Toronto Raptors’ Season Expectations

Adamo Marinelli

Oct. 26, 2021

     Four games into this new season, the Toronto Raptors sit at 1-3. However, they were very competitive in two of their three losses and they have a young team with a lot of potential, skill, and depth. Add that with the excellent coaching staff they have in Toronto and this team is just opening the lid of its jar of potential. 

     Despite entering a new era, playing without their franchise cornerstone in Kyle Lowry, Scottie Barnes has proved he’s worth all the hype of a top-five draft pick with his performances so far this season, and they are getting a lot of production from their young, talented leaders like OG Anunoby, Fred Van Vleet, Gary Trent Jr., and Precious Achiuwa. In addition, veterans like Goran Dragic and Khem Birch provide this team with stability and balance. 

     Pascal Siakam is currently recovering from a shoulder surgery he had in the offseason, and the timeline for his return is still up in the air but head coach Nick Nurse said he looks really good. “I mean he's moving full speed. He's in great shape, his conditioning looks good. He's done a great job,” Nurse said. He looks to be coming back around American Thanksgiving and his return will provide the Raptors with a boost on offense and on defense. 

     If Anunoby plays to his potential this season, paired with an excellent season from Fred Van Vleet as well as a healthy Pascal Siakam, the Raptors will have a scary big three on offense and defense with talent and depth to spare.

     In the meantime, Chris Boucher, Fred Van Vleet, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., and Scottie Barnes will all help fill the void until he returns.

     They also have a lot of depth with guys like Yuta Watanabe, Malachi Flynn, Dalano Banton, Svi Mykhailiuk, and David Johnson.

     Right now, the Raptors starting five consists of Fred Van Vleet and Goran Dragic in the backcourt, OG Anunoby plays at the small forward spot, Scottie Barnes plays at the power forward spot, and Precious Achiuwa plays at the center position. But Siakam will likely start at power forward when he returns.

     On the bench are guys like Gary Trent Jr., Malachi Flynn, Dalano Banton, Chris Boucher, Khem Birch among others, all of which are very solid options. 

     The Raptors have a lot of players at each position and will have the liberty to have guys play in different positions, and switch up the scheme. Whether they want to go big or play small ball, they have the personnel and skill to do so. 

     The Raptors finished 27-45, good for 12th place in the Eastern Conference. This was their worst season since 2011-12 and it was the first time they missed the playoffs in seven years. 

     However, for the first time in over 600 days, they returned to Toronto to play their first game at the Scotiabank Arena. The return home to play in front of a full-capacity crowd really rejuvenated this young Raptors’ team despite losing all three of home games thus far.

     Despite their talent, they are facing an uphill battle in a very deep and talented Eastern Conference. They will face teams like the Brooklyn Nets, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks, the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat, and they will also face sleeper teams like the New York Knicks, the Charlotte Hornets, the Washington Wizards among others.

     It won’t be easy but the Raptors have the potential to make the playoffs, especially with the NBA’s decision to bring back the play-in tournament this season, which means the top-10 seeds in each conference have a chance to make the 16 team playoff bracket.

     The Raptors win games by playing physical, aggressive defense. They limit the other team’s ability to create high percentage open shots, create a lot of turnovers, and force their opponents to do things they aren’t comfortable with on offense. Also, their defensive prowess leads to several fast-break opportunities in transition on offense. The Raptors play pretty well offensively too, moving the ball efficiently without turning it over very often, and generally, they shoot well from both the field and from three.

     There are not a lot of expectations on this young team to make the playoffs or to go far in the playoffs if they get there. But, with few expectations on them to succeed, it allows them to reach their potential without being questioned by the media. The Raptors are okay with being slept on and they are a scary team when flying under the radar.

     Currently, the Raptors are not rebuilding, they are in the middle of a reload. If they are not competitive for the play-in tournament at the All-Star break, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors are sellers at the trade deadline and begin a rebuild for a new superstar to add to their roster after two seasons of ultimately missing the playoffs, but Ujiri may be hesitant to blow it all up, so a full-on rebuild is unlikely but not impossible.

     It’s very exciting that the Raptors are back in Toronto and they are due for a fun season. I believe with the talent they have they will finish with a record of 43-39 and claim the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference and host a play-in game. They'll struggle a bit until Siakam gets healthy, but once he does, this team will catch fire and remain competitive with any team in the league.