Last Week: Lost to Minnesota Timberwolves 116-112, Beat Milwaukee Bucks 124-113, Beat Milwaukee Bucks 110-96, Beat Minnesota Timberwolves 86-81
This Week: 2/21 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 2/23 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 2/24 at Miami Heat, 2/26 vs. Toronto Raptors, 2/28 vs. Chicago Bulls
As ugly as the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was. the rest of the week was overwhelmingly positive for the Toronto Raptors. They were able to secure back-to-back wins against the Milwaukee Bucks and then ended the week getting a measure of revenge in an ugly game against Minnesota. Sure, Yuta Watanabe caught a body from Anthony Edwards. In the end, the Raptors walked away winners of three in a row and are firmly back in the playoff picture.
The Raptors have transitioned into a starting squad that did not feature a traditional center and that is working out for them for the time being. They have been connected to Andre Drummond but a trade seems almost impossible to navigate.
Given the enormous salary figure connected to Drummond, Norman Powell would have to be involved in any reasonable deal to bring back the former All-Star. This is a questionable choice at best given the reasonable contract Powell is on and the explosive season he has had so far. Drummond is a rebounding machine and it would be a fascinating fit for the long haul. But waiting for a potential buyout makes immeasurably more sense than trying to swing a deal at the deadline.