Title: A post-Clippers examination of what is going wrong for the Raptors of late
Date: December 11, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about what’s been plaguing the Raptors during a tough five-game skid.
The Toronto Raptors will eventually be fine. For now, they are decidedly not.
Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers came to town Wednesday and, when the touching ceremony subsided, served a reminder of exactly why Leonard’s departure hurt. They can be good. Very good, even. They are not, without Leonard, the championship favourites. There is no shame in pivoting from elite to very good in a post-championship, post-Leonard season, but such a status invites more exposure to deeper valleys throughout the ups and downs of an NBA season.
Wednesday marked the fifth uninspiring Raptors performance in a row. They are a one-point victory against a bad Bulls team from being on their first five-game losing streak since January of 2017. This is not only unexpected for this year’s team, it’s quite a rare dip for this entire era of Raptors basketball.
And so while things will be fine, it warrants closer examination. What follows is a look at some of the issues plaguing the Raptors during one of their worst nine-day stretches in recent memory.
Check it out on The Athletic.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 