With each passing game carrying less meaning than the one before, the Raptors simply look to move back above .500 at home (currently 16-16) against one of the worst rosters in NBA history. If that matchup doesn’t excite you on a Friday night, I don’t know what will…

Start time: 7:00 PM ET
Channel: TSN

Probable starting lineups
Toronto: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Amir Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas
Charlotte: Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Josh McRoberts, Bismack Biyombo

Injury report
Toronto: Andrea Bargnani is out
Charlotte: Ramon Sessions is out, Byron Mullens is questionable

Random Thoughts

• When the Bobcats were the early season surprise during a 7-5 start, I was probably among the most pessimistic realistic observers, looking past the early record and at the poor quality of basketball to predict that Charlotte would still lose 55-60 games. Well apparently even I wasn’t negative enough, because after losing 45 of their last 52, it looks as thought the Bobcats are going to easily surpass 60 losses a year after finishing with the worst winning percentage in NBA history. There’s bad, and then there’s Bobcats bad. They really have become the standard for futility in professional sports (though I think this year’s Houston Astros might give them a run).
• Having said all of that about the Bobcats, let’s not forget that two of the team’s seven losses last season came against the Raptors and that Charlotte and Toronto split the first two meeting this season. In addition, the Bobcats are looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since November, when it was a controversial win over Toronto that gave them two straight. I still think the Raps will pull away for an easy win in the end tonight, but don’t be surprised if this game is closer than you would like it to be for a while before that.
• I know it was against a Celtics team missing Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, but the Bobcats beating Boston by 26 on Tuesday night might go down as the most puzzling result of the 2012-13 NBA season.
• If there’s one thing to look forward to in a potential blowout, it’s Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross hopefully logging a ton of minutes. If only Quincy Acy was here…