Man Down, Don’t Frown: Raptors Still Strong Without Star
Written by: Greg Langstaff
Fans held their collective breath as Raptors’ All-Star Shooting Guard, DeMar DeRozan, lay on the court in evident pain following a 3rd quarter slip in Friday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. The Toronto Raptors had been incredibly fortunate avoiding major injuries the past few years; however, on Saturday, DeRozan was diagnosed with a torn left adductor longus (a tendon in the groin/upper thigh area). Though DeRozan has been remarkably durable throughout his career, missing only 11 games in over 5 seasons, conservative estimates have us looking at least a month without the All-Star. Are the Raptors doomed to slide in the standings without their leading scorer? Not necessarily.
Based on the Raptors’ schedule, this injury could not have come at a better time. Over the Raptors’ next 12 games, the strongest opponent, according to current records, are the 9-7 Sacramento Kings. In the next dozen games, bringing us to December 22nd, the current combined record of Raptor opponents is 71-123 (a winning percentage of .366). Although this stretch includes 2 matchups with LeBron James and company, Toronto’s depth keeps them in a favourable position, even without DeRozan.
The Raptors bench, headlined by the Nov. 16-22 Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Lou Williams, has to be considered one of the strongest second units in the NBA. With Williams’ scoring, forward James Johnsons’ prolific defense, and point guard Greivis Vasquez’s versatility, the Raptors have several strong options to fill DeRozen’s minutes during his recovery.
Grantland’s Jared Dubin wrote a great article during the preseason questioning “Do the Raptors Have Too Much Depth?” Hopefully, Jared, we have just enough. What’s unique about the Raptors depth is that, while a typical NBA coach will primarily rotate between 9 players throughout a competitive game, Raptors’ coach Dwane Casey has been using 10. Casey will have the option to drop to a more traditional 9-man rotation, or to insert another player into the equation.
Regardless of schedule and talent, this injury promises to be a significant challenge for the Raptors organization. It will take a great deal of focus, effort, and teamwork for the Raptors to maintain their spot among the best in the East.
Currently living in Toronto and employed at York University in student affairs, Greg grew up in the small town of Fonthill Ontario. With a love for basketball, Greg has been a dedicated Raptors fan since the day they played their first game. An avid learner and constantly striving to learn something new his main interests are sports, comedy and education! Greg also makes it his mission in life to correct smiley faces!
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