Big:
- Kyle Lowry
- Matt Thomas
- Pascal Siakam
- Serge Ibaka/Dewan Hernandez
- Marc Gasol
There will be times when the Raptors need to go big and play a more traditional lineup with two seven-footers.
When going big, however, Toronto will still need a point guard to run things and a shooter who can space the floor for the other three big bodies.
Kyle Lowry and Matt Thomas would comprise the backcourt, and even though Lowry is a small guard by NBA standards, Thomas is a solid 6’5. While they aren’t the largest backcourt in the world, their other skills allow the Raptors to play larger in the frontcourt, a far more important task.
Pascal Siakam is versatile enough to play minutes at small forward without skipping a beat. Siakam’s shooting has already come a long way, and will only get better from here.
He also has the ball skills to handle and facilitate at a small forward level. Improved ball handling was one of his most stunning achievement last season, and he has no problem taking the ball from one end of the court to the other by himself.
Most importantly, Siakam can defend anyone from point guards to centers, so he could handle whichever perimeter player he was matched up with.
Serge Ibaka played power forward for pretty much his entire career leading up to last season, so he’s comfortable with, and capable of, playing alongside another big. Ibaka and Marc Gasol are also old Spanish national teammates, who seem to have a natural chemistry. Since both of them can play under the basket as well as away from the rim, they’re a complementary pair.
Dewan Hernandez will struggle (as many second-round picks do) to crack the rotation this year, but if the Raptors ever need a big body, Hernandez is their guy. At 6’11, Hernandez brings legitimate NBA size to the table, and he can use that size to his advantage on both ends.
Gasol is the only true seven-footer the Raptors have, and is Toronto’s secret weapon against the league’s giants like Joel Embiid, Nikola Vucevic, and Nikola Jokic. Gasol’s post-defense is superb, and with Gasol, the Raptors will have the biggest player on the court most nights.