John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Toronto Raptors will look to bounce back against the Philadelphia 76ers after Monday’s tough loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Things have changed drastically the last time these two teams met. Well, just on one side, really. The 76ers began the season with a slow start, at 9-6 with a few bad losses. They had a solid core around Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid in Robert Covington, Dario Saric, J.J. Redick, but the 76ers front office felt they needed more.
They needed a guy who could take the load off Simmons and Embiid, serve as another play-maker and shot-maker and to give a young Sixers team an All-Star veteran presence. That ‘guy’ was and still is Jimmy Butler. With his break-up in Minnesota seemingly inevitable, the 76ers moved quickly, trading Covington and Saric (and picks) to the Timberwolves in return for the 29-year-old All-Star.
That trade may have sacrificed their future, but the 76ers are in win-now mode and it seems to be paying off since the trade. Butler has already made a strong impact on both ends of the floor while guiding the 76ers to a 17-8 record (8-2 since the trade).