Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and had to undergo an emergency appendectomy, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The young wing is expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks, likely causing him to miss beyond the first-round of playoff action.
The Raptors were already down one lengthy perimeter defender with the loss of Patrick McCaw to a sprained right thumb that could see him miss this upcoming week before being reevaluated, now they will be forced to deal with the loss of Anunoby, who averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game this season.
This Eastern Conference powerhouse possesses a strong combination of length and athleticism in its starting unit with Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam, but will need the second unit to bring some of that same defensive capability, despite the loss of Anunoby and McCaw.
The Orlando Magic, who the Raptors will face in the first round, are long and athletic as well, possessing capable cogs like Aaron Gordon, Khem Birch and the recently-upgraded Jonathan Isaac, who gave Siakam fits on the offensive end throughout their regular season matchups.
However the Raptors are largely expected to whether the storm and are favorites to take the series over the Magic, likely awaiting the return of Anunoby by the second round, if all goes according to the timeline.
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