What we find out about Raptors as season opener looms

It is nearly right here, and attempt to discover one Toronto Raptors fan who isn’t thrilled about it.

If it solely feels just like the common season has been a very long time coming, perhaps it’s as a result of the anticipation has been constructing since – take your decide – the Raptors’ better-than-expected displaying in pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven video games again in early May? The commerce for Kawhi Leonard first turned public information on June 30? The commerce being formally accomplished in early September? Training camp opening?

The ready is lastly over. The Raptors host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday evening at Scotiabank Arena to kick off the regular-season marathon.

So what do we all know concerning the Raptors now, after 5 pre-season video games and the second final of what’s going to find yourself being roughly 14 practices since coaching camp opened?

He might have performed solely 39 minutes throughout two pre-season video games and brought simply 17 pictures, however the 35-year-old upon whom the Raptors have a lot driving on this season (and the following two after that, given his two-year, $115-million extension covers him by 2028-29) appears like he’s prepared to start out enjoying for actual.

“Just going through everything, playing with the guys, getting those games under my belt, seeing how I’m feeling, just like any other year,” mentioned Leonard, who’s in his fifteenth 12 months of his pre-season preparation.

“I simply belief that the hours that I put in, you recognize, my 10,000 hours are going to work. I am unable to go as laborious as you used to (in coaching). Obviously, you gotta get extra sensible about every little thing, and restoration, you recognize, you’re not 20 years outdated no extra, so restoration is nice. Those are stuff you be taught as years go on and also you get these video games beneath your belt.

Barrett and Barnes, nonetheless a factor

One of probably the most eye-opening takeaways from the Raptors’ playoff sequence in opposition to Cleveland was how a lot of the offensive load RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes had been able to carrying. The duo averaged 48.2 factors mixed in opposition to the Cavs – and on good effectivity, too.

Five months later? Even with all the standard caveats about it solely being pre-season, on the very least they appear to be completely poised to select up the place they left off.

Here is Barrett and Barnes’ mixed slash strains, pro-rated for 36 minutes a recreation, by the 4 pre-season video games they every performed in: 55.6 factors per recreation (cut up nearly equally) on 53-per-cent capturing together with 45.2 per cent from deep, and 16.6 rebounds.

It means nothing till the lights go on for actual, however on the very least the 2 gamers that elevated most within the playoffs are rising from the pre-season wanting very able to carrying that over.

What concerning the defence, although?

The Raptors had been a top-five defence final season, however they had been additionally simply two factors per 100 possessions higher than league common whereas greater than three factors per 100 behind the NBA’s second-best defence (Detroit Pistons) and greater than 5 factors behind the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.

And whereas their offence appears to be ticking alongside fairly properly at 117.1 factors per 100 possessions, which is sixth within the NBA in pre-season and a pleasant enchancment from their league-average 115/100 final season, their defence is somewhat bit off as they rank twenty first league-wide (although nonetheless holding opponents to 112.1/100).

This is very true of the stretches of the sport the place their starters play a better proportion of the minutes – for instance, the Raptors’ first-quarter defence is twenty second within the NBA.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic isn’t sweating a pre-season blip as a result of likelihood is that’s all it’s, provided that it takes much more than 4 pre-season video games (which is probably the most any of the Raptors’ projected starters performed in) for lineup information to stabilize.

“It’s really hard (to get anything from pre-season statistics). It’s a small number of games and then (a limited) number of minutes that main guys spend together (in) different lineups, so it’s really, really hard,” mentioned Rajakovic.

“Even when the season starts, I find it difficult to look at first 10 games and make big conclusions. I think all that information is important, so we are aware of it and we can analyze it and keep an eye on it. But we cannot say, “Oh, our offence is great, and our defence struggles.’ We have to take it one game at a time.”

With recollections of Jakob Poeltl’s again issues from final season nonetheless comparatively contemporary and the truth that regardless of all of his skills, the six-foot-seven Collin Murray-Boyles will at all times be an under-sized resolution at centre, the Raptors’ dimension, or lack of it, will stay a possible stress level this season till confirmed in any other case.

But what if the Raptors might scrounge up a flexible six-foot-10 backup centre with some shot-blocking chops who excels in placing opposing bigs on skates and incomes journeys to the free-throw line?

It’s early days however Trayce Jackson-Davis, acquired on the commerce deadline from the Golden State Warriors final February, has opened some eyes with a powerful pre-season displaying in opposition to the New York Knicks in Toronto final week (11 factors and two blocked pictures in 9 minutes) earlier than recording 23 factors with 16 free-throw makes an attempt in opposition to the Pistons starters on Friday.

”All the drives, all of the finishes, going to the rim, getting fouled, the and-1s – that is one thing that actually stood out, and he is gotta proceed doing that,” mentioned Rajakovic. “We need him to be a beast, rebounding the ball offensively and defensively, and if he can do that and with the ball be a force going downhill, I think he can help us big time.”

For years, the Raptors have gotten the soar on Halloween by having their very own costume celebration earlier than the common season crowds in and ruins issues for everyone.

But this 12 months, the Raptors might be flying to Los Angeles on the large evening to kick off their first prolonged street journey of the season, so the staff already has celebrated.

Rookie Allen Graves performed a giant position within the festivities, which had been hosted by Jamal Shead. Graves and his spouse arrived as Tigger and Winnie the Pooh, respectively, however when it was his flip to take the mic at karaoke he switched right into a hot-dog costume for his rendition of Love by Keyshia Cole.