Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Clippers: Ailing Raptors look to stop the bleeding

The Raptors are in LA, looking to snap a two-game losing streak, but can they stop stormin’ Norman?

The Toronto Raptors are looking to stop their losing skid as they prepare to take on Norman Powell and his Los Angeles Clippers tonight. Battling through a string of losses and a depleted roster due to injuries, coach Darko Rajakovic and the Raptors face a tough test as they aim to turn things around and secure a much-needed victory, but help could be on the way.

The Raptors’ recent struggles have been compounded by injuries to their key players. Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Immanuel Quickley have combined for 33 missed games, with Olynyk and Brown yet to be active this season. Speaking of Quickley, he’s only played a few quarters this season, but he might be able to return tonight after getting upgraded to “Questionable.”

The injuries have forced coach Darko to lean on younger players and bench contributors to step up and fill the void left by the team’s missing stars. Gradey Dick is averaging 20 points, a big jump compared to his lost season last year. However, he’s not the only one who’s taken advantage of the available minutes: Davion Mitchell, Ochai Agbaji, and Chris Boucher have stepped their games up.

The Raptors’ defense (tied last in defensive rating) will have their hands full as “old friend” Norm Powell’s on a tear this season — He’s recorded 20+ points in seven straight games. He’s averaging 25 points and a WHOPPING 2.4 dimes per game. The Clippers’ #2 option ain’t that bad either, as James Harden is putting up a near triple-double in 20.8 points, 8.1 boards, and 9.4 dimes (are they mostly to Norm?).

The Clippers are the superior team based on who’s expected to be on the floor tonight, but they are on their second game of a back-to-back. However, they have the superior coach in Ty Lue, squeezing plenty of value on this ragtag Clippers team. They are currently 4-4, thanks to super Norm, but they boast one of the best team defense this season, so coach Darko would need some adjustments/counters if they want to win tonight.

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Here are the game details:

Time: 10:30 pm ET

Where to watch: TSN

Lineups:

Raptors: Davion Mitchell, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji

Clippers: Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr., Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, James Harden

Injuries:

Raptors: Scottie Barnes — orbital fracture (OUT), Kelly Olynyk — back (OUT), Bruce Brown — knee (OUT), Ja’Kobe Walter — shoulder (OUT), Immanuel Quickley — pelvic contusion (Questionable), Jonathan Mogbo — hip (PROBABLE)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard — the usual (OUT), PJ Tucker — done (OUT), Mo Bamba — knee (OUT)

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Play With Pace

The LA Clippers operate at one of the slowest paces, while the Raptors like to get into early transition (2nd in fastbreak points). With the Clippers playing on heavier legs tonight, coach Darko must get his Raptors up and running early and often. Still, it starts with getting the ball back — the Raptors are at the bottom of defensive rebounding stats and on the bottom half in forcing turnovers. The Raptors have shown they can play defense for the full clock, but they need to finish the possession by grabbing the board. Of course, it’s easier said than done when Ivica Zubac is on the other side of the floor.

Chris Boucher Revenge Season

Miscast, misused, written off. Trade this man. That was how Chris Boucher’s season went last season, and with the youth movement since last year, it looked like he’s the odd man out. It’s not easy to come to that conclusion when he was a healthy scratch, often early in the season, and had a short leash when he got in.

To Boucher’s credit, this season has been a revelation for him. They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but the 31-year-old has grown tremendously this season. His three-point shot is much better (shot selection included), makes the smart decision in transition on when to pass, go for it, or even reset the offense (although I don’t mind seeing him try to dunk from the free throw line!). Defensively, he’s not running around like a plane going on a kamikaze, trying to block every perimeter shot in the vicinity. Overall, he seems to have a better grasp (and application) of the scouting report.

RJ Barrett Appreciation

The team has struggled to find consistent offense without Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, especially against teams that can game-plan coach Darko’s half-court offense. Coach Darko has leaned on RJ Barrett as their primary creator, and he’s done a decent job, given the lack of spacing he needs to operate effectively. Barrett is averaging 25 points and seven dimes per game, with 13.3 points coming from the paint (6th best in the NBA). He’s one of three players putting up at least 25 points, five boards, and seven dimes. The other two? Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.