John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Raptors See Top Seeds Up for Grabs, But Injury Issues Are Becoming Apparent
The Toronto Raptors aren't focused on the Chicago Bulls and the chase for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
"I heard that (the Bulls) lost. What's that mean? Tied for fifth?" Raptors coach Nick Nurse asked following Toronto's overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night. "And how many (games out) of first? (Four) and a half? Geez, that’s pretty close."
At this point, the Raptors are doing everything they can to get as high in the standings as they can. It's part of the learning process for this young team to play meaningful late-season games against the league's best.
But it comes with a price.
Nurse was fully transparent about Gary Trent Jr.'s injury situation Monday. He knew the 6-foot-5 guard was going to play despite missing three straight games with a hyperextended left toe. But was it the right decision?
"He’s not moving that great, to be honest with you, from what I've seen lately. So I'm surprised he's a go tonight," Nurse said pre-game.
Between Trent's ailing toe, OG Anunoby's still fractured finger, and Fred VanVleet's injury-plagued right knee, Toronto is battling through some bumps and bruises right now. It's working, but it's not entirely pretty.
Trent, for example, was 4-for-12 from the floor, Anunoby didn't look right shooting from distance for much of the night, and VanVleet shot 4-for-13 from the field and missed six of his first eight shots before nailing a pair of clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
The injuries, especially to VanVleet, have forced the Raptors to tweak their offense a bit. They've tried to move VanVleet more off-ball lately, allowing Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes to create easier looks for the 28-year-old point guard whose offensive arsenal has changed since the All-Star break. There are fewer driving opportunities for VanVleet these days and less reliance on his ability to get into the mid-range for pull-up and at-the-rim twos.
But Toronto can't afford to have three of its top five players liming into the playoffs and though Nurse has already committed to giving VanVleet some time off down the stretch, a little more time off for the trio would presumably help. It's just a delicate balance the Raptors are trying to figure out. The East is so tight that anything can happen, but is playoff seeding worth the pain it's going to take?
Further Reading
Pascal Siakam shows just how far he's come in Raptors victory over Celtics
Chris Boucher explains how the worst game of his career changed his life
Precious Achiuwa explains how Toronto's trust has helped him become a reliable three-point threat
