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Toronto Raptors: An Up & Coming Team That’s Already Here?

By Eric Saar

Sep 29, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guards Kyle Lowry (7) and Demar DeRozan (10) during Raptors Media Day at The Real Sports Bar Toronto. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 29, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guards Kyle Lowry (7) and Demar DeRozan (10) during Raptors Media Day at The Real Sports Bar Toronto. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Are the Toronto Raptors and up and coming team that’s already here?

The Toronto Raptors have a roster full of young budding players with tons of potential. Is that potential already being realized? Toronto finished last season with a 48-34 record, good for third in the Eastern Conference. They took the six-seeded Brooklyn Nets to the seventh game in the first-round of the playoffs before being upset by a more experienced team.

They signed one of their top players to a long-term contract, just another good move by the general manager Masai Uruji who was “poached” from the Denver Nuggets right after he won the executive of the year award.

Oct 5, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) pressures the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) pressures the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /

Roster

The core of the team is comprised of point guard Kyle Lowry, small forward DeMar DeRozan and center Jonas Valanciunas. Lowry and DeRozan are the one-two scoring punch with Valanciunas as a change of pace down low. The Lithuanian big man is still pretty raw at only 22 years old and has a lot of precision to add to his offensive game, but has all the tools to be a top ten, maybe even top five center in this league for a long time.

DeRozan recently won gold in the FIBA World Cup with the USA and was a first-time All-Star in 2013-14. He is an above average scorer and a general all-around player in all the other aspects. Lowry is a strong point guard at 6’0” and 205 pounds as he goes in the lane, can shoot, play defense and passes well.

Rounding out the starting lineup are leaper Terrance Ross and rebounder Amir Johnson. These are perfect complementary players to the other three. They play defense, have upside and do their jobs.

Off the bench, the Raptors have Lou Williams as an ultimate Sixth-Man-of-the-Year candidate, Greivis Vasquez, James Johnson, Patrick Patterson, and Chuck Hayes rounding out the regular rotation.

They have a really interesting rookie and a sophomore that will make an impact in the NBA sometime in the future. Bruno Caboclo has been termed the Brazilian Kevin Durant. He is a 19-year-old rookie, who is very raw skill-wise, but has everything. He is 6’9”, weighing in at 205. He is long and athletic, which is the prototypical NBA player nowadays. If his shot is consistent to lethal in the next few years, that comparison could be valid.

The second-year player is Lucas “Bebe” Nogueria, who was acquired from Atlanta in the deal that also netted Williams. It was sort of a salary dump for the Hawks. Another Brazilian, Nogueria is 7’0” 215 pounds and also super-raw, but has a ton of potential.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The Raptors are a good defensive team as shown by their seventh-best mark last year in points allowed, giving up only 98 points a game. Their offense was middling as they were 13th in points per game. They are a tough team, who plays physically near the level of a Memphis or Chicago.

DeRozan is technically an All-Star, but in the East. It’s not very competitive and he isn’t a superstar. They just don’t have any super special player they can rely on at the end of close games to get them some points.

Oct 7, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) takes a three point shot against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) takes a three point shot against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

Attitude

They were the third-best team in the conference last year and they probably won’t surpass the Chicago Bulls or the Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings by the end of the year, so it all comes down to execution in the postseason.

They have the underdog mentality as in “toppling the two towers out East”. Their goal is to have both Lowry and DeRozan be starters in the All-Star game, and it’s feasible. For Lowry, the only barricade in his way is if LeBron James and Kevin Love play so well enabling Kyrie Irving to skyrocket to a top-ten player in the NBA.

Predictions

The best scenario for the Raptors doesn’t really even involve them. They need the Cavs to struggle with chemistry and not jell together along with a Derrick Rose injury that probably won’t happen to get anywhere in the top two out East.

If either of these happen, Toronto can be a top-two seed in the postseason, when the actual test happens. It will come down to heart, execution and determination for the Raptors to make it deep in the playoffs in 2014-15.

The disaster scenario is barely missing the playoffs, due to key injuries (though long-term the far worse version is missing the playoffs due to complete regression by key players).

The most likely thing to happen is the Raptors are the third seed and make it through the first round easily and lose in the second or third rounds.

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