ORLANDO, FLA.—A game without all-star guard DeMar DeRozan can never be a good thing for the Toronto Raptors, because the absence of the team’s top scorer leaves a gaping hole.
But coach Dwane Casey sounded at least a little bit optimistic after announcing DeRozan would miss his third straight game with a sore right ankle Friday here against the Magic.
“The good thing I like about it is, it gives Norm (Powell) an opportunity to play. It gives our other young kids an opportunity to perform,” Casey said. “This is what the league’s about. I think Norm is doing an excellent job of filling in. You lose 28 points out of your lineup, you’ve got to make those points up. But I like the opportunity that Norm is getting, and in the long run it’s going to help our team.”
DeRozan originally sprained his ankle last month in a loss to Phoenix and sat out three games. He returned and played one, but has now missed three in a row after experiencing some swelling after the game he played.
“His ankle’s still tender, so we’re going to be cautious. The medical team is going to be cautious with him and make sure he’s ready to go,” Casey said.
Powell once again filled in as a starter against the Magic. In five starts for DeRozan before Friday, he averaged 17.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 35.2 minutes per game.
DEFENCE CONTRACT: Dwane Casey has seen improvement in the Raptors’ defence. Now he wants consistency. Centre Jonas Valanciunas, in particular, has been more effective of late, but there is work still to be done.
“I thought he did an excellent job against Anthony Davis in his pick-and-roll situations,” Casey said of Valanciunas’ performance against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. “Getting back to his one-on-one situations, I thought he did an excellent job in that. For all of our team, it’s about being consistent. No matter who’s playing, who’s out, minutes restrictions on anyone, it’s about being consistent and taking advantage of the opportunity if you’re playing when someone else is not playing.”
BUMPY ROAD: The Raptors went into Friday’s game having lost four straight road games for the first time since February, 2015. The last time they lost five in a row away from home was from Nov. 17 to Dec. 12, 2012.
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