Raptors hoping worst is finally behind them

Toronto still has a chance at playoffs, but nothing has gone team’s way this season

In any other season, one would take a look at the positives and negatives surrounding the Toronto Raptors and feel pretty good about the next few weeks, knowing nothing can change what has already happened.

With a few more promising options inside, the injury list slowly releasing its iron grip on key members of the roster and the COVID -19 impact lessening with each day, there could be some real optimism that the worst is behind.

Keeping such positivity in check is the team's season-long track record. The expected lifespan on any positive development for the Raptors has been punishingly short.

As head coach Nick Nurse said recently, “It seemed like we hit a roadblock, and it hasn't really seemed to end.”

“Maybe it's ending here soon,” Nurse began. “I'm trying to look down the road down here . ...

You keep thinking, `OK, hang in there, we'll get some guys back and healthy.' And it just seems like it's been one thing after another.”

If you want to label that sour grapes or a guy looking for sympathy, have at it, but Nurse is not exaggerating the circumstances. In fact, he's downplaying it.

Those who follow the Raptors even from a distance know the core of the roster is the foursome of Kyle Lowry, Fred Vanvleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam.

Norm Powell was part of that group and the man the Raptors obtained in a trade for him, Gary Trent Jr., has quickly cemented his future in Toronto since coming over in that trade deadline day deal. But for the purposes of the entire season, we'll leave the core as that previously mentioned four.

Nurse has had that group on the floor together just 19 times in 54 games.

Lowry returned Sunday after a six-game absence, the result of a recurring toe infection, while Vanvleet remains sidelined with a hip injury. He's already been listed as out for Tuesday's game against Atlanta and even when he is healthy and ready to return, he'll have to sit one more game as punishment for coming on the court when tempers flared in that loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last week.

Anunoby and Pascal Siakam were both derailed by the COVID outbreak that cost them three weeks and it's still wreaking havoc with their conditioning and stamina.

Paul Watson Jr., a young man who was making inroads with his head coach as a minutes eater coming off the bench, appears to be on the verge of returning from his stint on the league's popular out-due-to-health-and-safetyprotocols list. Watson Jr. was upgraded to questionable in the most recent league injury report.

So in that sense, things are headed in a positive direction.

Forgive the Raptors, though, if they are waiting for the next wave of injuries or something else to once again cripple the roster and challenge the unaffected to pick up the slack. It's been the ongoing theme of this season.

Lowry was given the opportunity post-game on Sunday to paint a hopeful picture of the remaining 18 games and the Raptors' chase for a spot in the NBA'S play-in playoff tournament, a route that remains open.

Lowry chose his words carefully. He didn't come across as hopeful.

“Game at a time,” Lowry said. “You can't look too far ahead.

You can't look too far down the road. You've got to take it one game at a time and continue to grow. We're in a situation where we've never been in before.”

You can't blame Lowry for not jumping on the seemingly imminent return to health of the roster and the additions of a few bruising bodies in Khem Birch and Freddie Gillespie.

Having been through what they have been through, trust that better times are ahead. It doesn't come that easily anymore.