Post Mortem #7 - Toronto Raptors

[RoyceDa59]

Raptors should be one of the more surprising teams next year, likely winning 45-48 games and finishing 6th in the East.

[tsherkin]

Raptors should be one of the more surprising teams next year, likely winning 45-48 games and finishing 6th in the East.

48 seems like a lot of wins for us. We've only done that or better 8 times in franchise history. And those were all far better offensive squads than we are going to field next year, barring some miracle in the draft or in trade. Those were mostly Kyle/Demar years with strong support. We don't have a Kyle-level player on the team right now. Then you had the Kawhi/title year. Then a Kyle/good FVV/Pascal/OG year still with Marc Gasol.

The summer will be interesting. How healthy Ingram will be, also something to watch. The draft, for sure, and then if Masai does anything in the off-season, too. I think it's hard to get a bead on us.

I think you're right, though: barring major changes, doesn't look like any sort of possible that we'll break into the top-5 in the conference. And obviously I'm looking at the high-end of that range you provided, which was more 45-48. A 15+-win swing would be a pretty big deal, though.

Honestly, I'll be happy if we get north of .500.

[TravisScott55]

Should have tanked harder, they are treadmill team as of now

[Pointgod]

Our front office has lived in mediocrity because they don’t want to choose a direction. I understand if they don’t want to tank (hard disagree with not bottoming out to rebuild) but if we were going to be competitive this year we should have brought in a better player to replace RJ. Instead we half assed it and brought in an injury prone player and we’re a couple million away from the luxury tax for a play-in team. I’d rather not be like Chicago and Sacramento who got their faces stomped on in the play-in and nothing to show for it.

[Jamaaliver]

This feels like a Play-In team at worst...if they remain healthy.

[tsherkin]

This feels like a Play-In team at worst...if they remain healthy.

Health is a major factor. How well Scottie plays will also matter. He isn't a good scorer, and is a problem. BI is booked for like 65 or fewer games, most likely. RJ is a wild card. Which version do we get? Post-trade RJ, or 2025 RJ?

But yeah, with reasonable health, this looks like maybe a .500-ish team if we can stay mostly healthy and defend competently. Scottie at the 4 with less shot creation responsibility and a significant reduction in his 3pt volume might look like less of a disaster as a scoring threat. God, he was a bad scorer last season. Excited to see his volume diminished so he can focus on D and acting as a secondary playmaker.

Lots of questions, but should be loads better than this year.

[Chuck Everett]

Team has solid depth now. Keys to the season are Ingram and Quickley. If they're injured, back to the lotto. Do they feel like they have anything to prove? They've already been massively overpaid.

[Anticon]

This feels like a Play-In team at worst...if they remain healthy.

Imagine after the 2021 draft, you told a Raps fan this would be the team in 4 years.

[Backcountry]

This feels like a Play-In team at worst...if they remain healthy.

Health is a major factor. How well Scottie plays will also matter. He isn't a good scorer, and is a problem. BI is booked for like 65 or fewer games, most likely. RJ is a wild card. Which version do we get? Post-trade RJ, or 2025 RJ?

But yeah, with reasonable health, this looks like maybe a .500-ish team if we can stay mostly healthy and defend competently. Scottie at the 4 with less shot creation responsibility and a significant reduction in his 3pt volume might look like less of a disaster as a scoring threat. God, he was a bad scorer last season. Excited to see his volume diminished so he can focus on D and acting as a secondary playmaker.

Lots of questions, but should be loads better than this year.

I look at it as a whole team, not a lineup. That lineup can play many, probably most, teams even. The difference will be the bench. Toronto's bench proved to be very competitive this season under Darko's tutelage. If they can win the bench minutes, that could be the difference between success and failure.