After a disappointing home season, the Raptors express optimism about the future.
Inexplicably, Toronto ended the season with the league’s seventh-best average reported attendance. Raptors supporters flocked to Scotiabank Arena night after night to witness something exceptional.
Ahead of Toronto’s final home game of the year, Raptors coach Darko Rajaković declared, “We have the best fans in the league.” “We’re getting unmatched love and support every single night of the week.” But far too frequently, those admirers went away disappointed.
Toronto suffered their 27th home loss of the season, its highest in more than 25 years, against the Indiana Pacers, 140-123. However, Toronto at least made a decision.
Just two Raptors players from opening night made an appearance for Toronto on Tuesday. In a poetic twist, Pascal Siakam played in Toronto’s home finale, but he did so as a member of the Pacers after being traded in early January to complete the team’s seeming dismantling.
More has changed for this organization and its supporters in the past six months than for nearly anybody else in the league. This season, thirty different players have played for the Raptors—that number does not include Justise Winslow, who was never a member of the team and never saw the floor.
Although it hasn’t been attractive in the least, it was required. The Raptors’ current roster consists of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, and an abundance of future first-round selections. Should the franchise win the lottery, they should also have a top-six pick this year. They are preparing for a time when the contract disputes involving Siakam and OG Anunoby won’t be a concern during the summer.
“This season has been challenging,” Rajaković remarked. “One thing is for sure, everyone in this organization is putting in a ton of effort to make things better. All of them are thrilled about the summertime opportunities we have planned.
There are a few more justifications. Barnes made the kind of advancement that the group had hoped for. This season, he demonstrated his excellence as an All-Star player, finishing with a little under 20 points per game on average and team records for total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
Dick has been incredibly impressive for the majority of the last three months after recovering from a terrible start to his rookie season. Had it not been for a groin injury that kept him out of action on Tuesday, he would have completed the season having played in every game starting in late January.
Quickley has been playing every bit the part lately and is poised to be the team’s point guard of the future. He needed some time to settle into a more significant position with the Raptors, but since Barnes has been out of the lineup, he has been outstanding.
Barrett’s development into a productive offensive player might also be a game-changer for the team. When Toronto acquired him from New York, there was a perception that, given his contract circumstances, he was either a net-neutral or potentially negative asset. Compared to that, he was far, far better in Toronto, where he led the Raptors against Indiana with 23 points on 10-for-19 shooting.
But there are a lot of unanswered questions after that. Next season’s frontcourt will be manned by Kelly Olynyk and Jakob Poeltl, while the bench now appears to be empty.
The contract for Gary Trent Jr. is about to expire. Although it’s not a given, he’s performed well enough to earn another one with the group. It appears that Bruce Brown’s future with the team is much less murky. Although Ochai Agbaji and McDaniels have contracts for the following season, neither of them should be assured rotation slots—much less roster spots in McDaniels’ case.
With 14 points in the first quarter and a season-high 20 points in 33 minutes, Javon Freeman-Liberty demonstrated on Tuesday that he is a player with impact in NBA games. However, his contract for the upcoming season is only partially guaranteed, and a berth on the team is by no means assured.
Toronto might not improve significantly the upcoming season. Toronto might not improve significantly the upcoming season. The Raptors roster for the following season may resemble this one if the organization’s hopes for the lottery are not fulfilled. Health should be a factor, but with the NBA’s current level of excellence, it’s probably unrealistic to anticipate much more than a play-in slot at most.
But with a rebuild under way and a deadline for genuine competitive basketball not too far off, at least it will make more sense.
We are beginning a brand-new procedure. It takes time, according to Rajaković. “We promise we’re going to be better and we’re going to get this right, and I appreciate the love and support that the fans are giving us.”