The Toronto Raptors are going to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers with a bit of a reprieve as All-Star guard Luka Doncic has been ruled out for the contest due to personal reasons.
Doncic’s absence in the game will force the Raptors to play a little different than they normally would if he was on the floor and it could work to their advantage. Doncic is averaging 35.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game so far this season for the Lakers.
In his first full season with the Lakers, Doncic is playing out of his mind and is leading the team to one of the best records in the NBA. The Lakers are 15-5 in their first 20 games of the season, which ranks second in the Western Conference behind the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic moves the ball against Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Raptors preparing for Lakers without Doncic
The Lakers have not played without Doncic on the floor since Nov. 3 and in the four games this season where he has not been active, Los Angeles is 3-1.
With Doncic out, the Lakers will rely more on LeBron James and Austin Reeves to carry the load of creating on offence. That should mean the Raptors will have an easier time, but as they know all too well, LeBron is no easy opponent, even at the tender age of 40 years old.
If the Raptors want to beat the Lakers at home, they’re going to need to figure out how to contain LeBron and Reaves. They will rely on Scottie Barnes to do a lot of the heavy lifting, especially while defending LeBron.
When it comes to containing Reaves, that job will likely go to players like rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram.
The Lakers have so many different ways to win aside from Doncic, so this doesn’t put the Raptors off the hook in their matchup with Los Angeles. If anything, they will have to be even more on their toes because everyone on the Lakers roster will be looking to make up for Doncic’s absence.
On offence, the Raptors will have to find ways to attack the paint against centre Deandre Ayton.
Tipoff between the Lakers and Raptors is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET inside Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.