Welp, that’s now four straight losses for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan (ankle) had his first of two scheduled rests, and although the 108-106 defeat didn’t indicate it that much, keep in mind that they lost to the Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, and Pau Gasol-less San Antonio Spurs.
With backcourt partner, DeRozan, still out for at least one more game, Kyle Lowry will again have increased duties on offense. He did it well against the Spurs, and acted more as a scorer than a facilitator (as he should), scoring 30 points and only two assists. The 12th-year veteran is having career numbers on points (22.2 PPG) and field goal shooting (47 percent) this season.
The Raps’ bigs and slashers may have a long night with the size and tenacity that the Grizzlies bring in the paint. Their man in the middle, Jonas Valanciunas (11.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG), can definitely bring loads of things to the table, but his matchup with Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and the entire opposing front court isn’t exactly appealing.
Offense is what Toronto can preach on all game long. They are third in scoring (110 PPG) and offensive efficiency. Their overall defense isn’t on the same level, and it’s just average AT BEST -14th in points allowed (104.8 PPG) and 21st in efficiency – but they get to the passing lanes well (9.1 SPG, first in the NBA).
The Raptors are 2-6 SU and ATS in their last eight games on the road.
The Grizzlies got dominated by the Rockets this past Saturday, 119-95, so much so that Sam Dekker, who’s like an unofficial rookie (only played six minutes prior to this season), scored a career-high 30 points. They also allowed 16 treys and a 51.3-percent shooting. Memphis, meanwhile, had another tough time getting baskets, as they only made 37.1 percent from the floor.
Making shots has been one of the biggest hurdles for the Grizz. The team is dead-last in the league in field goal percentage (42.6 percent) and they have 14 games this season where they shot below 40 percent – the most by any team.
The offense, just like in previous seasons, has been pretty stale. Marc Gasol (20.1 PPG), Mike Conley (18.7 PPG), and Zach Randolph (13.7 PPG) are alone for the most part. Although a handful of their other guys – Tony Allen (9.6 PPG), JaMychal Green (9 PPG), etc. – average decent points for a role player, none are yet to prove they can be truly reliable. With that, the team is just 26th in points (99.7 PPG) and 24th in offensive efficiency.
For Gasol, he’s doing a lot, as he is in the team’s top three of points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and three-point percentage.
It’s not good that they are relying too much on their defense to save them on almost every game. Though it is indeed top-notch – third in points allowed (99.4 PPG), first in points allowed in the paint (37.3 per game) and fourth in efficiency – it’ll obviously won’t be enough in the long run, especially in a era that’s filled with offense-heavy squads.
The Grizz are 4-2 SU and ATS in their last six games at home.
Writer’s Prediction
Memphis slows down the game and escapes with a win, 100-94.
