Toronto Raptors: Possible lineups for the 2019-20 season

Starters:

• Kyle Lowry
• Norman Powell
• OG Anunoby
• Pascal Siakam
• Marc Gasol

As the team’s two best players, Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam are locks. Marc Gasol is close to a lock as well, although there will be nights when starting Serge Ibaka might make more sense.

The two wing positions are the ones worth talking about, and Nick Nurse will have a tough time finding the right two players. The most likely option is Norman Powell and OG Anunoby. Powell and Anunoby have been with the Raptors for the entirety of their careers, and are comfortable with the system and the team. That cohesion and familiarity are always valuable, particularly early on in the season.

For Powell, this would be the first time in his career that he’s called upon as a starter for an entire season. He’s performed at a starter level at times, but he’s also dropped out of the rotation in the past because of inconsistent play.

If Powell can take on tough defensive challenges and maintain the outside shooting he showed last season, he could have a long-overdue break out season. If he plays outside of his abilities and becomes an inefficient offensive player, he could be sent straight back to the bench.

OG Anunoby had a disappointing year last season after an impressive rookie campaign. Assuming he can stay healthy, the Raptors are hoping Anunoby can take a jump similar to Siakam’s this past season.

Anunoby is freakishly long and athletic, and putting him next to Siakam in the frontcourt gives the Raptors a lot of options on both offense and defense.

Anunoby’s shooting will be the most important thing to look for. If he can get his three-point shooting percentage up from 33-percent last year to somewhere closer to 37 to 40-percent, he would become one of the Raptors’ most important players.

This starting unit will struggle to put points on the board, but defensively they will be deadly.