Toronto Raptors: Finding the Weakest Links

The Toronto Raptors have lost six of their last seven games. While the team’s record is still quite good (38-23), it’s natural to begin nitpicking in times of adversity. The playoffs are just 21 games away, and the Raptors seem to be at their worst. Shooting woes, defensive complacency and poor first quarters are rearing their ugly heads at the same time. The sum of the recent problems is fan disappointment, since expectations for the Raptors were so high directly after All-Star Weekend. Everyone expected more, really.

While fans can be moody in the NBA, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri and head coach Dwane Casey have reason to be disappointed. Their disappointment is likely long-term, growing throughout the entire season. Two players have been unquestionable disappointments this season, failing to play at the level they promised to in the summer. There comes a point for every team when the weakest links break the chain, and this recent lacklustre stretch may be that break for the Raptors. Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez have been the team’s biggest letdowns, failing to continue their development into elite contributors.

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The NBA has a variety of different popularized stats, all of which tell different stories. The PER value, which measures per-minute production (standardized to a league average of 15), is a helpful indicator of overall quality. Vasquez has a 13.3 PER, which is his worst since his rookie campaign in 2010/11. To put that into perspective, other guards Lou Williams and Kyle Lowry are earning PER values of 20.4 and 19.4 respectively. Ross’ 11.1 PER is truly horrendous, putting him right at the bottom of the team’s rankings. Ross is measuring below Landry Fields and Tyler Hansbrough.

The expectations for both players were high entering the season. Ross was expected to continue his growth into a solid 3-and-D player, in only his third year in the NBA. He was supposed to improve on his strong 3-point shooting and sometimes brilliant defending. Vasquez was expected to continue to develop his solid playmaking and finishing around the hoop. He was supposed to bring back the offensive flare and confidence he carried with him last season. Instead, both players have been quite lifeless.

While Vasquez has been worse than last season in almost every measurable way, he has still been decent. He is playing well enough to replace the resting Kyle Lowry in the starting lineup. Vasquez should look to simply improve a tiny bit each day, rather than trying to do it all a once. He is a young player with room to transform into a dynamic presence for the Raptors. The team needs him, and if he is as committed to Toronto as he says he is, he will be an important cog for seasons to come. Hopefully Vasquez won’t disappoint in the playoffs.

Ross has been the real dud, regressing significantly from his sophomore campaign. Compared to Vasquez, he has the far higher sealing. Ross has freakish athleticism, a penchant for massive dunks and a smooth shooting stroke. However, he can’t seem to put his skills together. Instead, he looks lost offensively and defensively. His 3-point shot has fallen off the radar, with Ross only making 37% of his attempts. He lost his spot as a starter this season and he is quickly losing favour in Toronto. The team still wants to turn him into something, but it is unclear what.

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