The Toronto Raptors have had more than their share of losses in this young season, but the latest, a 123-115 loss to the Phoenix Suns, left a lot more room for optimism than the other five. The Raptors played pretty solid basketball for 48 minutes, their offense in particular looked more organized, and most importantly, Pascal Siakam had his best game since the last time the Raptors were in Phoenix — eleven months ago.
What can they take from this one going forward?
1. Welcome Back, Big Four
Last game I noted how frustrating it must be for Nick Nurse to only be able to rely on two of five starters; if you wanted to pencil Aron Baynes in for a slow start that was one thing, but the team needed consistent play from OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam too, not just Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet.