NBA Power Rankings week 12: injury fallout, OKC Thunder highs and lows
. 25-14. Previous: 9th. Toronto Raptors. 8. team. 81
Toronto Raptors:
Offense: (108.9) 18th
Defense: (103.8) 2nd
Net: (plus +5.1) 6th
Games Week 12 (1-2): Won vs. Hornets 112-110 (OT), Lost vs. Blazers: 101-99, Spurs: 104-104
Games Week 13 (3 games): Weds at Thunder | Fri vs. Wizards | Sat at Wolves
Since Game 7 of this season, Toronto has been without a minimum of one starter in every game since and spent the majority of the season without two or three of their top six players available.
Considering the Blazers, Warriors and Wizards are the only teams in the same ballpark for injuries and where the Raptors are in terms of wins and in the standings credit is due to the players who are still suiting up and Nick Nurse for navigating the adversity.
The loss of these particular individuals is palpable on both ends of the court but particularly on offense and from the perimeter. Specifically, three of the top four, volume 3-point shooters for the Raptors are:
- Matt Thomas: 53.8 percent on 2.2 attempts per game
- Pascal Siakam: 39.2 percent on 6.3 attempts per game
- Norman Powell 38.9 percent on 4.9 attempts per game
As the OKC Thunder fans saw with Danilo Gallinari out for four games his absence affected how the offense flowed and how opponents’ jobs were made easier. Now imagine missing three of your top four snipers (not to mention two main playmakers and defenders) and how that would affect the club.
Both losses this week didn’t come without controversy as Hassan Whiteside’s illegal screen hip-check allowed Damian Lillard to get a wide-open 3-point shot to tie the game resulting in the Blazers winning by two points in a game they led for all of 17 seconds.
The loss to the Spurs featured 30 free throws for San Antonio and 11 for Toronto (two of which were for technicals) which resulted in a one-point loss.
Still, the Raptors got some good news on the health front finally as Siakam and Powell returned to the court while Marc Gasol and Fred VanVleet aren’t far behind. That they’ve kept pace with the Heat and Celtics and stayed ahead of the Pacers and 76ers during this insane injury-plagued season is no small feat.
Call it a hot take – but it says here before the end of February (barring more injuries or huge trades) it will be the defending champs sitting in second in the East.