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Toronto Raptors: NBA fantasy update, early season awards

By Go Paolo

TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 and Danny Green #14 of the Toronto Raptors high five against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 30, 2018 at Soctiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 and Danny Green #14 of the Toronto Raptors high five against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 30, 2018 at Soctiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors – Serge Ibaka (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Toronto Raptors – Serge Ibaka (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

We’ve completed the NBA season’s first quarter. And while we may look foolish for this list in a few weeks, we hand out some early season NBA Fantasy Awards to the Toronto Raptors.

Just before the season started, we ranked the Raptors based on their preseason Yahoo! fantasy projections. Looking back, we hit the nail on the head on most of them but completely whiffed on a few. And we’re making up for this with his list. Sort of.

Fantasy, unlike real basketball, is all about the numbers. But just like real basketball, it carries its own complexities and every player has their own role. Making an awards list that is just like the real NBA’s would be insulting and inapplicable in some cases.

Instead, we created awards specific to NBA Fantasy. Without further ado, here are the still-too-early winners for the 2018-19 season:

Steal of the year

Serge Ibaka (PF/C)

Preseason Ranking: 78
Average Pick: 82.9
Current Ranking: 56

Ibaka has improved his numbers in almost every category. Most notably, he is averaging a career-high in points (16.4) and assists (1.3) and is averaging his best field goal percentage (56.4) since the 2012-13 season.

Going into the season, Ibaka was being taken in the seventh round or late sixth round, but he’s currently returning fifth-round value.

The only thing keeping Ibaka from hitting top-30 value is his three-point shooting. Ibaka is only shooting 28.8 percent from downtown and is only making 0.7 threes a game.

Ibaka owners are ecstatic with his production. He is filling up the stat sheet while not hurting owners anywhere. He is shooting solid percentages and still averaging under two turnovers a game.

If Ibaka finds a way to bring back his three-point shooting to, at least where he was last year (1.4 threes at 36-percent), he will be a Fantasy MVP contender.

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