Sports

Siakam absence leaves a real hole in Raptors offence

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The reply to a whole lot of what ails the Raptors sits on their bench evening after evening.

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Sadly Pascal Siakam does so in road garments awaiting clearance from the medical employees that the surgically repaired labrum in his shoulder is sweet to go and he can return to the court docket and the No. 1 offensive choice that opens up the Raptors offence in a approach no different present Raptor can do.

The excellent news is Siakam is on the way in which again, simply not instantly.

He’s probably a minimal of two weeks away from returning which might places him again within the court docket someplace across the second or third week of November.

That’s the 15-game or 18-game mark of the season.

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Within the interim the Raptors are going to be a staff that tries to win sport with its defence and earlier than you throw up your fingers in exasperation at that notion, recall Friday evening’s sport in Boston, the lone win to the 12 months, was received in precisely that trend.

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With out Siakam, Toronto’s offence is challenged, significantly within the halfcourt.

Sure, it’s solely been three video games, however in these three video games they’ve scored 98, 115, and 93 factors.

The 2 decrease scoring video games, each losses, got here towards Washington and Dallas, neither staff thought-about a defensive juggernaut although admittedly off to a greater begin this season than in years previous in that regard.

Siakam doesn’t simply require defensive consideration, he calls for a whole lot of it, and even when he will get it, he’s a really succesful scorer. However with out him within the lineup proper now and with no actual risk from amongst their bigs to house issues out, groups are staying house and defending the paint, which means even when a decided OG Anunoby is in assault mode, he’s working right into a crowded painted space with little room to function.

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It labored early within the Dallas sport as a result of Kristaps Porzingas avoids contact.

Siakam unlocks loads for Anunoby simply together with his mere presence. Whether or not it’s Anunoby making a drive or camped out on the three-point line, there’s more room for Anunoby simply because groups have to remain hooked up to some extent to Siakam.

The identical applies to a lesser diploma to Fred VanVleet. What number of instances already this 12 months have you ever seen VanVleet beat his man above the painted space on his approach to the basket solely to see a wall of our bodies ready for him both forcing him to complete among the many bushes or reversing course and re-setting.

Till Siakam returns, the Raptors need to depend on working in transition and getting odd-man benefits, that approach or determining how one can create some house for the drivers like Anunoby, VanVleet and Scottie Barnes.

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On Barnes, Nurse has been persistently optimistic in his critiques of the rookie.

He has favored his effort, his composure and the outcomes up to now however he sees one space the place issues might get even higher.

“When he’s obtained the house and a one-on-one matchup he’s obtained to place them within the rim till they cease him, proper?” Nurse mentioned.

“Put them within the rim till they cease and do it again and again and over and time and again,” Nurse mentioned. “And in the event that they do cease him, in the event that they do again off towards him, then pull up for a ten or 12 footer, that’s fantastic too. However that’s the place we’re gonna begin seeing him cross, his passing will present. As soon as he begins drawing different defenders, and that’s once more, that’s simply him being conscious. He must be extra aggressive, like he must, you already know all these layups he put up, we have to double that variety of makes an attempt, to triple it. Then he’ll be within the paint, and we’ll be firing them out to our open shooters.”

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Barnes mentioned he would haven’t any challenge following that recommendation.

“I’m a giant participant, I’m fairly robust for my dimension, I really feel like I’ve the flexibility to have the ability to get to the rim and torch defences with having the ability to get to the rim, having the ability to (entice) that focus, having the ability to kick out in the event that they react to it. I’d say I’m completely able to doing that.”

Anunoby was extremely aggressive within the first half Saturday evening, punishing the Mavericks first inside after which outdoors, however foul bother put him again on his heels slightly within the third and he went from a 20-point first half to only three within the second.

“Yeah. I’ve positively obtained to be extra aggressive with my shot extra, be extra concerned,” Anunoby mentioned.

Nurse has mentioned it’s on him and his teaching employees to open up the paint slightly extra when Anunoby and VanVleet get in there.

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All of that may assist maintain the Raptors afloat, however the actuality of their state of affairs is Siakam can’t return quick sufficient.

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Raptors/Bulls tipoff

Tonight: Chicago Bulls (3-0) at Toronto Raptors (1-2), 7:30 pm., Scotiabank Enviornment, TV: TSN: RADIO: AM-1050

SCOUTING REPORT: Solely Patrick Williams and Zach LaVine stay within the beginning 5 from the identical group that started final season. Coby White is the one different participant on the roster from final 12 months’s opening sport and he’s on the disabled checklist. Nikola Vucevic joined the fray late final season after a commerce with Orlando whereas DeMar DeRozan, longtime fan favorite in Toronto earlier than his commerce to San Antonio together with Lonzo Ball arrived through signal and commerce offers and spherical out a beginning 5 that has helped the Bulls to a 3-0 begin to the 12 months …. With a win the Bulls would obtain their greatest begin for the reason that 1996-97 season when in addition they opened 4-0.

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MARQUEE MATCHUP

G Zach LaVine vs F Scottie Barnes. 

Barnes has already had some large defensive matchups taking up Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic and he’ll have one other problem right here with LaVine. LaVine leads the Bulls in scoring averaging 26.7 factors, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per evening. He’s capturing 45% from past the arc this 12 months. Barnes has been stable averaging 18 factors, 10 rebounds and 1.7 assists per evening.

DID YOU KNOW : Alize Johnson, a one-time member of the Raptors G-League affiliate in Mississauga comes off Billy Donovan’s bench for the Bulls … After successful the earlier 12 contests between the 2 groups, the Bulls received all three head-to-heads on final 12 months’s schedule… The Raptors have received six consecutive at Scotiabank Enviornment courting again to 2015-16 towards Chicago.

UP NEXT : The Raptors host Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in a 7:30 p.m. tip.

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