The Toronto Raptors will be shorthanded against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, with six players set to sit out the game.
Star guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet will be amongst the absent players.
Lowry, VanVleet, Hood, McCaw, Watson, and Harris are all OUT tonight for the Raptors.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) April 6, 2021
The absences of Lowry and VanVleet remove two players who are among the Raptors’ scoring leaders.
The remaining quartet of Rodney Hood, Patrick McCaw, Paul Watson and Jalen Harris hasn’t offered much in the way of statistical numbers this season, but their statuses negatively impacts the Raptors’ depth.
With a current record of 20-30, the Raptors are struggling just to reach the postseason, while the 31-19 Lakers are simply trying to keep things stable until the returns of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Both James and Davis have been out with injuries, a factor that presumably limits any sympathy the Lakers might have toward the plight of the Raptors.
Following Tuesday night’s matchup, the Lakers move on to face the Miami Heat in a rematch of last season’s finals.