The Raptors were unable to complete a historic comeback after falling behind 3-0 in their first-round series with the Sixers, getting blown out in the second half of Thursday’s Game 6. Still, Toronto exceeded expectations this season, having come into the year as a projected lottery team.
“I think we took a lot of steps,” standout forward Pascal Siakam said after Thursday’s loss, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “We got a lot better over the season. It was obviously up and down, but we did get better. Knowing this team and our front office and the people that we have in the organization, I know that the goal is to continue to get better and improve and be a way better team next year.”
Besides getting an impressive bounce-back season from Siakam, who is a legitimate All-NBA candidate, the Raptors saw players like Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. take another step forward and Precious Achiuwa evolve from a roll of the dice into a potential long-term cornerstone.
The team’s biggest win, according to Lewenberg, was the selection of Scottie Barnes in last year’s draft — it’s “impossible to overstate his importance” to the team and its future on the heels of his Rookie of the Year debut, Lewenberg writes.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Despite the strides the Raptors made in 2021/22, there are important areas that need to be addressed. In particular, the club needs to add more shooting, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto’s lack of shooting was its undoing against Philadelphia, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who notes that the team made just 7-of-35 (20.0%) three-pointers in Game 6 and 29.9% for the series. While Fred VanVleet‘s injury absence contributed to those struggles, the team could still use another outside threat or two.
- Upgrading the bench will be another top priority for the Raptors this summer, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) writes in his offseason preview. Toronto has Bird rights on both Thaddeus Young and Chris Boucher and could re-sign them without dipping into its mid-level exception. The front office has also shown a knack for identifying young talent outside of the draft lottery, Marks adds, so the No. 33 pick could be useful for adding an inexpensive contributor.
- Within his preview, Marks notes that VanVleet will become extension-eligible in July and Siakam will become eligible for a new deal in October. Both players are on contracts that run through 2024, though VanVleet has a player option for 2023/24 and could theoretically become a free agent in ’23.
- Speaking on Friday to reporters, Young conveyed how impressed he was with the Raptors after coming over from San Antonio at February’s trade deadline. “This organization is elite,” Young said, per Lewenberg (Twitter link). “One of the top I’ve ever been a part of… I loved everything about this experience. As far as the team, the sky is the limit… This team can be really, really scary.” Young added that his family will be his top priority as he enters free agency and didn’t rule out the possibility of undergoing surgery on his injured thumb (Twitter links via Koreen and Grange).
- The pairing of Achiuwa and the Raptors represents a perfect marriage between a player and an organizational philosophy, Koreen writes for The Athletic. The team’s willingness to experiment with Achiuwa rather than trying to rein him in or pigeonhole him has paid dividends so far, says Koreen.
Siakam for Gobert. It solves the rim protection problem for them. Both players are under the same length and Gobert has $10M more due at the final years of his contract. Then I would look to upgrade the PG position for this team. FVV is making a modest salary AAV and can generate interest. I know it won’t happen but DeJounte Murray with Barnes would be dynamite. Toronto probably needs to attach atleast 2 unprotected and 1 pick swap for that to happen (with FVV in return). Realistically, I think a trade for Brodgan works well for them, maybe add a lottery protected 1st in the future? The key is to build around Barnes and let him be the franchise player from this moment on.
PG – Malcolm Brodgan
SG – Gary Trent Jr
SF – OG Anunoby
PF – Scottie Barnes
C – Rudy Gobert
That would be a PHENOMENAL defensive team overall. Then they can build the bench via Precious, Flynn, Boucher (needs to be resigned.
I don’t doubt Masai Ujiri’s ability to find gems in the draft. They don’t have their own 1st in the Thad Young deal for Dragic this past February, but they can find a backup PG or another wing defender in the draft with the 33rd overall that was originally the Pistons’ pick.
Don’t even think this makes us a better team.
I think you run this team back and add a big like Turner. The most important thing this team needs is time, we’re so young, 2 years and Scotty will be entering his peek.
Retool, no reason to blow it up!
What do you give up for Turner? I’m not sure Indiana would want to trade Turner as well from all reports say. I think they can aim much higher since Siakam’s value has increased by this playoff run. Remember he was being talked about traded to GSW last offseason?
Indiana wanted two FRP’s last year for Turner, he’s not worth that, but maybe a FRP and two seconds. You could use Birch for salary.
Wait, are you suggesting trading FVV *and* a 1st for Brogdan? Dude was just an all star and Brogdan is mediocre and always injured.
FVV was also hurt in this series. FVV wasn’t even healthy since midway thru February I read. I agree with Brodgan, but they desperately need a PG who can defend and break down defenders.
Rudy has 4/170 left
Crazy eyes 2/73
Spotrac.com fellas
Yeah but they are sorely lacking a big who can protect the paint. Giannis and Embiid aren’t going anywhere any they have nobody who can contest and defend the basket like Gobert does. Siakam is a nice player but he isn’t a franchise altering player.
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I think you’re underestimating Siakam a little bit. He’s not the #1 option on a championship contender, but he will likely be All-NBA this year. He’s firmly in the top 20-30 players in the league conversation.
Raptor Nation is like, Canada. Credit to the org, but it looks like a good situation. The sport’s popularity keeps gaining, with the NHL liking new locations in places like Florida.
If the Vancouver try wasn’t flubbed, they would probably have been in good shape too, with Seattle not having a franchise.
I mean at first, the NBA may have looked like foreigners invading. Now they’re getting after USA teams!— You can’t do that from Italy.
Toronto ended up pretty much where I thought, maybe slightly below, but I think things might have been different with a couple of things going their way. Obviously the injuries at an unfortunate time hurt them, but I feel like Nick Nurse was inconsistent with his rotation decisions from day 1 this season, which is uncharacteristic of him, (and I think those rotations contributed to their shooting issues) as one of the better coaches in the league, in my opinion. Really would have liked to have seen them potentially against Milwaukee. This is a dangerous team moving forward, as I’ve pretty much incessantly talked about all year