Raptors’ starters find their groove in win over Orlando

TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO – Nick Nurse had a pretty good idea that his undersized starting lineup wasn’t long for Wednesday’s game against Minnesota, and, sure enough, he was right.

Without a centre on the floor for Toronto, Karl-Anthony Towns was predictably dominant, helping the Wolves get out to an early lead before the Raptors’ head coach made a couple of quick substitutions to match up with the all-star big man. He was even more proactive in the second half, opening the third quarter with Precious Achiuwa in place of Scottie Barnes – a decision that the rookie, who has started every game he’s played this season, signed off on.

It worked out well. Achiuwa did an admirable job battling Towns, who had just seven points and two rebounds over the final two quarters, Barnes took advantage of Minnesota’s second unit, scoring 13 of his 17 points after the halftime break, and Toronto cruised to a 125-102 victory.

It reinforced a couple things in terms of Nurse’s rotation. As history has shown, he’s not afraid to tinker when circumstances call for it, even if it means starting a half with the team’s prized Rookie of the Year candidate on the bench. However, assuming they’re all available, their five best and most important players will be on the floor when the ball is tossed up.

In each of the 21 games that Barnes, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam were all active this season, those five have started. Even on nights like Wednesday, when the opposition features an elite centre and the matchup looks like it could be problematic, he’s defaulted to that group.

From a development standpoint, those are the five guys the organization has the most invested in. And for a team that prides