As the Raptors head into Philadelphia for a game against the 76ers, the injury report looks like a nightmare. Kawhi Leonard is out for sure, Lowry-Ibaka-Green are all questionable, and Valanciunas is of course, out. The bench mob that we’ve been lamenting as underperforming enters the limelight as starters, and against a 76ers team with a pretty clean bill of health. On top of that, they’re a pretty good squad.
The slight positive to look to is that OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam are as good a pair of players to defend Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler that you can find when a team is missing 4 starters. The bad news is that the Siakam-Anunoby front-court that started the Cavaliers game is not at all feasible lining up against Joel Embiid.
On a back-to-back and resembling a jar of peanut butter spread over 1-million pounds of toast, it doesn’t look like this is a game the Raptors steal. Winning this one away from home, missing the aforementioned players, and on a back-to-back wouldn’t qualify as theft either. Maybe… gross misconduct on behalf of the 76ers players?
Regardless, we’ll see Delon Wright, Norman Powell, and Siakam really stretch their legs as creators. Meanwhile, VanVleet will try to maintain his excellent form as of late. The Raptors brass has to be feeling far more certain that he’s the heir-apparent to Lowry after he’s finally bounced back.
Butler, Simmons, and Embiid are all looking to grab a win before battling the rebuilding Celtics on Christmas day. When the Raptors win the chip at years end, at least the 76ers can look to this game and say “we got em”. Perhaps forging a Wizards-esque identity for themselves. “They didn’t want to play us” and the like.
Game Info
TV: TSN | Radio: Sportsnet Fan590 | Tipoff: 7:30 EST
Raptors Updates
Kyle Lowry (thigh), Danny Green (knee), Serge Ibaka (knee) are all questionable for today’s game. Kawhi Leonard (rest) and Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) are out.
PG: Fred VanVleet, Lorenzo Brown, Jordan Loyd
SG: Delon Wright, Norman Powell, Malachi Richardson
SF: OG Anunoby, Norman Powell, CJ Miles
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Greg Monroe, Chris Boucher
76ers Updates
Wilson Chandler (quad) and Markelle Fultz (shoulder) are out for today’s game.
PG: Ben Simmons, TJ McConnell, Landry Shamet
SG: JJ Redick, Shake Milton
SF: Jimmy Butler, Furkan Korkmaz
PF: Mike Muscala, Amir Johnson
C: Joel Embiid, Justin Patton
This one should be plenty tough. We’ll see.
Have a blessed day.
