VanVleet’s illness sparks questions about health of "unenergetic" Raptors
The Toronto Raptors had their most sluggish appearance of the season in a listless 132-113 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, but there could be a reason for it.
The Raptors, already without star Pascal Siakam because of a groin injury, could be battling a bit of a bug after it was revealed guard Fred VanVleet departed the lopsided setback because of a non-COVID illness.
And he might not be alone.
“Fred VanVleet just shuffled by me in the hall with a mask on, moving like a guy who has the flu,” Sportsnet’s Michael Grange tweeted Friday night. “Nurse — who doesn’t sound too great himself — said FVV was questionable before the game and pulled him early.”
Fred VanVleet just shuffled by me in the hall with a mask on, moving like a guy who has the flu. Nurse — who doesn’t sound too great himself — said FVV was questionable before the game and pulled him early. “We didn’t have much of a spark.”
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) November 12, 2022
VanVleet wasn’t the only Raptors player to leave the game early, either.
Toronto coach Nick Nurse pulled all his starters early in the blowout loss.
“It looked to me like we didn’t have any energy at all,” Nurse told reporters postgame. “It kind of stood out for me early on those steals we got early, we got nothing to show for them. We were stealing the ball and walking it up after steals. I was like ‘uh oh, this doesn’t look good energy-wise early.’ Usually, a steal is going to ignite you, but we were holding it in the back court and letting them set up and walking it up the court after steals for some reason.
“Very disconnected and just unenergetic tonight.”
Nurse isn’t a fan of pulling starters in most circumstances.
“I just didn’t think that there was any spark there, and you guys know I don’t do that very often,” Nurse said. “I just didn’t think that there was anything that there was going to be some type of resurgence there, and then I figured, I knew a couple guys were labouring out there physically, so there was no sense in waiting any longer tonight.
The Raptors sit fifth in the Eastern Conference at 7-6 but have lost two of the past three games and three of the past five outings.
They visit the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
VanVleet’s status isn’t known for the game.
Others may be questionable, too.
“Right now, who knows?” Nurse said. “We’re starting to get down a number of bodies and who knows what will happen tomorrow as far as who’s available. Anything’s on the table for [Saturday] night’s starting lineup, for sure.”