NBA: Resetting the East team rosters heading into the restart
By Kyle Craib
2nd: Toronto Raptors (⇆)
The reigning champion Toronto Raptors needed to focus on one thing and one thing only over the break; getting healthy. 2020 has been a year of resilience for this Toronto team, combating injuries from all around the court.
Norman Powell, after receiving NBA Player of the Week honors backed by 31.3 points per game over the span, went down with a left ankle sprain on March 9th.
Head coach Nick Nurse said that the sprain “isn’t too serious”, and he has since recovered fully. If he can stay healthy, “Playoff Powell” could be a problem for wing defenders in the bubble.
Raptors veteran big man Marc Gasol also missed 28 games over this season due to a hamstring injury. After returning from the injured list just prior to the break, Gasol took the extra time during the hiatus to slim down and add a bit of quickness for the 35-year-old.
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If the Spaniard’s offense can get back to even a glimpse of his former glory, the Raptors will have a strong inside presence to rely on going into the postseason.
The Canadian kid Chris Boucher took the opposite approach, instead adding 15 pounds of muscle to his formerly slim frame. The extra weight should allow Boucher to impose his game on stronger interior defenders.
Aside from injury recoveries and player workouts, the front office in Toronto made moves to try to secure Head Coach Nick Nurse with talks of an extension on his contract. After leading the Raptors to the franchise’s first championship, Nurse worked with the lineup without Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green this year and got the team to their 46-18 record.
One concern from the restart thus far for the Raptors is the knee of Fred VanVleet. After a scary collision sent him to the locker room during Sunday’s scrimmage against Portland, the injury is only being called a banged knee for now. Coach Nurse said the injury wasn’t bad. Predictably, the team played it safe.
If the team can remain healthy team throughout the restart and into the postseason, the Raptors will have a shot to contend once again. Toronto is a deep team full of playoff experience, and the reigning champs will be a tough team to beat for any team in a seven-game series.