now it’s up to you to pick the winner. pic.twitter.com/3htpGoLwma
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 8, 2017
- The Raptors are also sending some love out to their TFC brothers, who compete for a championship at 4 tomorrow.
.@torontofc love all the way from Memphis, TN.
Full Clips: https://t.co/GGh48MOOFJ pic.twitter.com/ETGEYCmxYi
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 8, 2017
The line
The Raptors have held as 5.5-point favorites most of the day. The over-under has bounced between 200 and 202 and currently sits at 201.
