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Gameday: Kings vs Raptors, November 2

The Toronto Raptors host the Sacramento Kings Saturday, looking to end a four-game skid on the same night they will hoist Vince Carter’s jersey into the rafters.

While the retirement of Carter’s jersey can be a divisive subject for the Raptor’s fanbase, there is no denying the impact “Air Canada” had on both the franchise and Canadian basketball culture as a whole during his peak years here.

He blew us away with what was arguably the greatest dunk contest performance of all time, finished first in all-star voting for three straight seasons from 2000 to 2002, and led the Raptors to their first ever playoff appearance.

Another one of the most impactful Raptors of all time also headlined the King’s offseason acquisitions. DeMar DeRozan — signed to a three-year $73.7 million contract with Sacramento — will be in attendance for the Raptor’s first ever jersey retirement. The 35-year-old star is averaging 23.8 points 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals to start the season with his new team. As Toronto’s all-time leader in games played and points, it wouldn’t be surprising to one day see DeRozan’s number 10 retired alongside Carter’s 15 at Scotiabank Arena.

The Kings boast one of the better halfcourt offences in the league, currently ranked seventh at 100.9 points per 100 possessions. They operate in a similar style to the Raptors, using a lot of motion and also initiating out of the high-post/elbow extended area with Domantas Sabonis. Pair that with a Raptor’s defence that is ranked second to last in the league in the halfcourt and that could spell trouble for Toronto. They will need to be sharper with their rotations and close-outs than they were in their last two games in order to limit the damage in this one.

The Raptors will not only have to improve defensively in the halfcourt, but also maintain their league leading ability to limit opponents’ transition opportunities, as the King’s transition offence is also highly effective.

Meanwhile Toronto has a bottom-third halfcourt offence through six games (92.1 points per 100 possessions) largely due to low 3-point frequency and poor 3-point efficiency. They have compensated for this by taking over 40 percent of their shots at the rim (third-highest frequency in the league) and 27 percent from the short-mid range (fifth-highest frequency), finishing from both areas at an average clip. Toronto’s overall attack has been propped up to nearly league average by excellent offensive rebounding and transition scoring.

The Kings are second behind the Raptors when it comes to limiting opponent’s chances in transition, so the Raptors offence will have to manage to get something going against Sacramento’s middling set defence. Darko Rajakovic and the Raptors have run some fun sets to start the season, so be on the lookout for more of Gradey Dick coming off staggered pin-downs out of the corner, working as the back-screener in Spain Leak, or coming off the Chicago action in Horns Skip/Slip Chicago.