By Sean Kennedy
Following an 0-3 road trip, the Sixers return home to take on a Toronto Raptors squad which has struggled out of the gates this season. Toronto has made moves recently to try and re-gain a position among the bottom-tier of Eastern Conference playoff teams. In an effort to revamp the team’s image, the Raptors even went as far as bringing Drake on as a team executive, with the rapper fancying himself the team’s new global ambassador this past offseason. Unfortunately, what truly matters is the guys taking the court and the two guys making over $27 million combined for Toronto this season are not getting the job done.
Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan lead the Raptors in scoring, each averaging over 20 points per game. However, they’ve been doing so in an incredibly inefficient manner, with Gay shooting 38.2% and DeRozan 40.4%. Both of them are among the top 7 players in the league in field goal attempts per game, which is a gross misappropriation of Toronto’s possessions. In particular, Gay has yet to shoot 50% or better in a game this season, including an 11-37 outing in an overtime loss to the Rockets that built a new home for an impoverished family in the Houston area.
Toronto plays at the third-slowest pace in the league, and given that the Sixers are playing the second-fastest in the NBA, it will be a true clash of styles. The Raptors have the fourth-worst effective FG% in the league, thanks to the efforts of their dynamic duo, but do lead the league in offensive rebounding rate. Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson each grab nearly 3 offensive boards per game, while they receive least 2 per game from Gay and Tyler Hansbrough off the bench. Former Villanova guard Kyle Lowry runs the point for Toronto and has been playing with a splint on his finger for a torn tendon. Remarkably, he’s still shooting 35.5% from three on the season while wearing the splint. Valanciunas was supposed to have a breakout year but has often been relegated to standing around and watching Gay and DeRozan shoot long jumpers; he’s averaging just 9.5 points and 7.7 rebounds.
There’s still no word on whether Michael Carter-Williams will be back on the court for the Sixers Wednesday. If he is suited up, this contest is certainly one Philadelphia could come away from with a victory. The key to a win against Toronto is just to stand back and let Gay and DeRozan shoot the team out of the game, while making sure you limit second-chance points. So hold on to your butts, as the Sixers look to take down some Raptors Wednesday night.
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