Despite several strong performances from Pascal Siakam recently, the Toronto Raptors #1 option has come short in the clutch on back-to-back nights, forcing the Raptors to pull back and evaluate their options on who should have the ball in their hands at the end of the game.
Although Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam was unable to get either of his game-winning attempts against Golden State or Portland to go down, his performances have been trending upwards, and the blame for these losses should not come down on his shoulders.
These buzzer-beater misses don’t downplay what Siakam has been doing in the first 47+ minutes, but what they do bring into question is his reliability as your #1 option for the final possession.
With their disastrous 2-8 start to the season, the Raptors are forced to reflect on where they can be better in nearly every facet of the game, and choosing their late-game shot taker should be near the top of the list.
Since Kawhi Leonard departed after his 2019 miracle run, the Raptors have lacked a true superstar who can dominate in isolation and get to their spot at the end of a game, and have instead defaulted to several others to try and fill the gap that Leonard’s departure created.
In this article, we will look at all of the realistic options the Raptors currently have on their roster when it comes to securing a win at the buzzer.
Fred VanVleet
When it comes to creating their own shot and making them at a high degree of difficulty, there is no one on the squad like Fred VanVleet. The undrafted guard from Wichita State has gained a reputation of being a tough-shot-maker, and when the game is coming down to the wire, that’s the kind of player that you want with the ball. VanVleet has the explosiveness to find separation from the best of defenders and is efficient enough of a shooter that he could gain Nick Nurse’s trust.
Another key argument for Fred taking the last shot is that he’s not afraid of the big moment. As seen in the 2019 Finals and on several occasions since VanVleet is up to the challenge no matter the situation, and going forward, would be a suitable candidate to take the last shot at the buzzer for the Toronto Raptors.
Pascal Siakam
As previously mentioned, Pascal Siakam has been the go-to-guy in the clutch for the Raptors to this point, despite his inconsistencies. Nick Nurse has honored his highest-paid player by calling his number at the end of games, and so far it hasn’t worked.
Pascal is excellent at getting to the basket and maneuvering around his defenders for a quick two. But at the end of games when the opposing teams are locked in on defence, the last shot typically ends up being one from behind the arc or mid-range; neither of those areas is Siakam’s specialty.
Despite his shooting percentages becoming more efficient as of late, Spicy P is not the best option on the roster when it comes to creating his own mid-range shot, and yet Raptors fans have watched Siakam try and fail to do so over the past two outings.
Although quite shifty for his size, a player at 6’9 will not have the same tight handle on the ball as Lowry or VanVleet, and so he often is forced to go to his patented spin-move to create separation, and at this point, it seems as if the defender knows exactly what’s coming. Pascal Siakam is not to blame for the team’s losses as of late, but it’s time to move off of him when it comes to the last possession.
Kyle Lowry
When you think of the Toronto Raptors, you think of Kyle Lowry, and yet he doesn’t often find himself taking the last shot since the role opened up last season. Long gone is the false narrative that Lowry isn’t clutch, as time and time again Lowry has proven himself to show up in the biggest moments, and do whatever it takes to put the Raps at an advantage.
It can be said that Lowry is aging and that he may not be the best on the roster at creating his own shot in isolation, but who says that the final play has to be an iso? Depending on the time left in the possession, drawing up a Kyle Lowry and Chris Boucher pick and roll to either get open or switch the big man onto himself is something that has worked a countless amount of times for Kyle in-game, and there’s no reason to think that it couldn’t be effective late in the fourth quarter.
If there’s enough time on the clock for a quick screen, most Raptors fans would feel comfortable with Lowry handling the ball on the last possession, and it may be worth a try considering the recent misses from Pascal.
OG Anunoby
Although he’s not typically known as a major offensive weapon, who could forget OG Anunoby‘s iconic game-winner in Game 3 against Boston last season. That shot alone proved OG’s ability to get it done in the biggest of moments, but realistically there may have been a bit of luck involved.
Anunoby is not able to get much for himself off of the bounce, and putting him in an isolation situation for the last possession of the game is not an ideal strategy. What could be ideal though is letting him spot up and take the last shot, similar to what he did against Boston. Anunoby’s shot is at its best when he’s catching and shooting from the corner, and if an opportunity presented itself where there was enough time on the clock to get that look, it would be a high percentage shot with a greater chance of success than a Siakam mid-range jumper.
When it comes to the final shot, it’s no surprise that the Raptors are low on options. This shot is typically given to a team’s bonafide superstar, and with Toronto not having one on the roster, it’s likely going to come down to a game-by-game basis based on who’s feeling the best at the time.
Other players such as Norm Powell have attempted shots at the buzzer before, but realistically these are the four players on the roster best suited for the spotlight, and it would be nice to see one of the other three other than Pascal get their number called the next time this opportunity presents itself.