The Toronto Raptors are in a tight playoff chase and dealing with numerous injuries. All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet has missed the last two games with a knee injury. Starting small forward OG Anunoby has been out since mid-February with a fractured right ring finger. On Thursday, the Raptors revealed an official timetable for Anunoby's return.
According to ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Anunoby is expected to be out for at least the next two weeks. He will then be re-evaluated at that time. The two week timeframe is actually closer to the minimum than the maximum for this type of injury. But he will only be re-evaluated at that time. That does not mean he will be ready to return to action.
Amid the recent injuries to two of the team's best players, Malachi Flynn and Scottie Barnes have been forced to play many more minutes than they are accustomed to. Flynn has played extremely well over the last couple games, scoring 33 points with 13 assists on 13 for 22 shooting.
Barnes, who burst onto the scene as a rookie earlier this year, had cooled off significantly. In Anunoby's absence, he has been wildly inconsistent. In a blowout win against the Brooklyn Nets, Barnes dominated posting 28 points with 16 rebounds. However, the game prior, he scored six points in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
VanVleet is a game-time decision for Thursday night's contest against the Detroit Pistons. But with the news that Anunoby will be out at least a couple more weeks, the Raptors are going to need Barnes to play more consistently.
Toronto is currently the #7 seed in the eastern conference. The #8 seed Nets get Kevin Durant back, so if they want to maintain home-court in the play-in tournament, or even move up, they will need contributions from all over.