The Toronto Raptors could get a big boost during the NBA Finals. 

According to the Toronto Sun’s Ryan Wolstat, the Raptors are “quietly optimistic” that second-year forward OG Anunoby will return to game action at some point during their Finals matchup with the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Finals are set to tip off on Thursday night, and though there’s no concrete timetable for Anunoby’s return, the spaced-out nature of the series schedule should work in his favor.  

Anunoby, who has been sidelined since mid-April following an emergency appendectomy, was a key bench contributor for Toronto. During the regular season, he appeared in 67 games and averaged seven points and 2.9 rebounds in slightly over 20 minutes of action per game. He scored in double figures 15 different times and tallied two 20-point games.  

Though the Raptors are optimistic, Anunoby is still about 10 days away from a return, according to head coach Nick Nurse. 

“He’s doing better,” Nurse said of Anunoby, via Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. “He’s on the court. He’s moving around. He’s not 100 percent, but he’s healing.”  

Ten days away would indicate Anunoby is looking at a Game 4 return at the earliest. If he does get back at that time, the question, of course, will be how sharp Anunoby is after several weeks on the sideline, as it’s quite possible that there would be some rust. 

That said, the Raptors could use all the help that they can get against the defending champs, and Anunoby could potentially provide them with another viable option as a perimeter defender.