How quickly things can change.
It was just a week ago that the Toronto Raptors lost by double digits to the New Orleans Pelicans, and the team (minus Immanuel Quickley) seemed perfectly alright with Dejounte Murray punking Jamal Shead.
The team was dealing with the (data-backed) narrative that they took care of bad teams but couldn’t beat any good ones – and even that was in peril, because they couldn’t beat the lowly Pelicans.
The Raptors’ response has been as good as you could hope for. They bounced back with strong wins against the Phoenix Suns and the East-leading Detroit Pistons.
Just when the Raptors’ season felt like it was destined to fizzle out into a play-in spot, their last two performances made the case that they may very well be back, and vibes are once again good as the team is fifth in the Eastern Conference. Tonight they head to United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. ET.
Here are some things that may be back… in a few senses of the word.
Brandon Ingram? Back (from a short slump).
Brandon Ingram’s bucket-getting is a crucial element in a Raptors’ offense that is rather short on pure bucket-getters. For that reason, the team really struggled during the four-game stretch earlier this month when Ingram averaged 14 points per game on 34% shooting. But in the two games since (wins against Phoenix and Detroit), Ingram has led the way, averaging 35 points on 56% shooting. The Raptors made an effort to get the ball in his hands early on in their clutch possessions, rather than letting the shot clock wind down while they labor to get an entry pass.
Winning? Back (to back games against playoff teams).
Winning, as a concept, disappeared for a second there. Particularly against good teams. Before the Suns win, the Raptors’ last home win against a team ahead of them in the standings came against the then-5-2 Milwaukee Bucks in November. But winning appears to be back, and it came back in back-to-back fashion against a pair of good teams. Can they make it back-to-back-to-back?
Jak? Back (issues didn’t impede him Sunday).
Jakob Poeltl’s back issues have been a problem all year. When they haven’t kept him out of games, the pain (and his conditioning in returning) have kept him from being his best self, often looking a bit sluggish. On Sunday against the Pistons, however, Poeltl played what likely his best game of the season, with 21 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, in a season-high 36 minutes. The issue could continue nagging him. But Poeltl looked like he was back from the back injury against Detroit, matched up against All-Star center Jalen Duren. The Bulls don’t have a true starting-caliber center near Poeltl’s size; their starting big has been 6-foot-8 Jalen Smith.
CMB? Back (from injury, potentially).
OK, so Collin Murray-Boyles is doubtful for tonight’s game with a thumb injury. But the rookie returned to practice on Tuesday, for the first time since his eight-game absence began, signalling that he is close to his return. The Raptors are essentially as healthy as they’ve been all year right now. But once CMB returns they’ll have some much-needed depth behind the oft-injured Poeltl and a really good, versatile defender back in the mix. We don’t know yet whether Murray-Boyles will play tonight. But once he is back**,** I know that I’ll be… getting the popcorn out.