Raptors: stuck in good-but-never-great rut, or ready to win?
By Brian Boake
The Raptors have been one of the East’s best teams for 3 straight seasons. How likely is it for the team to take the next step into championship-contender status?
The Toronto Raptors success, or lack of it, next season, hinges upon the performance of non-core players. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are unlikely to slip much from the All-Star levels they have achieved in the past few years. Those two are the rainmakers of Toronto’s winning ways, and are in the prime of their careers.
However, neither man is likely to enjoy a leap in their numbers. If the Raptors are going to break out of the second-tier status they seem to inhabit in the minds of NBA fans, one or more of the current lesser lights needs to enjoy a break-out season.
As Raptors fans, we’d welcome another player’s ascent to stardom. The team is suffering from the same issues which have kept the Atlanta Hawks from advancement. The Hawks have been in the playoffs every year since 2008, but haven’t played in the NBA finals since 1960-61. While the Raptors did enjoy a trip to the ECF last year, and won a pair of games, their margin of defeat in the four games Cleveland won was considerable.
How can Toronto close the gap on Cleveland in the East, and give the Golden State Warriors a mighty tussle for championship status? There are only two ways: a player currently on the roster advances to superstar status, or our three through nine players are so markedly superior to their counterparts that the superstar advantage enjoyed by the NBA’s best teams is blunted.
[20-second timeout: I suppose there’s a third option, which is trading for a superstar. That’s theoretically possible but so unlikely as to be outside our purview. Do you really believe Masai Ujiri would get a polite response from Bob Myers, his GSW peer, if our man called to ask “Hey Bob, what would it take to get Stephen Curry in a Raptors uniform?”]
The Raptors’ next superstar is…
Back to Planet Earth. Is anyone on our current roster poised to become a superstar? If you can see him, good for you – I can’t. Terrence Ross is probably the best athlete on the team, but he can barely retain his playing time. His myriad mistakes render him frequently unwatchable. Jonas Valanciunas has made progress in his career, but I would most surprised (and happy!) if he ever advanced beyond a 17 & 12 plateau, i.e., points and rebounds. DeMarre Carroll turned 30 in July and will never be more than a top journeyman.
What about the rookies? That’s easy – I’m not projecting superstar potential on anyone until I see them play. Neither Jakob Poeltl nor Pascal Siakam has even made the team yet.
So that’s it, huh? The Raptors are fated to spend the next few seasons winning 45 or more games, competing for a round or two in the playoffs, then stepping out of the way as the big boys take over.
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” The Inferno, by Dante (1265-1321)
“Not so fast” – Newmarket Brian, more currently
I believe the Raptors are capable of competing for a championship, either this season or next. The lack of a superstar need not relegate Toronto to cannon-fodder status. We’ll examine this topic more in the weeks ahead.