Gameday: Bucks @ Raptors, January 6

Nothing is confirmed yet, but the Toronto Raptors’ presumptive starting five appear likely to hit the floor for the first time this season when they tip off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday at Scotiabank Arena.

RJ Barrett is still listed as questionable on the injury report. However, reporting out of the team’s practice yesterday by multiple sources – including Raptors Republic’s Louis Zatzman – said that comments from both coach Darko Rajakovic and Barrett made it seem like he is likely to play.

The Raptors going nearly half of the season without this unit (Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and Barrett) hitting the floor together is, suboptimal. The results of them playing together will help instruct the front office on how to best proceed with building the team.

When the Raptors and Bucks met last on Nov. 12, Toronto was held to 85 points as Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo dwarfed the Raptors in paint, combining for seven blocks. Both teams will look different in this meeting as the Raptors were without Barnes and Quickley and the Bucks were without Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton the first time around.

Bruno Fernando also reached the pinnacle of his basketball career in that game.

Raptors Outlook: 8-27 | 13th in Eastern Conference | Off rating: 109.6 (24th) | Def rating: 116.9 (26th) | Net rating: -7.2 (26th) 

Raptors Previous Results 

vs Magic L 106-97

vs Brooklyn W 130-113

@ Boston L 125-71

vs Atlanta L 136-107

@ Grizzlies L 155-126

Ok so the Raptors rely on movement, cutting, and screening to generate a lot of easy looks at the basket. They are second in rim frequency and first in percentage of points scored in the paint. However their continuous battering of the rim and pounding of the paint hasn’t equalled efficiency –they are 28th in rim field goal percentage. And Toronto is going up against a Bucks defence that is sixth in opponent field goal percentage at the rim and fourth in opponent field goal percentage from the short mid-range. Uh oh.

Milwaukee on the other hand does allow opponents to take a fair number of 3s, which have also gone in at a relatively high rate. Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick heating up from deep would certainly help the Raptors’ chances in this game (can’t forget Jamison Battle’s rookie best 43.1 percent from 3 either).

As far as the defensive side of the ball is concerned, the kind of lock and trail plus drop coverage that the Raptors frequently play with Poeltl on the floor is a decent look to throw at the Antetokounmpo-Lillard pick n’ roll. As long as the help is on point. And no worries about the classic Dame logo 3s, the Raptors already have some the highest pickup points in the league regardless of who they’re playing. The rest of the starting unit (Quickley, Barrett, and Dick) have frankly been poor defenders thus far in their Raptors tenures. Barnes’ ability to muck up opponents drives and actions as a backline helper goes a long way, and will help mitigate some of this. It will be interesting to see over time if this lineups’ potential offensive punch out-weighs its negatives on the defensive end.

Bucks Outlook: 17-16 | 5th in Eastern Conference | Off rating: 111.8 (16th) | Def rating: 111.0 (10th) | Net rating: 0.9 (14th) 

Bucks Previous Results 

vs Portland L 105-102

vs Brooklyn L 113-110

@ Indiana W 120-112

@ Chicago L 116-111 

vs Brooklyn L 111-105 

The Bucks have been all over the place this season. They started off an ice cold 2-8, then were one of the NBA’s hottest teams for over a month as a 14-4 stretch brought them back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They won the NBA Cup for Pete’s sake! Now they are once again sliding, losing four of their last five, including two games to the Brooklyn Nets and one to the Portland Trail Blazers. Ugly stuff.

Milwaukee was missing Antetokounmpo for two of those five games, and Lillard for the first loss against Brooklyn, but that really is no excuse. It certainly pails in comparison to the onslaught of injuries the Raptors have dealt with.

So, who are the Bucks? The team that took down the world-beating Oklahoma City Thunder for a cool $500,000 each, or an easy mark for lottery-bound squads. My estimation would probably be somewhere in between those two extremes. But right now they are struggling, and the newly healthy Raptors will try to take advantage and become the latest cellar dweller to give the Bucks fits.

Game Info 

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET 

Television: TSN 

Radio: Sportsnet 590

Starting Lineups (Projected) 

Milwaukee Bucks 

PG: Damian Lillard

SG: Andre Jackson Jr.

SF: Khris Middleton

PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo

C: Brook Lopez

Toronto Raptors 

PG: Immanuel Quickley

SG: Gradey Dick 

SF: RJ Barrett

PF: Scottie Barnes

C: Jakob Poeltl 

Injury Report 

Bucks

UPDATE:

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Knee) – Probable

Khris Middleton (Ankles) – Probable

Andre Jackson Jr. (Illness) – Questionable

Raptors 

RJ Barrett (Illness) – Questionable

Lines 

*Odds as of Jan 6, 12:00 am ET* 

All Toronto Raptors odds are provided by NBA Betting Site Betway! 

Presented by Betway

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