The Toronto Raptors just can't seem to get on track this season as Nick Nurse's squad continues to search for answers. While the Raptors are struggling to find ways to win games, Nurse iterated why he believes his team is sputtering thus far, via TSN's Josh Lewenberg.
Nurse: "You have to at least be cognizant of the fact that it's choppy waters and it's been choppy waters for some time. And we found only one little stretch of smooth sailing… and then we get hit with the break and the COVID and we're in choppier waters than ever."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 30, 2021
Early in the season, the Raptors got off to a slow start in December and January as they got accustomed to the unusual circumstances of the 2020-2021 season. Toronto would show signs of life in February, with the team going 9-5 in February, including a season-high four-game winning streak.
But in the past month, the Raptors have fallen into another lull as they've lost 12 out of their last 13 games, including three losses to the Detroit Pistons and a loss to the Houston Rockets. Before the All-Star break, Toronto experienced issues with COVID-19, causing some of their key contributors to miss time.
At the same time, the team has dealt with injuries to Kyle Lowry and other members of the team. Nurse insinuated that the combination of having a shortened offseason and the Raptors having a run-in with COVID-19 during the offseason is the reason for the team's woes.
When looking at Toronto's roster, they don't look like a team that should be 18-29 and the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference. One positive sign for the Raptors is that they are only five games behind the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference right now. With that being said, Nurse seems to believe that Toronto's misfortunes this season have weighed heavy on the players.
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