Toronto Raptors: Need for shooting moves from Stable to Critical list

The Toronto Raptors have been desperate for more shooting, particularly from deep, for weeks. Is there a trade which can bring some relief?

The Toronto Raptors are licking their wounds after the season’s worst defeat, an ignominious 116-87 shellacking by the Orlando Magic. I’m not talking merely about the 29-point margin (though I could – the Raptors lost quarters 2 & 3 by 33 points), but the nature of the loss.

Toronto’s top 3-point shooter was Chris Boucher, who was 3 for 3. In one game, he made more long balls than he had in his NBA career. As the mind boggles, consider: in this game our 3-point percentage was higher than our all-in number (35.3 vs. 29.5). In harsh figures, our team was 16 for 61 (26.2%) from inside the arc.

OK, I feel like a rubber-necker at a car crash. One game proves nothing, other than the squad is gassed, and a defeat like this was inevitable. We all knew the Raptors need more shooting before this fiasco.

The failure of C.J. Miles to approach the standards of a useful rotation shooter has been most damaging.  He’s 1 for 16 from deep in his last 5 games (4 actually; he had a DNP-CD against Miami), so there’s no reason to hope he’s going to snap out of his dreadful funk.

Now what? I toyed with the idea of putting together a Trade Proposal to bring Terrence Ross back to our city. However, he was slapped with a $ 25, 000. fine from the NBA for throwing the ball into the stands after his woeful Overtime performance in a loss to Phoenix. Then in Friday’s game, he fouled Miles not once, but twice, from beyond the arc. Leo Rautins quite rightly took TRoss to the woodshed over the air, wondering if he had bothered to read the scouting reports about Miles’ slump. Ross has been a pro for seven seasons, but doesn’t show it. Bye.

What has Masai got to offer?

I was ahead of myself anyway. Who are the Raptors going to trade? C.J.’s value is nil at the moment, and less than that when you consider he’s got another season on his contract. It’s got a player option for $ 8.73 million, which at the moment he’d be crazy to decline. Masai Ujiri could offer to buy C.J. out, but that won’t help us get out of salary-cap jail even if he accepts.

Greg Monroe, Malachi Richardson, Lorenzo Brown – none has any trade value, except as a salary-balancer. Delon Wright‘s value is negligible. That’s certainly not the case for Fred VanVleet, but there would have to be an amazing offer on the table before I’d move a 36.8% deep shooter and spot-starter.

Despite the sophomore struggles of OG Anunoby (he’s shooting 32.1% from the free-throw line for the season – that’s worse than his 3-point shooting rate), he’s on my hang-up-the-phone list. So is Pascal Siakam, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, unless he publicly states his desire to leave, which I deem highly unlikely.

Who’s left? I’d move Norman Powell for the right return, though he might be part of the solution to our shooting woes if he could stay healthy. Does moving either of our centers make sense? I’d say No, particularly when we’ve seen the problems the Raptors aren’t able to overcome with Jonas Valanciunas on the shelf. Since he went down, Toronto is 7-7, after starting out 19-4.

Kyle Lowry is injured and brutally expensive.

Masai doesn’t have many “soft” assets to peddle either. Our draft pick in June is #60, since the Spurs get our first-rounder as part of the Kawhi payment.

Rapture Nation, I can’t find a way out of this painted corner. If anyone has a thought about a feasible trade, please share it in the Comments. Otherwise, this is our roster.

Chris Boucher, your country is counting on you. I’m kidding…I think.