Lowry’s gone, Siakam is still around, and Scottie Barnes gamble season has begun. What’s next for the big scary dinos from Canada?
Notable Additions/Subtractions:
Additions: Goran Dragic (traded from Miami to Toronto), Precious Achiuwa (traded from Miami to Toronto)
Subtractions: Kyle Lowry (traded to Miami), Rodney Hood (released, signed 1yr/$2.2m with Milwaukee), Deandre Bembry (released, signed 1yr/$1.9m with Brooklyn)
Projected First Two Rotations:
Starters: F. VanVleet, G. Trent Jr., O.G. Anunoby, P. Siakam, C. Boucher
Second Unit: G. Dragic, M. Flynn, S. Barnes, Y. Watanabe, P. Achiuwa
Last Season’s Record: 27-45 (12th in the East)
So I really don’t know what to expect from the Raptors this year. The East, and the Atlantic specifically is loaded, Lowry’s gone to a team in the East making a clear push. Now, in a year where the East and Atlantic loaded up, am I, a Celtics fan, sad to see Toronto take a step back talent wise?
No, obviously not.
That being said, I think there is some intention to what Masai Ujiri and company are doing. I also think that said intentions will involve a trade for a certain Cameroonian power forward with a tendency to spin around like he’s Tasmanian. At 27, Pascal Siakam still holds a greater-than-marginal amount of trade value, and a team with some young players who haven’t realized their potential may be a good destination for him.
The Sacramento Kings seem to be the modern epitomization of that above idea, although despite what people try to continue to tell themselves, Buddy Hield really isn’t young (28). However, the idea of a trade centering around the Oklahoma sharpshooter and someone like forward Marvin Bagley III could be intriguing for both products.
Pairing Siakam with an electrifying guard like De’Aaron Fox is an interesting idea. It’s been no secret that the Kings like Hield and would miss his shooting; but with back-to-back drafts picking up “tweener” guard Tyrese Haliburton and Baylor product Davion Mitchell, it seems, through a small sample size, that the Kings have solidified a guard rotation without Buddy Buckets.
Back to the great white North, should they want to compete this season, they’re going to need increased production from players like bulldog wing OG Anunoby, stretch big Chris Boucher, and Fred VanVleet taking the keys from Lowry and running the offense.
Florida State forward Scottie Barnes was picked at the fourth overall slot this summer, and what he’ll be able to bring is unquestionable from an energy and athleticism standpoint. He’s an above average playmaker and based on his Summer League performances, has the ability to come into his own as a jump shooter.
Taking him over Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs was puzzling to some fans, but with him going down with an injury this summer, and the consistency from Fred VanVleet that’s been on display, the Raptors feel good enough at point guard to not take him. The case for a Siakam trade could almost be cemented here as well, with Barnes’ physical profile (6’8”, 225lbs, 7’3” wingspan) mirroring Siakam’s almost exactly (6’9”, 225lbs, 7’3.5” wingspan). No I’m not kidding, you can look that up.
The Raptors, barely two years removed from being at the top of the league are embracing a new look and youth movement. Gone are the days of Leonard, Lowry, and Gasol, with their Cameroonian counterpart likely soon to follow. I don’t think the Raptors will be in the basement of the league, but they may finish last in the Atlantic again.
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