5 Raptors storylines to observe as staff prepares to open coaching camp

And lastly, it’s time for some Toronto Raptors NBA basketball. For some time there it appeared like Raptors seasons by no means ended, be it the 2019 championship run that went nicely into June or the best way the pandemic required the next three seasons to be crammed into two. Off-seasons had been brief and the subsequent sport by no means appeared all that far-off.

With the NBA getting again to a extra common schedule in 2021-22 and the Raptors being eradicated within the first spherical by Philadelphia in April, it’s been 5 months between gatherings, making it the longest low season in 5 years.

As the staff holds their media day in Toronto on Monday earlier than heading west to Victoria for coaching camp, listed below are 5 storylines value following as they get again to work prematurely of the 2022-23 season opener once they host the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 19.

1. What has modified?

Not that a lot. There has been loads of change by groups across the Raptors within the Eastern Conference and Toronto was adjoining to rumours of doubtless vital adjustments, going again to the week main as much as the draft when OG Anunoby was connected to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Kevin Durant commerce rumours adopted and there was hypothesis about Toronto being curious about Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell as nicely, because the Utah Jazz tried to drum up curiosity of their hearth sale.

But ultimately, the Raptors have stood pat, principally, with the free agent signing of Otto Porter Jr. projected to be essentially the most vital change to their rotation. As they head into coaching camp the Raptors are returning 14 gamers from final season who account for 96 per cent of the minutes performed on a 48-34 staff that completed fifth within the Eastern Conference.

According to NBA.com’s John Schumannman, no staff within the league has had much less roster turnover. What will that imply when the ball goes up? At the very least that ought to make for a easy pre-season and ideally a quick begin in what’s projected to be a really aggressive convention.

2. Have the Raptors improved sufficient?

Clearly, we will’t know till they play the video games, however at the same time as a lot as Toronto could have over-achieved a yr in the past (or at the very least blew previous the oddsmakers’ over-under win projections), there are many causes to imagine Toronto has one other stage to get to even with the roster as constructed.

The lowest of the low-hanging fruit may be some constant well being from Anunoby. The burly wing seems like he needs to be unbreakable, however between unhealthy luck and circumstance he has solely performed greater than 70 video games as soon as in 5 seasons — and that was as a rookie. He is coming off consecutive seasons lacking 29 and 34 video games, respectively.

If Anunoby — the Raptors’ most essential particular person defender and amongst their most dependable spot-up threats — can costume for 70+ video games, Toronto ought to profit considerably. Other causes for optimism are that Pascal Siakam is coming off a full and wholesome low season and may get off to a a lot sooner begin than he did a yr in the past after low season shoulder surgical procedure. If he begins the best way he completed final season (23.8p/8.8r/5.6a from Dec.1 on) as he surged to all-NBA honours, Toronto needs to be in fine condition.

Another wild card is Precious Achiuwa, who morphed from terrible, offensively, over the primary couple of months of the season (38 per cent taking pictures in October and November, and barely a 50/50 proposition inside 5 ft) to fairly helpful, as he shot 39 per cent from three on almost 4 makes an attempt a sport after the all-star break. If that model of Achiuwa comes out of the gates, the Raptors’ perception that standing pat was the trail to enchancment can be much more more likely to be justified.

3. How does Scottie Barnes observe up his rookie season? 

The rookie-of-the-year from a season in the past would appear a really protected wager to take one other large step in yr two, provided that he had simply turned 20 years outdated when he put up a do-everything 15.3p/7.5r/3.5a line whereas serving to carry the Raptors to fifth place within the East after a not-so-encouraging 14-17 begin.

The actual query is how a lot better Barnes can get and the way rapidly? Five months is a very long time to coach whenever you’re barely 20 years outdated and even incremental good points in power, ball-handling or spot-up taking pictures may pay huge dividends for an athlete with Barnes’ expertise and drive. That he’s such a novel participant, who can contribute as a low-touch function participant (he was the one participant within the NBA to common at the very least 15/7/3 with a utilization charge beneath 20 per cent) and but clearly has the bodily capacity and basketball IQ to deal with a a lot greater load makes his season much more tough to challenge.

If Barnes merely does what he did final season however with some added perimeter taking pictures (his 30.9 per cent three-point taking pictures is one apparent space for enchancment) the second-year star from Florida would stay a key cog on a successful staff, which might be nice, most can agree. If Barnes compliments his improved taking pictures with some tighter ball dealing with and a punchier method on offence, mixed with the defensive development it’s protected to count on simply with expertise, the Raptors may have a 3rd all-star of their line-up earlier than later.

4. Can Raptors discover a means to enhance taking pictures?

The Raptors shot the ball poorly final season. In a vacuum, it’s exhausting to think about how they had been even aggressive. Toronto was twenty seventh in eFG (efficient discipline purpose share) which folds three-point taking pictures (the Raptors had been twentieth at 34.9 per cent) and two-point taking pictures (twenty eighth at 50.3) collectively.

Good groups sometimes shoot the ball nicely — the highest 5 groups in eFG final season averaged 53 wins whereas the underside 5 (the Raptors included) averaged 30. Toronto overcame their crappy taking pictures by taking extra pictures, which they managed by rating No. 2 in each offensive rebounds and opponent’s turnovers.

Can the Raptors enhance their taking pictures, collectively, whereas sustaining their disruptiveness defensively and hustle on the glass (although presumably with extra makes their offensive rebounding totals may undergo)? That would go a good distance in the direction of an improved general product.

Signing Porter (a profession 39 per cent three-point shooter) ought to assist their trigger. Similarly, upticks from the likes of Barnes and Achiuwa can be welcome. But the largest issue will possible be if Fred VanVleet can shake off a poor end to final season (he was 40.1 per cent from three earlier than the all-star break and simply 29.1 per cent after) and Anunoby can shoot nearer to the extent he did at within the earlier two years (.584 and .580 eFG) in comparison with final season (.526). Even if Toronto may set up itself as league common taking pictures staff, the remainder of their bundle would make them a really tough out within the East.

5. Which gamers will step up?

It’s been a short time because the Raptors’ participant ‘improvement system’ graduated a big rotation participant to the massive staff. With 5 gamers on non-guaranteed offers competing for 2 open roster spots, the strain on a few of them to show they’re value continued funding is ramping up.

As any Toronto fan is aware of, it was the staff’s capacity to achieve vital contributions from the likes of VanVleet (undrafted); Norman Powell (picked forty sixth general) and Siakam (twenty seventh) that helped them change into an elite staff. Chris Boucher (undrafted) was one other discover, although he may fall into the late bloomer class. But over the previous two seasons, the pipeline has been a bit dry.

Malachi Flynn (thirtieth general) has been underwhelming heading into his third season and the jury stays out on the likes of Justin Champagnie (undrafted ) and Dalano Banton (forty sixth) as they head into their second seasons. Achiuwa (taken twentieth by the Miami Heat in 2020) has definitely exceeded expectations to date, however for a corporation that takes participant improvement significantly and expects to seek out jewels within the tough, having one in all Flynn, Banton or Champagnie change into the subsequent Raptors participant improvement story can be a welcome return to custom.