Toronto Raptors Season Preview

[blackice]

Heading into this season the frontcourt remains the same - Hezonja/Patton/Young. Patton, a UFA decided to come back on a reasonable deal and the 28 year old is smack in the middle of a potent offensive lineup. He can take you out to the 3 point line and mix it up in the paint, and is a very willing passer for a big man. He's locked up in his prime years.


A foundational piece is back in Canada to run it back...

Two trades with Chicago brought in Pascal Siakam and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, two guys who specialize in key areas of need for us. Siakam is a top 10 rebounder in the league on 50 + FG% and a pretty good all around player who won't shoot much. He'll be our 3rd big and will be featured off the bench and can compliment Patton and Young perfectly.


Siakam sure looks good in a Raptors uniform...maybe it was meant to be...

Nickeil Alexander-Walker will see minutes with the starting unit but will primarily give us a microwave scorer with the second unit where he'll find USG% and shots. He's a guy that can give you 16/3/3 w/ 1 stl on good 3 point shooting and the 25 year old is a huge upgrade at the 2 guard position. He's played below his ratings so far, as he should be better then he has been (and he's been solid), maybe playing off ball more and having the opportunity to lead the second unit will help him some. I don't see any reason he can't give us more efficient play on increased shots.


NAW is ready to take the next step and the Raptors are counting on him to score and close out games for us....

The biggest addition? Markelle Fultz. He's a high volume scorer who can kill you from anywhere on the floor, whether you need him to space at the 3 point line, he has a variety of mid range moves and floaters and he has the capacity to attack the rim with ease. The issue with him has always been can he balance his need to score with a pass first mentality and if he can - he's an allstar level point guard. He's taking over from Collin Sexton and he's never had this many weapons around him (all due respect to Lauri Markkanen) and his upside is elite. He's only 25 years old and is the true inheritor to the Cory Joseph throne.


Can Fultz take yet another step and prove he's a franchise point guard....

The rest of the roster is all about 3 point shooting and we want to feature Fultz's driving mixed with Patton and Young inside. Michael Young is still the best player we have and if he can replicate the season he just had (allstar, rebounding league leader, elite defender, efficient 15 PPG) then we will be able to contend for a playoff team. The offense is going to be elite, and we have a team where you can't shutdown one or two positions because we have 4-5 guys that can kill you on any night. The bench is strong, particularly around Payne, Bertans (who is still a sniper), Randle and Siakam. The team is also fairly youngish and we will look to compete in this division.



Markelle Fultz/Cameron Payne
Nickeil Alexander-Walker/Elfrid Payton
Mario Hezonja/Davis Bertans/Treveon Graham
Justin Patton/Julius Randle
Michael Young/Pascal Siakam/Andre Drummond



Thoughts?

[Andrewu91]

Markelle is more of a combo guard. I'm not sure he's the right fit at PG. He reminds me of Kendrick Nunn a bit. Little more talented but not someone who should be starting and that contract...

But being in the same division as you, we both know how hard it is facing each other 4 times a season. Our division faces each other all together 20 times in the hardest division in CSL History.

You got the talent but unlucky with the division. If you were in the West, you would win 50 games easily.

[KW]

Masterful job filling out that bench late in free agency.

[Jestor]

Last in the division and out of playoffs again, unfortunately. East and Atlantic in particular are just too strong.

[blackice]

Markelle is more of a combo guard. I'm not sure he's the right fit at PG. He reminds me of Kendrick Nunn a bit. Little more talented but not someone who should be starting and that contract...

But being in the same division as you, we both know how hard it is facing each other 4 times a season. Our division faces each other all together 20 times in the hardest division in CSL History.

You got the talent but unlucky with the division. If you were in the West, you would win 50 games easily.

I’m not sure I need a traditional pure PG as I have above average playmaking at other positions and guys that can create. You’re right about our division though, it’s pure hell. The worst team in the Atlantic could be a contender out West. Still we were losing too many close games with Sexton/Walker starting and all the pressure was on the frontcourt carrying the team and Young to dominate. This setup should be more beneficial and if Fultz can hang with SGA/Ball/Fox and GDP we should be ok.

[blackice]

Masterful job filling out that bench late in free agency.

Thanks, I got lucky but I have no idea why Bertans didn’t get minutes last season, he’s only 33 and a deadly 3 point shooter. He’s gonna minutes for us. Randle is solid too.

[blackice]

Last in the division and out of playoffs again, unfortunately. East and Atlantic in particular are just too strong.

Eh. We’ll see.

[rh0xxy]

Definitely an upgraded lineup from last season. NAW can be deadly i think with the right system so better try him out as early as possible to get the feel of him. With us, he never really had his groove as we were continuously tweaking our rotations to give way to our developing prospects.

Anyway, i hope you go deep and make that pick useless lol good luck, mate.

[hardenwithnod]

This team is a very solid team for sure. That division is a killer, but you guys should be right in the playoff mix once again. Love those veteran adds in FA.

[Flaming Homer]

The team got better with the addition of Fultz and NAW, also the bench (which I thought was the biggest problem last year) improved.
It is a struggle to get to the playoffs in the East (and it is right that the Atlantic division will make it even harder) but I have Toronto in the playoffs this year.

[bt]

It's a real solid team but you would think that a play-in position is the best you could hope for here. The east is really tight and not sure the team is good enough to mix it with the elite.