Listen to That’s A Rap #67: Scary Terry 2.0 steps up for the depleted roster

The mid-point of the season is fast approaching and the Toronto Raptors are, arguably, performing more impressively than last year’s championship-winning season.

Despite ranking third in man games lost — behind the Wizards and Warriors — and 1st in estimated wins lost, the team is only two games behind last season’s record, at this point.

The definition of “next man up” should just be a picture of this squad. With each passing injury, a different Raptor steps up to help the team. This time around it was Terence Davis. His disappearance against Portland, and subsequent call-out by Nick Nurse, led to a resurgence against Charlotte, and a career-best performance.

The boys discuss this and more in the latest episode of That’s A Rap.

On This Episode:

On one hand, the Raptors’ gut-punch of a loss to Portland left a bad taste in our collective mouths. Sure, Hassan Whiteside illegally hip-checked Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and OG Anunoby was caught flat-footed against an over-the-hill Carmelo Anthony. But Toronto had an entire lineup’s worth of missing bodies and, for large portions of the game, G-League-worthy lineups facing Damian Lillard / CJ McCollum / Melo / Whiteside. Yet, the team was thisclose to a game-winning, Kyle Lowry buzzer-beater.

The amount of angst felt the night before was reversed to elation the following evening in Charlotte. Davis answered the call — both from Nurse and the team, in general — made his first career start and provided the necessary spark. His post-game altercation with Terry Rozier provided a bit of symmetry. How do you feel about TD adopting the Scary Terry 2.0 moniker?

DeMar DeRozan makes his second return to Toronto. There won’t be a dramatic pre-game video. There won’t be the added hype of facing the players he was traded for. In fact, these teams look vastly different than they did a year month ago. LaMarcus Aldridge has been given the green light to launch from downtown... and he’s thriving! The Spurs are coming off impressive victories over the Bucks and Celtics, and looking to take down another East foe. Returning Raptors aside, this should be a difficult but entertaining Sunday night game.

2:40 - Calm down? More like Calm up!

12:55 - Scary Terry 2.0

20:20 - Raps instilling fear throughout the East

29:00 - DeMar returns (again)