The Toronto Raptors play game two of a five-game homestand against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST on Sportsnet.

With over a quarter of the season in the books, the Raptors are 15-7 and second in the Eastern Conference, primarily due to an eight-game home winning streak. Despite the Raptors exceeding nearly everyone’s expectations, there’s sensibility in critiquing the team during their recent run of success.

Outside of Luka Doncic missing the game due to personal reasons, here are three more storylines to consider in the upcoming matchup.

The Offence is a Work in Progress

The Raptors rank tenth in offensive rating but the offence feels uninspiring, particularly during the most important stretches of games. Toronto has been outscored in the fourth quarter in its last five consecutive contests. Lately, the team looks stagnant on offence, especially as they try to get the ball to Brandon Ingram in his preferred spot in the left corner. Teams have recently shaded coverage from various areas, and it’s often resulted in the Raptors resorting to a ‘break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” type of scramble within less than 10 seconds on the shot clock.

RJ Barrett is still dealing with a right knee sprain, which means the Raptors’ auxiliary options must continue to operate with little room for error. The team was fortunate that Gradey Dick finally broke out of his slump with 14 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 2. It was Dick’s first double-digit scoring game since Nov. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets. The Raptors have to get production from one of Dick or Ja’Kobe Walter until Barrett returns.

Since Barrett went down, Ingram is also shooting 43.9 per cent from the field and 35.7 per cent from three. After averaging a whopping 26.3 shots in the first three games without Barrett, Ingram has reverted to 14 shots per game. There are times when Ingram has looked passive, but defences have done a good job of keeping him out of actions. With teams slowing the Raptors down, they must grow comfortable with playing in a half-court game in preparation for a potential playoff run.

Unfortunately, Canadian basketball fans won’t get to see Doncic in the Lakers’ only visit north of the border this year. But for the Raptors defence, it couldn’t have played out any better. Doncic is averaging 35.3 points (career-high), 8.9 rebounds, and 8.9 assists to go with 1.6 steals. His 13 double-doubles currently put him on pace to break his career-best total of 49.

Without Doncic, the Lakers are a tricky team to place. Austin Reaves becomes their best player. The fifth-year guard is having a career year, averaging 28.1 points on 51.9 per cent shooting. Lebron James looks like he’s still easing his way into game shape, but he’s always prone to turning back the clock against the Raptors.

With Jakob Poeltl sitting the game out, it’s DeAndre Ayton who could end up being the matchup’s x-factor. The Lakers are 8-0 when Ayton finishes with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds. Ayton has been recently dealing with a knee ailment.

The League is Taking Notice

In his fifth season, Scottie Barnes has seemingly put everything together. He’s moving differently than anyone else on the court. It almost always looks like he’s one step ahead of the action.

Barnes is averaging 20.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5 assists per game. He’s also notching 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks. But the most impressive element of Barnes’ growth has been his outside shooting. Barnes is shooting a career-high 41.6 per cent on 3.5 three-point attempts. His previous best was 34.1 per cent on 4.9 attempts during the 2023-24 season. He was named an all-star that year. It’s also encouraging that many of his attempts are coming from the top of the arc rather than the corners. If he continues to shoot anywhere near this level of efficiency, he’ll become one of the league’s toughest covers, especially due to his playmaking.