What can you learn about a team missing three of their best four players? The Raptors can take solace in the fact the answer is: not much.
It was completely expected that the Raptors would struggle without Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby — all out due to health and safety protocols — especially following a stretch of games where all three played tremendously. Watching the reality of losing is never easy, though, and Toronto hasn’t been able to conjure up any of those surprises we so often saw over the last few seasons — even against middling opponents.