Losing four of their last six games, the Toronto Raptors find themselves back at the .500 mark and ninth place in the East — right in the heart of the play-in tournament.
Obviously, to get out of this morass of mediocre teams, they’ll need to start beating those above them in the standings (whether you want to be in the play-in tournament instead of an improved lottery spot is a topic for another day). One of those teams is the Charlotte Hornets.
The Raptors are thin and tired as of late, which may leave them susceptible to a run-and-gun Hornets team with weapons like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges — who would bring the oohs and aahs if there was anyone to give them at Scotiabank Arena.