Blake Murphy Sports Writing

Title: Why the Raptors are leaning so heavily on their top 4, and why it may continue
Date: September 7, 2020
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about the Raptors leaning very heavily on four players and how the bubble environment might be offering some fatigue reprieve.

As you review the box scores from the past three games of the Raptors-Celtics series, it’s the minutes played for four of Toronto’s key players that jump out:

Game 2: 38, 40, 43, 43
Game 3: 38, 41, 45, 46
Game 4: 35, 44, 45, 46

That’s an average of 42 minutes per game over three games.

It’s exhausting just to look at. It’s also led to a fairly consistent question following each game: Should Nick Nurse be playing Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby this much?

Continue reading at The Athletic.