The Toronto Raptors have been without Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw for five consecutive games due to the league's coronavirus health and safety protocols.
The team announced on Tuesday that VanVleet, Siakam, Flynn and McCaw have all been cleared to practice ahead of Wednesday's matchup against the Detroit Pistons, while Anunoby still remains out.
It is worth noting that of the four players that have been cleared to practice, Siakam, Flynn and McCaw are all listed as questionable for the matchup against the Pistons, while VanVleet is listed as doubtful. It has been nearly three weeks since these players entered the league's health and safety protocols, and according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, some were cleared to practice over the weekend, while others didn't receive the green light until Tuesday.
Whether or not some (or all) of these players return for Wednesday's game against the Pistons is to be determined based on how things go in practice, but their returns are likely to be staggered based on how they get re-adjusted to conditioning. Toronto returns home for a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Friday (March 19) before another quick road trip against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday (March 21) and Houston Rockets on Monday (March 22), so those would be the next available chances for these players to work their way back into the lineup.
The Raptors have struggled in their time since Pascal Siakam first entered the health and safety protocols prior to a meeting with the Rockets, going 1-5 over the six-game stretch with five-consecutive losses since four others entered the protocols. They have since fallen from a .500 record in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race to 17-22, just outside the playoff picture.
We will have you covered with more information on the situation once it becomes available
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