This marks the first time since 2007 these teams have met and been at 0.500 or better. Seriously. That is a lot of garbage from one team or the other. Granted the Raps have been garbage for most of their entire existence until recently. Anyhow, both these teams rely HEAVILY on their benches, and I think so long as the Lakers come to play, this should be a highly entertaining game from wire to wire. Laker Raptor games usually are, even if one team has usually been trash.
Well the Lake Show sure has been a pleasant surprise this year with their top five offence and sporting a much more movement oriented system. Luke's done a great job so far, and while the young core has shown great progress, albeit with a few steps back now and then, Brandon Ingram has really been showing some flashes of the kind of game he has to bring, and it's a unique blend of ball-handling, passing, and scoring in a myriad of ways. All in all though, this is a nice blend of youth with some stabilizing veterans around to keep the keel even. The second unit has been great and one of the top lineups in the league, and even with all the recent injuries, it's understandable why Luke would want to keep them as they are.
The Raps have basically picked up where they left off last year. Derozan came out on fire this year, but cooled back down to his usual production, but the team in general seems to have a slightly more workman like approach this year, with Lowry and Derozan leading the charge, as per usual, but playing much smarter ball than in years past. The rotation features some youth right now in Siakim and Nogera, and they aren't as savvy as the Laker's youth, so matchups can be exploited there. Nonetheless, the bench is strong, with Ross able to go off on any night, Cory Joseph playing better of late, and Patrick Patterson able to play inside and out.
All in all, this should be a fun game. The Raptors starting unit is clearly stronger, although Mozgov should be able to take Valanciunas out of his comfort zone, but the Lakers bench is stronger this year with a bit more identity. The two style of offence are completely different though, with the Lakers emphasizing forward movement and cutting, while the Raptors focus more on perimeter swinging and ultimately guard heavy isolations.
