The All-Star weekend is one of the most anticipated dates on the NBA calendar. Are there any members of the Toronto Raptors roster who could feature at the event?
This season, the All-Star weekend will be hosted in Chicago, Illinois. Home of the Chicago Bulls, the Windy City will surely provide an excellent backdrop for one of the most popular events on the calendar. For the Toronto Raptors, the All-Star weekend is, in recent years, a familiarity, and almost a formality.
The last half-decade has been the most successful in Toronto Raptors history and has featured some of the franchises best players along the way. The likes of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Kawhi Leonard have all featured prominently in the weekend’s proceedings. One of the most consistent franchises in the NBA, the Raptors have been able to translate their success into the popular vote, and the faces of the franchise have been rewarded.
While no one should expect the Toronto Raptors to fall off a cliff this season, the reigning NBA champions are on a different trajectory to last season. The playoffs are still in sight, but the overall nature of how the Raptors will get there remains a mystery. With Kawhi Leonard’s tenure with the Raptors firmly in the rearview mirror, Pascal Siakam now looks to take on the mantle as the primary scoring option of the team.
Siakam missed out on a place at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles last year, and will hopefully look to right that wrong this season. A place in the All-Star Game means recognition from your peers and fans, something that is secondary to winning but still a nice touch.
The Raptors have a fun and talented roster heading into the season, and if we were to guess who could take part in each event, who might it be?