How did the season end?

The Raptors chose Scotty Barnes for fourth in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Photo: Associated Press/Corey Sibkin

Last season was one for the Raptors.

The Canadian team was the only team lineup NBA She was forced to transfer her activities due to the epidemic. She played her home games in Florida, in an arena where spectators preferred almost every other team over hers.

After a horrific start to the season in which they won only two of their first 10 games, the team recovered before being hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak in March. It has particularly sidelined three important key players, Pascal Siakam, Fred Vanfleet and OG Anunoby.

As a result of these absences, the team suffered 13 setbacks in 14 matches. His fall in the world rankings accelerated. Staff resigned to draw a streak in the season and exchanged in particular Norm Powell.

In the end, Queen City had their worst season since 2012, winning barely a third of their matches. Her only prize was the fourth pick in the 2021 NBA auction, drafting promising winger Scotty Barnes.

What has changed since then

Kyle Lowry joined the Miami Heat this summer after nine seasons with the Raptors.

Photo: The Canadian Press / Frank Gunn

The Raptors offseason are mainly due to two names: Masai Ujiri and Kyle Lowry.

The former signed a multi-year contract extension to guide the organization at the start of its new chapter. The second, for whom the new management of the team was less favorable, chose to join to heat up From Miami, hoping to win another championship before the end of his career.

By mutual agreement with the team, 35-year-old Kyle Lowry signed a new contract, and then was transferred to Florida for the players, Goran Dragic and Prisius Achewa.

The latter is the more interesting of the two acquisitions, as it forms part of a short- and medium-term project for the Toronto team. At 22 years old, and at 6 feet 8 inches tall, the Nigerian fits in every way with the profile the Raptors are looking for: a brilliant, versatile young player, a strong defender who is ready to invest in Toronto.

With the exception of a few Free Agents who will fight for contracts during training camp (there are 20 players in 15 positions), summer acquisitions are limited to prospects selected during the draft and players acquired in return. by Lowry . Siakam, VanVleet and Anunoby form the core of the team.

The Raptors will succeed if…

The success of the Raptors will depend on the performances of Pascal Siakam and Fred Vanfleet this season.

Photo: Associated Press/Carlos Osorio

Pascal Siakam, the Raptors’ highest-paid player, opened up about his mood from last season in an interview with The New York Times newly. Aside from his battle against COVID-19, he has made clear that he is frustrated with his superiors, who made him a golden bridge in the summer of 2019, without making him the main actor in the offensive.

These tensions have now been shelved. The Cameroonian says he is ready to win. The only catch is that he had surgery on his left shoulder during the holiday period, and he won’t be ready to return to the match until at least the end of November.

Sekam will need time to find out the trends and the team will have to survive in his absence. The number 43 season will determine the pace the Raptors take as Fred Vanfleet won’t be able to do everything on his own in offensive plan.

The season can be tough

Head coach Nick Norse has led the Raptors since 2019.

Photo: Associated Press/Rich Pedroncelli

Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have proven they can score a lot of points on a regular basis, but the Toronto Raptors don’t have many other options.

OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. will be participating. and Goran Dragić, Malachi Flynn and Chris Boucher, but will that be enough? Toronto will be a formidable team in defence, but they are unlikely to score at a pace Networks from Brooklyn.

So what shape will the Raptors’ new gaming philosophy take? And what could they really do without the services of Pascal Siakam from the start? Many questions require answers. The nurse Nick trainer is a good strategist. What will come out of his hat?

prediction

Unless there are major roster changes throughout the season, the Raptors are unlikely to come out on top among the eastern powers in the NBA. Having said that, they should fight for one of the last places leading up to the playoffs.

In the context of its youthful transformation, the Raptors management is expected to trade a handful of players as the trade deadline approaches. Veterans Goran Dragic and Chris Boucher, among others, are expected to be the subject of some appeals.

Overall, next year is expected to be a transitional year, but the team is still likely to host, much more than the previous season. And who knows, the repatriation of the raptors may give them the energy to exceed their humble expectations.