Just in case you missed out, Louis Zatzman and fellow writers from the U.S. took a deep dive into the play-in situation for the east and Adon Moss detailed a big night from Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam against the L.A. Lakers.

Is it just me or does anyone else feel that with every matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Clippers, there’s a plethora of ‘what ifs’? It makes you wonder whether Kawhi Leonard regrets his decision to leave in 2019, or if Serge Ibaka does art as well in Los Angeles as he did in Toronto. We’ll never know, but Raptors fans can rest-assured knowing that their city hosted the last proper championship parade. That’s the past though and right now, the future is confusing. I’ve had conversations with my friends and colleagues about the Raptors waving the white flag and I’m just not sure what’s going on, especially with Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam playing 40 and 38 minutes respectively and erupting against the Lakers.

Here’s how things stand in the east:

Look, I know some have called the season and I totally get it. But, I’m still not completely sold on it. I put the playoff probability up here to showcase that while the odds are slim, and Toronto remains in no mans land, there’s still a very slight chance to snag a play-in spot. Statistically speaking? Not so much.

Make it tough

The Clippers shoot the trey-ball at 41.6 per cent – the highest rate in the league and they make the fifth-most (14.4) out of any other team. They’re also sixth-best (48.2 per cent) at connecting from anywhere on the court. In other words, LA is efficient in their shot selection. This is precisely why Toronto needs to go over screens when guarding the pick-and-roll, taking away any and all space. While Ibaka’s still out because of a back injury, the Clippers still have another sweet-shooting stretch-four in Marcus Morris Sr., who’s averaging career-bests in FG (.466) and three-point (.467) percentage. Easy buckets translate to confidence and that’s exactly the opposite of what Toronto wants to give Los Angeles.

Smart fouls

The Clippers knock their free throws down at a league-best 83.4 per cent, and although they only attempt 19 a game, it’s a testament to how good this team is at scoring and creating offense, considering their percentages listed above. Another pressing area to identify is points in the paint. So by all means, hand in the face, calling out cutters, and the overall communication on defense is imperative, especially when it comes to the Clippers. This is critical considering Toronto hacks teams 21.4 times per game, second-most in the NBA.

OG (hopefully) vs. Kawhi

Since leaving Toronto, Kawhi hasn’t spared the Raptors, winning both games the two teams have played so far. Now, you can say that’s a small sample size and doesn’t mean much. However, it would be sweet for Toronto to beat their former star for the first time since he skipped town. A win over the Clippers would also give the Raps some confidence to continue (?) their pursuit of a play-in spot. But, regardless of who gets the win, OG Anunoby matching up with Kawhi is highly-anticipated and a lot of that has to do with the similarities they share. Both are efficient, both can score in a multitude of ways, and both are dominant on-ball defenders. It won’t be a passing of the torch by any means. However, it will be a key indication of OGs growth and may very well determine the outcome of the game. If OG’s out, there’s one more opportunity for this matchup to take place and that’s on May 11.

Game Info

Tip-Off: 10:00pm EDT | TV: TSN4 & TSN5 | Radio: TSN 1050

Raptors Lineup

Chris Boucher (knee), and Paul Watson (knee) are out. BFFs Gary Trent Jr. (lower leg) and OG Anunoby (calf) are doubtful. Fred VanVleet (hip) has been upgraded to healthy. Updates to come closer to game time.

PG: Kyle Lowry, Malachi Flynn, De’Andre Bembry

SG: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Harris

SF: Stanley Johnson, Rodney Hood

PF: Pascal Siakam, Yuta Watanabe

C: Khem Birch, Freddie Gillespie, Aron Baynes