The Orlando Magic are heading north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
To learn more about the Raptors' current state of affairs, we spoke with Toronto Raptors On SI contributor Matthew Davison.
Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard on the court against the Washington Wizards. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As you would expect, the Raptors are being extremely careful here. Leonard will begin a treatment and rehab program for the swelling in his left knee, and the team will reevaluate him in a week. Toronto knew injuries were a possibility when it acquired Leonard, and while this came earlier than hoped, the Raptors will need to learn to play without him sooner rather than later. The injury puts more on Scottie Barnes as the primary creator and should mean an elevated role for sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles.
The three-point shooting has been brutal. Through three games, the Raptors rank 29th in three-point percentage at 26.2% and 29th in threes made at 9 per game. It's part of a trend, as Toronto has ranked in the bottom five in threes made in three straight seasons under Darko Rajakovi. Barrett and Barnes are a combined 3-of-25 from beyond the arc.
Collin Murray-Boyles might be the most important Raptor you won't notice on the stat sheet. Through three games, the 6-foot-7 forward is averaging about 19 minutes and has seen time at centre. His plus-42 ranks first on the team, well ahead of Immanuel Quickley in second at plus-23. His athleticism allows him to switch onto guards, protect the paint and force turnovers.
It would come down to size and physicality inside. The Raptors were badly outmatched on the glass in Minnesota, getting outrebounded 49-34, and they'll have a hard time matching what the 6-foot-10, 270-pound Wendell Carter Jr. gives Orlando. Toronto's small-ball looks lean heavily on Murray-Boyles, and he picked up five fouls in 17 minutes against Washington.
Raptors 111, Magic 103. Both teams are missing their best player, but Orlando is more banged up . Toronto's defence at home should create enough easy offence to cover the half-court droughts, and I expect a bounce-back game from Barnes after one of the worst nights of his career, where he went 0-12 from the field.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/magic/onsi as 5 Burning Questions Ahead of Magic vs. Raptors .
