The Raptors walk into the Frost Bank Center fresh off a two-game losing streak. San Antonio is undefeated at 3-0 but is playing their first back-to-back of the season. The Spurs have more talent, but Toronto isn’t completely hapless. Similar to the Pelicans and Nets, the Raptors are dangerous enough. The guys will need to be locked in to put this team away, and whether they keep their focus will determine if that happens
San Antonio has beaten Toronto the last three times the teams have faced off. The last two times were without Victor Wembanyama, as the two squads only played each other after his blood clot was discovered. The last time Wemby played the Raptors, he recorded a triple-double that included 10 blocked shots.
The Alien was extra extraterrestrial that night with a 27-point, 14-rebound, 10-block, two-steal, and five-assist performance. It’s the first and only block-included triple-double he’s had so far, but we know he’ll have another. He was just robbed of one in the Pelicans game, but I digress.
The Spurs have an old friend coming to town
The second-best part of watching this team play another game will be seeing Sandro Mamukelashvili again. The Georgian big man spent three years in the Alamo City, and fans will undoubtedly be happy to see him return. Mamu provided the fans with plenty of memories, and he’ll always be family. Unfortunately for him, he’s with the other team now, and the Spurs will have to send him back over the wall with a loss.
Other than the ex-Seton Hall hooper, the Raptors didn’t really add much talent in the offseason. They drafted Collin Murray-Boyles in the first round, but that was mostly it for impactful moves. Don’t completely sleep on them, though. Scottie Barnes has game. It’s just an inconsistent one. If the Spurs aren’t careful, they’ll have another Cam Thomas situation on their hands.
The same goes for Brandon Ingram. He’s not a top-tier player, but he’s at least middle of the pack, I guess. I’m trying to apply the “appropriate fear” mentality here, but I’m struggling. I’ve never really loved Ingram as a player. He’s come up short in too many big moments for me to treat him like an elite star. He’s not that.
Spurs fans will also get a chance to see Jakob Poeltl again. It’s a shame that the Latvian seven-footer had to get moved for the Silver and Black’s new era to begin, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. He’ll be one of the main players guarding Victor Wembanyama. They have a little more size and length than the Pelicans and Nets, but everyone will be small compared to Wemby.
If San Antonio wants to send the Raptors back North with their heads hanging, they’ll have to keep a lid on Ingram, Barnes, and RJ Barrett, continue to outrebound their opponent, and keep their turnovers low. Toronto has the second-highest pace in the league, partially due to their ability to force errors. They’re tied for seventh in steals, so extra attention to detail will be key for the good guys.
