Gameday: Clippers @ Raptors, October 10th

The Toronto Raptors are gearing up for their second game of preseason action and they are hosting the Los Angeles Clippers, a team they were entangled with all off-season due to the Kawhi Leonard trade and investigation debacle. In what could only be described as a cruel coincidence, Leonard may also be suiting up for the first time during his second stint as a Raptor against his former team, in the wake of their punishment for their dealings with him.

It remains to be seen if Raptors first round pick Allen Graves will suit up as well, but for the most part Toronto is healthy and the rotation players should see some decent playing time as we ramp up toward the beginning of the regular season.

Raptors Outlook

Record: 0-1
Offensive Rating: 92.9
Raptors previous results: Toronto Raptors vs Miami Heat – 129 – 105 L

Toronto opened their preseason with a blowout loss against the Miami Heat, so tonight they will look to have a more positive showing, especially on the defensive end. In the first preseason game each starter played roughly 12-18 minutes, a small taste of live game action for the first time in several months.Expect for the minutes of the starters to increase a tiny bit tonight, especially if Leonard plays tonight, so they can further grow their on-court chemistry.

Toronto is not short of young talent that is hungry for a chance to get on the court and lead, such as Jamal Shead who’s fresh off an extension, and Ja’Kobe Walter who has received praise for his improvements during the off-season. It’s still only game two of the preseason so it won’t quite be as many minutes as fans would like for the rotation players, but it should be more than it was in the first game.

Clippers Outlook

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired the 5th pick in this year’s NBA draft from the Indiana PAcers and they used it to select Keaton Wagler, so expect to see a healthy dose of what will be one of the Clippers only first round picks for the next several years. The Clippers do not have title aspirations like the Toronto Raptors and from a team building perspective they will need their young talent to shine if they will have any chance to have a respectable team in the future.

Former Raptors first-round pick Gradey Dick is on the Clippers now as part of the Leonard trade and he is one of the young players whom the Clippers hope will make some sort of leap. Darius Garland has shown that he is a good point guard, and will be the focal point of the Clippers offense night after night this season.

Record: 1-0
Offensive Rating: 96.3 (28th)
Heat Previous Results: Los Angeles Clippers vs Golden State Warriors -104 -101 W