The Toronto Raptors are coming off their worst defeat of the season to the Boston Celtics.
After a four-game road trip where they went 2-2, the Raptors return home to start a four-game home stand which begins against the Washington Wizards.
The Raptors might be shorthanded for this one as both Gary Trent Jr. (plantar fasciitis) and O.G. Anunoby (cut on his right shooting hand) are questionable.
This is an opportunity for the Raptors to get back on track before they take on the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics later in the week.
A couple of areas where the Raptors can dominate the Wizards in is points in the paint and fast break points. The Wizards are 27th in opponent points in the paint and 24th in opponent fast break points.
The Raptors were able to dominate the points in the paint battle in their most impressive win of the season to date on Nov. 8 against the Dallas Mavericks. They finished that game with 72 points in the paint.
This is a game where Pascal Siakam needs to get back on track. He should dominate and look like the best player on the floor. Siakam has played well against the Wizards in his career. Over the last three seasons, Siakam has averaged 23.9 points on 50% shooting against the Wizards.
Siakam needs to get it going from downtown. He has missed 15 of his last 16 three-point attempts over his last four games. His three-point percentage has sunk to 26.7% percent. This is a problem when there are already non-shooters on the floor.
The Raptors bench needs to use this game to get back on track as well. The bench hasn’t given Toronto a whole lot this season. With Gary Trent Jr. possibly out, the Raptors need Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher to player a lot better than they did against the Celtics.
Also, Gradey Dick who has struggled to shoot the basketball can use this game to get himself going. When Dick played against the Wizards in the preseason he had a standout game. He finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 3-point shooting along with 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist in 19 minutes of action.
Raptors four-game home stand
The Raptors need to get a victory over the Wizards because the rest of their home stand won’t get any easier. After the Wizards the Raptors take on the Bucks, Celtics and Detroit Pistons.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
