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Clippers vs Raptors Preview: Kawhi Returns to Toronto
The Clippers will wrap up their road trip with a visit to Toronto to take on the suddenly-hot Raptors.
Game
Information
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Canada
When: 12:30 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Amir Coffey – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac
Raptors: Immanuel Quickley – Gradey Dick – RJ Barrett – Scottie Barnes – Jakob Poeltl
Injuries
Clippers: Norm Powell Out (Hip), Kris Dunn Out (Knee), Drew Eubanks Out (Trade Pending), Patty Mills Out (Trade Pending), Cam Christie Out (Ankle), Kai Jones Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)
Raptors: Davion Mitchell Questionable (Foot), Jamal Shead Doubtful (Illness), Jonathan Mogbo Out (G-League)
The Big
Picture
The Clippers had a thoroughly, utterly unremarkable win against the Hornets on Friday night. Calling it a “professional victory” might even be giving them too much credit, as they let the Hornets hang around all game and did not put the contest away until the very, very end. The sloppiness with turnovers and some defensive lapses were the main issues, but one has to think the Clippers did not approach the game against the injury-ravaged Hornets with much seriousness. At the end of the day, the win is what matters, and the Clippers are now tied with the Lakers for 5th and a game back of the Nuggets at 4th. Every win is important, and hopefully the Clippers can keep stacking victories during the easy part of their schedule. The Clippers did also make a trade yesterday, but the new guys won’t play in this one, and might not even for the Lakers’ game on Tuesday, so it’s wait and see for now.
The
Antagonist
The Raptors have largely been awful this season, boasting a 15-33 record and a -5.3 Net Rating (25th in the NBA). However, they recently won five games in a row and have won seven of their last nine. That turnaround is largely on the defensive end, where the Raptors have been stout despite ranking 25th on that end on the season. The Raptors have finally gotten healthier in recent weeks, welcoming back Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and Immanuel Quickley (still on a strict minutes restriction) to bolster a team that had been relying heavily on youngsters. We would need more of a sample size to know if their recent run of play is real or not (it probably isn’t, and has come against shaky competition), but the Raptors have probably proven enough to show they aren’t a true pushover. They likely won’t make the play-in, but they are definitely above the real bottom feeders in the NBA.
Notes
Kawhi Returns to Toronto: It’s always fun to watch players return to cities where they had a major impact, and while Kawhi was only in Toronto for one year, he was the primary reason they won the only championship in franchise history. Kawhi has mostly been received positively in Toronto the past couple years, I think, and as his departure fades into the rearview I would guess the cheers increase and boos decrease. Kawhi is not a player who requires much external motivation, but I do think he probably shows up with just that little extra chip on his shoulder against the Raptors. I’m excited to watch him battle Scottie Barnes, that’s for sure.
Bones Showcase: Norm Powell will be out this game due to a hip injury, Kris Dunn is still out with his knee problem, and Eubanks and Mills aren’t available yet because they need to pass physicals and such. Thus, the Clippers will be short-handed, especially in the backcourt. Could this be one final opportunity for the Clippers to play Bones Hyland as a trade showcase? It seems very unlikely (and foolish) that any team would care about a single game for a guy who’s been in the NBA for a few years, but stranger things have happened. Regardless, Amir Coffey will almost certainly take Norm’s starting spot, which leaves Kevin Porter Jr., Terance Mann, and Nic Batum as locks to play off the bench. The question on who the fourth (and maybe fifth) guys are would be between Kobe Brown, Jordan Miller, and Bones. Jordan is the most likely positional replacement, Kobe makes sense as a small-ball five with no Bamba, Jones, or Eubanks, and Bones… well he probably isn’t long for the Clippers, so this is either a final showcase game or he just won’t play at all. It’s a minimal importance slot, but I am curious to see who the 9th man is in this one.
Clippers vs Raptors Preview: Kawhi Returns to Toronto
Robert Flom