Is Masai Ujiri done? Assessing completeness of Raptors’ roster

By Brian Boake | Jul 29, 2015

As we’ve noted numerous times, this post-season has been an extremely hectic one for the Toronto Raptors. Spurred on by the ignominious ending to the team’s post-season dreams, President and General Manager Masai Ujiri has re-made the roster. After all the additions and subtractions, where are we? Has the team reached its destination, or are we taking a time out?

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Jul 22, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph takes pictures with fans during the game between Canada and Argentina for the men’s basketball gold-medal.

Let’s start with a quick Depth Chart (don’t worry about the positions or rankings, I simply want to get all the names on the current roster listed for examination):

Point Guard: Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph, Delon Wright

Shooting Guard: DeMar DeRozan, Norman Powell, Axel Toupane

Small Forward: DeMarre Carroll, Terrence Ross, Bruno Caboclo

Power Forward: Patrick Patterson, Luis Scola, James Johnson, Ronald Roberts, Michale Kyser

Centre: Jonas Valanciunas, Bismack Biyombo, Lucas Noguiera

The team seems set at centre. We’ve lots of depth. I’m also comfortable at the point, although I’m disappointed Masai didn’t make an offer to Pablo Prigioni. He’s gone now, to Houston, for the same money I suggested we pay him.

I’m less sanguine about the 2-guard spot. Even in the Brave New World of positionless hoops, we’re very thin. I hope we’ve found a diamond in the rough with Powell, but he needs to prove that against real men. I’ll fall off my chair if Toupane makes the big team.

The small forward spot will be most compelling to follow. How will Terrence Ross respond to the presence of DeMarre Carroll, who’s come to take his job? Bruno may not be that far away, but he’s Mississauga-bound. Don’t get impatient, everyone; he’s still a teenager.

At power forward, we’ve got lots of B-listers. None of our group stands out as starter grade. Patterson is likely the most ready, but he’s defensively vulnerable down in the low blocks. Scola is fine in a backup role. Anybody care to wager on what production we’ll get from James Johnson? Me neither. Roberts and Kyser are going to have to earn their way to the bright lights through apprenticeship.

There it is: the Raptors don’t have much depth at shooting guard, and are woefully weak at power forward. Western Conference teams with talented big men, like all three Texas teams or the Clippers, can abuse our front court. In the East, Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson and Miami’s Chris Bosh will be more than a load.

While payroll numbers are not finalized, the Raptors are almost certainly hard up against the salary cap. I wouldn’t expect any more free agents signings of import. Is a trade for a legitimate starter PF in the offing? Perhaps, but only if some of our current people at the spot go the other way.

I’m prepared to say that Masai’s major work is done, with the caveat that he’s always going to listen to pitches from his fellow GMs. Masai will step back to allow coach Dwane Casey and the new troops some time to work together, and space to breathe.

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