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The Raptors-Suns game was an abomination and there isn’t much to say about it. Best to forget it happened and move on to 2017.
But first, there’s the Patrick Patterson situation.
The player the Raptors could least afford to lose for any length of time is team MVP Kyle Lowry. After that, one could argue that Patterson would be the guy over DeMar DeRozan, since Norm Powell, Terrence Ross and Cory Joseph would be able to play more minutes and hold the fort. They’d still miss DeRozan quite a bit, but at least capable reinforcements would be around.
Patterson, of course, felt “sharp pain” in his knee during Thursday’s loss at Phoenix. That doesn’t mean panic should set in – he walked to the locker room under his own power – but with no updates likely coming until the weekend, we have to examine what his absence could mean to a squad aiming to top the Eastern Conference.
Quick Take: This comment is more about the Raptors in general than the Patrick Patterson knee issue mentioned above, but: Toronto haven’t received enough praise for their season. They’re 22-10, which is the second best record in the East, and look like the biggest threat in the conference to keep the Cavs out of the 2017 Finals.