Toronto Raptors: Expectations for Raptors in 2020/21 season
By Jason Mills
The NBA off-season for 2020 has almost run its course, and the Toronto Raptors appear weaker as a roster from the event. The 2020/21 season maybe the Raptors’ worst since 34 wins in 2012/13.
Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemics’ economic effects have forced the Toronto Raptors‘ ownership group to consider limiting their financial commitments beyond 2021. It may also be the dream of acquiring a superstar talent in the 2021 off-season that explains the Toronto Raptors’ decisions this year.
Some see the acquisitions of Alex Len, Aron Baynes, and DeAndre’ Bembry with the return of Fred VanVleet in free agency as a successful off-season. It can only be described as such if you want limited financial commitments beyond this coming basketball season.
The 2020/21 edition of the Toronto Raptors is not better than the team that completed a shortened and interrupted 2019/20. A run of seven consecutive playoff appearances may be in jeopardy because of Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster’s recent decisions.
A decision to offer Serge Ibaka a one year deal at 9 million when two or three years at the same money would have been a reasonable fit feels disappointing. While Serge Ibaka would have made more sense to bring back to Toronto, even a returning Marc Gasol would have been easy to re-sign if more than one year was the Raptors’ negotiating position.
With most of the core group of players still under a contract that won an NBA Title in 2019 and failed to return to the Eastern Conference Final this year by one win or six points, the new additions to the roster are an underwhelming announcement.
The Toronto Raptors won 51 games this past season and had a winning percentage of .736. They have won 50 plus games in each of the last five seasons. With training camps to begin in less than a week, December 1st, 2020, the only question is, what are the expectations for the Toronto Raptors in the 2020/21 season?