Raptors’ next challenge: Stop Butler and Embiid
TORONTO — Things have changed since the last time the Toronto Raptors came across the Philadelphia 76ers in late October.
At that point, the Sixers were middling with a 4-3 record, to the Raptors 6-1 mark out of the gate.
And they were without Jimmy Butler, who was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves about two weeks later.
Now, Philadelphia comes into Wednesday’s contest against the Raptors on a four-game winning streak, having captured eight of their past nine contests. In total, the team is a 8-2 with Butler in the fold, helping them climb to No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, two spots behind Toronto.
Butler is one of the best wing defenders in the league, said Nick Nurse. Toronto’s coach believes some of that will rub off on a team still building its defence, something the Raptors are also working on.
“They’re definitely better and I think he gives them just a little higher level of swag,” Nurse said. “They strut around a little bit more like they expect to beat you and if they have any problems they throw him the ball, he makes a basket for them, or they have a matchup they can’t guard, he goes and guards it for them. That’s what great players do.” EYEING EMBIID: Joel Embiid put up 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds the last time out against the Raptors. It was far from his best night this season, which says something about the start the early candidate for MVP is having.
Nurse called the seven-foot 24-year-old “about as big (a handful) as they come.”
“Obviously the size, the skill and, when he’s playing with some focus that he’s playing with right now, he’s really tough,” he said. “He wants it in tough situations, he wants it down the stretch ... he’s big time when he’s focused the way he is now.”
Everything Embiid does is powerful, said Kyle Lowry, which makes it hard for any opposing team to categorically say,
“Oh, we can stop him.”
“He’s just a guy that you’ve got to keep a body on, be physical with him ... It’s a good challenge for our bigs tomorrow,” he said. “It’s a good challenge for our team tomorrow.”
Rebounding has been a problem for the Raptors. Toronto sat 13th in the league in total rebounds before play Tuesday.