On Friday, February 22 the San Antonio Spurs will travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors.
San Antonio at Toronto promises to be a high intensity and action-packed game. Kawhi Leonard and his rocky departure from San Antonio are still fresh in the minds of fans. In addition to that Toronto is finding a rising star in Pascal Siakam who, in the absence of Leonard, has been stepping up for his team.
This game is mostly going to be about the Raptors, as they continue to dominate in the East more eyes will be trained on their performance.
So, first and foremost Leonard, yet again, facing off against his former team. Leonard is currently day-to-day on the injury report but should be good to go next Friday.
Leonard’s whole saga with San Antonio is interesting. The number of factors and drama that go into his story never seem to end.
Along the same lines, this is also DeMar DeRozan’s return to Toronto. DeRozan, who many consider having been betrayed by Toronto, will surely be a force throughout the game.
Be watching for how Leonard responds to this adversity if he is going to play expect him to either have an outstanding game or make little to no difference. These are the type of games where star players tend to play best.
Another player to watch for the Raptors is Marc Gasol. Having just been traded to the team Gasol is still adjusting to an entirely new environment. Having started off his campaign with them well we should look to see how he builds on his start with his first true test with the Raptors.
Photo Credit: San Antonio Express-News
Be looking for San Antonio to keep running through DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge.
As of right now these two players are leading this team and really keeping them afloat in the Western Conference.
San Antonio needs to utilize the production from these two and make a statement this game that they are capable of beating a title contender.
San Antonio will also need some heavy production from facilitators like Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills to make sure the ball stays moving.
This game has the potential to come down to rebounding. The defensive battle between Aldridge and Toronto’s Serge Ibaka will be a key matchup throughout the game.
Photo Courtesy of San Antonio Express News
Another important matchup will be between Pascal Siakam and Davis Bertans. Both power forwards will need to lock down on each other to prevent the offense from moving through them. We have already seen that Siakam has the ability to take over a game, so Bertans will have to step up big to prevent Siakam from getting into a rhythm.
The defense will also be important in this game solely based on points allowed. There is a three-point spread between the Raptors, who allow 108.7 points a game and the Spurs who allow 111.4 points per game. The difference here is literally one shot. So, both teams will be needing to play with a defensive intensity to outmatch their opponent.
This game is likely to be close, but the edge will go to the Raptors this time. On paper, this Raptors team should outplay the Spurs in most facets of the game, but you can never count out coach Popovich to have the Spurs do something special.
Expect this game to be somewhere around Raptors 120 – 116 Spurs.
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