Fickle. Fickle. Fickle. Fickle!
Fickle by opponent:
Crushed by Detroit. Barnburning defeats against the elite. Squeaker over a tumbling Washington. Blown out, essentially, by a lowly Portland.
Fickle by quarter:
Washington: Raptors -10, +11, +13, -10.
Portland: Raptors -18, -12, +11, +10.
Ya just never know whatchore gonna get with Toronto.
It’s great entertainment, don’t get me wrong. But the inconsistency is maddening. Nurse has to not only play his starters like 40 bazillion minutes a game – thanks to a catatonic bench – they also play to the utter brink of collapse just to eke out a winnable game or complete an infamous false comeback.
Rap Up is live now with @OrenWeisfeld and @samfolkk https://t.co/jnOLWQXh1T
— Raptors Republic (@raptorsrepublic) January 24, 2022
Need that 48-minute killer instinct every game if Toronto’s going to make a run. And with all the Eastern Conference tumult, there’s no reason they can’t.
The Skinny
Speaking of EC runs, you know MJ’s crew has got the hots for a playoff appearance.
But I don’t know what to tell you with Charlotte from a Raptors perspective.
If Charlotte were a top-tier team, I’d tell you this is gonna be close, but we’ll lose. If the Hornets were a basement dweller or well on their way, well, I’d tell you we’re getting smoked like a side of ribs.
Charlotte’s neither. They’re Toronto’s peer. So, I don’t know what to expect.
The Hornets are 7th in the Eastern Conference and won 7 of their last 10 beating a Jrue-less Milwaukee twice and Philadelphia; the other wins were against crud. May not seem like a whole lot, but that’s plenty better than what Toronto can brag about these days.
For those of you not watching Hornets’ ball – you’re forgiven if you haven’t, they’ve been wretched for the last eon – Charlotte is wildly entertaining. They score the most points in the league alongside Utah and boast the 4th best scoring 5-man lineup in the league with LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, and Mason Plumlee.
Charlotte’s style of play is a recipe of fun ingredients. They nearly lead the league in pace, run the 2nd most and the 2nd fastest, are at the rim a lot, and, like Toronto, thrive on steals and deflections.
Their roster is equally a joy and it all starts with LaMelo Bal. He is one of the best passers in the game: not by total assists nor by assist/turnover ratio – he’s not too bad for a sophomore – but in vision and creativity.
I don’t throw that around lightly. I know others are just as good and do so at a higher volume like The Joker, Trae and CP3. But honestly, the shit LaMelo does is otherworldly, particularly in transition. I fall asleep at night dreaming of an alternate reality in where Golden State drafted Ball over Wiseman; Curry and Ball and Dray and Klay…
Watch some of this shit:
Ratio by a Lamelo behind the back pass to plumlee pic.twitter.com/xFeIaGl3lw
— BigBorregoBrand (@BigBorregoBrand) January 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1348083882193801219?s=20
LaMelo can pass, I think. pic.twitter.com/7Oj67l6eIS
— Buzz Beat Podcast (@buzzbeatpod) December 20, 2020
Just a ridiculous pass from LaMelo, live dribble, off-hand on the money pic.twitter.com/LN5paVB2Yu
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) February 13, 2021
The spin & touch on that LaMelo pass! 😱 #AllFly pic.twitter.com/beki2S2x53
— NBA (@NBA) March 2, 2021
There are like 20 more of those and he’s only played a total of 91 career games.
Then there’s the sky-flying, rim-punishing Miles Bridges:
💥🎆📸
LaMelo Ball to Miles Bridges FIREWORKS from EVERY ANGLE! pic.twitter.com/KPaoAEhn6W
— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2021
Bridges contends with Pascal Siakam for an All-Star spot this year. He’s having a breakout year averaging 20 points / 7 boards / 4 assists / 1 steal / 1 block and 58% true shooting. Add a talented and reliable playmaker in Gordon Hayward and a sneaky and crafty Terry Rozier, and this team has a myriad of ways to score.
To top Charlotte’s entertainment value off, they have the very best local commentator in the game. If you can – you’re not missing much with Alvin Williams, in my humble opinion – watch this game from Charlotte’s side, Eric Collins is hilarious and zany:
🔈 Just listen to Eric Collins. pic.twitter.com/SijxYR4nxv
— Richie (@richierandall) January 24, 2022
“Hum-diddly-dee”:
Eric Collins makes everything better. ENERGY pic.twitter.com/JU5o2jVyRg
— Nuts & Bolts Sports (@NutsAndBoltsSP) January 20, 2022
All that said, Toronto is well-equipped to handle Charlotte. The Hornets are small, lithe, and fast. So is Toronto. Charlotte likes to attack the rim; Toronto keeps opponents at a low at-rim shooting percentage. Charlotte avoids post-ups and shoots the 3 quite poorly – two of Toronto’s major weaknesses. Charlotte also leads the league in points scored off steals; Toronto rarely coughs the ball up.
Winners will conquer tempo and try to harness chaos in their favour. Toronto likes to slow things down unless they force a turnover or corral a live rebound. Charlotte wants to run ALL THE TIME.
Grab your beers, this’ll be a track meet.
Game Info
Tip-off: 7pm EST | TV: Sportsnet, BSSE | Radio: Sportsnet 590
Toronto Raptors Results, Lineups & Injuries
Previous Results
Probable Lineup
Injuries
Charlotte Hornets Results, Lineups & Injuries
Previous Results
Probable Lineup
Betting Lines
| cha | tor | |
|---|---|---|
| +3.5 | Spread | -3.5 |
| +140 | Money Line | -160 |
Over/Under 222.5 | ||
Adon’s thoughts: If this game does go full hurry-up offence, take the over. These two teams are near-equals, for that reason, I’d take Charlotte in terms of odds, but Toronto in terms of my heart.
Picks: Hornies/Hornies/Over
Bet wisely, friends.
