Leonard (hip) is questionable for Friday's matchup against the Trail Blazers, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.
A bruised right hip has prevented Leonard from taking the floor each of the past two games, prompting Fred VanVleet to enter the starting five. More information on Leonard's availability may arrive after he tests things out during morning shootaround.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Jordan Loyd: Scores 32 points in loss
Rotowire
10H ago
Loyd scored 32 points (11-18 FG, 6-7 3Pt, 4-5 FT) to go along with 11 assists, five rebounds and a blocked shot during the loss Wednesday to the Blue.
It's hard to fathom, but a 32-point, 11-assist outing was somehow overshadowed thanks to league-leading 47-point bomb dropped by center Chris Boucher on Wednesday. Neither player figures to be long for the G League, however, meaning fantasy owners hoping to capitalize on the massive potential could be coming to a close.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Chris Boucher: Could see NBA role
Rotowire
10H ago
Boucher may be in line for an NBA role while Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) is out for about a month.
Boucher was recalled from the G League in conjunction with the news of Valanciunas' timetable for a return. Boucher has played just 12 NBA minutes this season, but could see an expanded role, especially given his G League success. At the time of his call-up, Boucher was leading the G League in scoring (29.4 PPG) while adding 11.6 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.5 minutes. He's also shown proficiency from beyond the arc, drilling 2.5 threes per contest at 34.0 percent. He makes for a speculative add in some deeper formats.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas: Out four weeks following surgery
Rotowire
11H ago
Valanciunas underwent surgery on his disclosed left thumb Thursday and will miss at least four weeks, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Valanciunas suffered the injury during the first half of Wednesday's game against the Warriors. He'll be forced to wear a cast for the next four weeks -- keeping him sidelined until mid-January -- before the Raptors reevaluated his status. In the meantime, Serge Ibaka should handle the bulk of playing time at center with Valanciunas out, while Greg Monroe could also benefit from some increased run.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Chris Boucher: Recalled from G League
Rotowire
12H ago
Boucher was recalled from the G League on Thursday and will be available for Friday's game in Portland, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports.
Boucher has spent most of this season in the G League, but could take the floor for Toronto on Friday. He's racked up 12 minutes in the NBA this year, totaling 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
Raptors' Fred VanVleet: Solid in second straight spot start
Rotowire
15H ago
VanVleet (back) totaled 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt), three rebounds, two assists and three steals across 28 minutes in the Raptors' 113-93 win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
VanVleet shook off the back issue that had him listed as questionable coming into the contest and put in another solid performance in Kawhi Leonard's (hip) stead. The third-year guard was more active on the scoring front than a night earlier against the Clippers, displaying impressive efficiency while shooting 50 percent, including 66.7 percent from three-point range. VanVleet is expected to revert to a bench role that still typically affords him minutes in the 20s if Leonard is able to return to action Friday against the Trail Blazers.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Pascal Siakam: Solid complementary production
Rotowire
15H ago
Siakam posted 13 points (5-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block across 35 minutes in the Raptors' 113-93 win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka did a lot of the heavy lifting on offense, but Siakam turned in a solid stat line in a complementary role. The second-year big man has been a virtual lock for double-digit points on most nights, but he's surprisingly seen a downturn on the boards over the last pair of contests. After opening December with no fewer than five rebounds and as many as eight over the first five games of the month, Siakam has only three boards apiece over the last two.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Danny Green: Productive in complementary role
Rotowire
15H ago
Green delivered 15 points (6-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five assists and four rebounds across 31 minutes in the Raptors' 113-93 win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
Green once again enjoyed an enhanced role on offense in the absence of Kawhi Leonard (hip), which led to his best scoring total since Nov. 17. The 31-year-old has shot particularly well of late, even if most of his success has uncharacteristically come from in front of the arc. Green has drained 14 of 27 attempts overall in his last four games, but he's only 3-for-12 from three-point range during that span. Overall, he's enjoying his best offensive season in several years, as his 9.6 points are his highest figure in that category since the 2014-15 season, while his 44.7 percent success rate from the field is his best showing in that metric since the 2012-13 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Serge Ibaka: Stays hot in road upset
Rotowire
17H ago
Ibaka managed 20 points (7-16 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal across 29 minutes in the Raptors' 113-93 win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
Ibaka teamed with Kyle Lowry to help make up for the absence of Kawhi Leonard (hip), putting together his third tally of at least 20 points and his first double-double since Nov. 12. The veteran big man has been a rousing success at the center position this season despite being a bit undersized, and he's currently boasting a career-high 16.8 points on his best shooting percentage (54.6) since the 2012-13 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Kyle Lowry: Spearheads upset road win
Rotowire
15H ago
Lowry mustered 23 points (9-18 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 12 assists, five rebounds and three steals across 38 minutes in the Raptors' 113-93 win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
Lowry put the team on his shoulders with Kawhi Leonard (hip) sidelined again, turning in an excellent all-around line in one of the most difficult road environments in the NBA. Moreover, he was excellent on the defensive side of the ball, helping to limit Stephen Curry to 10 points on 3-for-12 shooting. After opening December in nightmarish fashion by going scoreless in one game and posting no more than seven points in three others, Lowry now has back-to-back 20-point-plus efforts in Leonard's absence.
Valanciunas will not return to Wednesday's game against the Warriors after suffering a dislocated left thumb, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.
Valanciunas suffered the injury in the first half of the contest when he was fouled. He looked to be in serious pain and went directly to the locker room. The Raptors haven't indicated how much time Valanciunas will miss, if any, but for the time being, he should be viewed as questionable at best for Friday's game against the Trail Blazers.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas: Exits with trainer
Rotowire
1D ago
Valanciunas exited Wednesday's game against the Warriors with an apparent left hand injury, Eric Koreen of The Athletic reports.
Valanciunas was fouled by Draymond Green on a spin through the lane and appeared to be in serious pain while nursing his left hand. He eventually headed to the locker room with a trainer and should be considered questionable to return.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Fred VanVleet: Will play Wednesday
Rotowire
1D ago
Van Vleet (back) will play in Wednesday's game against the Warriors, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.
Van Vleet came into the game questionable, as he continues to deal with a nagging back injury, but will give it a go Wednesday. Van Vleet could see an increased role with star Kawhi Leonard out with a hip injury. Van Vleet is averaging 24.2 minutes this season, running the show for the second unit.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Kawhi Leonard: Ruled out Wednesday
Rotowire
1D ago
Leonard (hip) will not play in Wednesday's game against the Warriors, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Leonard will miss his second consecutive game as he deals with a bruised hip. The team continues to be cautious with their star, and he should be considered questionable for Friday's game against the Trail Blazers. With Leonard out, OG Anunoby and CJ Miles could see larger roles, with one of them likely moving into the starting five.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Fred VanVleet: Game-time decision Wednesday
Rotowire
1D ago
Van Vleet is a game-time decision for Wednesday's game against the Warriors with a back injury, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.
Van Vleet is dealing with a back issue, however the severity is unknown at this time. More information should come out sometime prior to tip on whether or not he will go. If he's unable to go, Delon Wright would likely see most of the back-up point guard minutes.
... See More... See Less
Raptors' Kawhi Leonard: Listed as questionable
Rotowire
1D ago
Leonard (hip) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Warriors.
Leonard was held out of Tuesday night's game with a bruised hip, and the Raptors haven't said much about his status as Wednesday's game approaches. The team has mostly been cautious with the former Finals MVP, and it's possible his availability will come down to a game-time call.
