The Toronto Raptors may be on the verge of turning its season around.
The Toronto Raptors appear to be in the process of turning their season around after winning four of their last five games. They had high expectations entering this season but got off to an unexpected 2-10 start as they were trying to compensate for losing big men Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the offseason as their defense has improved as of late.
Their chemistry is better now than when the season began as the Raptors have struggled in their halfcourt sets early on. But thanks to the efficient play of their dynamic backcourt combination Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet, they are beginning to see the win column on a regular basis.
Lowry, who is the heart and soul of this team, came up huge in their win against a stacked Brooklyn Nets team as he dropped 30 points, seven assists, and five rebounds as he led the Raptors to a win with his clutch performance.
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Lowry is good at finishing in the paint while also being a viable shooting threat as well a great playmaker. Lowry will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season which may draw interests from other teams inquiring about the veteran point guard’s services.
The Toronto Raptors should stay the course this season
The Raptors would be crazy to entertain any offers for Lowry and would be wise to offer him a deal as soon as possible as he has proven his worth to the franchise over the past couple of years. He will turn 35 next month and should have at least three more good seasons in him as long as he remains healthy.
VanVleet is finding his groove and had a breakout performance against the Orlando Magic as he scored a career-high 54 points as he is averaging 30.5 points in the Raptors’ last four games. VanVleet is a cerebral player with great shooting ability which is a skill he maximizes and uses it to his advantage but he needs to improve on attacking and finishing at the rim and becoming more of a threat creating his own shot while creating space between him and his defenders.
Looking to redeem his dismal performance during last season’s playoffs, Pascal Siakam is expected to become the go-to guy on this team. He has improved each season he has been in the league and the Raptors have high hopes that he can transition into the type of leader they had in Kawhi Leonard during their championship run a few years ago.
One notable change in Siakam’s game is his willingness to play in the post more. Siakam scores most of his points in transition and around the perimeter, but due to the Raptors’ struggles in halfcourt sets, Siakam playing in the post could improve their quality of possessions.
One area Siakam has regressed is his 3-point shooting. While he is a career 33 percent shooter from deep, he is only connecting on 27 percent so far this season. If he can increase his percentage from behind the arc, it will also help improve their effectiveness in their halfcourt sets dramatically.
The Raptors are expecting Siakam to carry this team as they also understand just how important he is to the overall success of the team. One of the major reasons for the Raptors’ slow start has been their inability to rebound.
Last season they were 11th in the NBA in rebounds per game while this season they are currently second-to-last at 29th in the NBA. This could be attributed to the subtraction of Ibaka and Gasol as they accounted for a combined 14.4 rebounds per game for the Raptors last season.
The extended absence of OG Anunoby due to injury has also affected the Raptors on the defensive end. His versatility allows head coach Nick Nurse to insert Anunoby in small lineups and usually guards the opposing team’s big men. His strength is a huge asset along with his ability to play multiple positions.
While only 23 years old, he has yet to reach his ceiling and is only getting better as he continues to learn the nuances of the NBA game. The Raptors can look forward to him expanding his offensive game while also becoming more of a facilitator. Anunoby agreed to a four-year $72 million deal last offseason which is a discounted price tag for a player of his caliber as he has proven his worth to this team.
That shows that Anunoby is unselfish and is concerned about winning. Chris Boucher has also made tremendous strides from last season when he averaged 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. Boucher is currently averaging 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds and should be a frontrunner for the Most Improved Player Award.
His game still needs polishing and he also needs to improve his passing. He is a good rotation option as a shot-blocking big man who is capable of spacing the floor and also moves well without the ball.
We should soon see how this team responds down the stretch over the following weeks in upcoming games against some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference like the Celtics, 76ers, Bucks, and Heat as these games may very well determine playoff positioning and seeding giving the Raptors a great test with hopes of turning their season around and staying in the win column more often.