Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets: Injury Reports, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - February 7th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Charlotte Hornets will continue their homestand when they host the Toronto Raptors at the Spectrum Center on Monday, February 7.
The Raptors are coming off a 125-114 win against the Atlanta Hawks. With their fifth win in a row, the Raptors have improved to 28-23 on the season. Meanwhile, the Hornets are coming off a 86-104 loss against the Miami Heat. Following their fourth consecutive defeat, the Hornets have fallen to ninth in the East, and are 28-26 on the season.
Toronto Raptors Injury Report
The Toronto Raptors have had a relatively healthy roster since the start of 2022. In their upcoming away fixture, the Raptors have only one name in their injury report.
Goran Dragic remains absent from the team. Although he has played a few games with the team this season, he is currently away due to personal reasons. He could be moved before the trade deadline.
According to @SmithRaps, the #Raptors are finding great interest in PG Goran Dragic (personal) before the trade deadline and they are almost certain he will be traded in one of a number of scenarios. According to @TheSteinLine, it's believed he'd be bought out by acquiring team. twitter.com/kylecohenNBA/s…
Charlotte Hornets Injury Report
The Charlotte Hornets also have a relatively healthy roster for this game. With Gordon Hayward returning to action recently, the Hornets have only one name in their injury report.
Jalen McDaniels is expected to miss this contest because of an ankle injury. He sustained the injury in mid-January. He absence has been listed as day-to-day, but he is unlikely to play this game.
INJURY REPORT: @hornets vs. TOR 2/7
Jalen McDaniels (L Ankle Sprain) out
#AllFly
Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineups
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have enjoyed a full complement of healthy players recently. That has given them a lot of flexibility with their rotation. Although the Raptors have a well-defined rotation, the starting lineup continues to play heavy minutes.
Toronto's backcourt should feature Fred VanVleet in the point guard position, alongside Gary Trent Jr. as the shooting guard. The frontcourt trio could comprise OG Anunoby at small forward alongside Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam at power forward and center respectively.
Off the bench, the Raptors have a pretty solid rotation of players such as Chris Boucher, Precious Achiuwa and Dalano Banton. Although Yuta Watanabe and Justin Champagnie didn't play the previous game, they could feature in this one.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets saw the return of Gordon Hayward earlier this week. That has allowed the Hornets to return to their traditional starting lineup. Considering the minimal absences in their roster, Charlotte have a lot of flexibility with their overall rotation.
Their starting backcourt could see the duo of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier play point guard and shooting guard respectively. That has been an effective combination for the team, and the two have been extremely productive in most games.
In the frontcourt, the Hornets should feature the trio of Miles Bridges at small forward, Gordon Hayward at power forward and Mason Plumlee at center. Although Hayward isn't a traditional power forward, the role is often interchangeable between himself and Bridges.
Against the Heat, Charlotte used ten players from the rotation. Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. played starting minutes, while PJ Washington, Nick Richards and Ish Smith also saw significant minutes. They may opt to run with the same rotation in this game as well.
Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets Predicted Starting 5s
Toronto Raptors
G - Fred VanVleet | G - Gary Trent Jr. | F - OG Anunoby | F - Scottie Barnes | C - Pascal Siakam.
Charlotte Hornets
G - LaMelo Ball | G - Terry Rozier | F - Miles Bridges | F - Gordon Hayward | C - Mason Plumlee.