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Toronto Raptors: 4 biggest improvements to make after one month of 2020-21 season

By Stephen Nixon

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 18: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 18: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 18: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

The Toronto Raptors are a below .500 team after the first month of the season, but are they better than their record insists?

After starting 2-8, the team rallied back to a respectable 7-11 record and are narrowly out of a playoff spot. Although they’re currently sitting on the outside looking in, there’s still plenty of optimism around the Raptors as they push for the postseason.

Making the playoffs is an accomplishment for some franchises, but it’s mandatory for the Raptors, at least in the last few years. You couldn’t make that comment as little as six years ago, but Toronto is now one of the most consistent teams in the NBA. Year after year, this team continues to make the playoffs and is expected to win.

With the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks favored to win the Eastern Conference this year, what should the Raptors do moving forward? Knowing they’ll likely face one of these four teams, Toronto needs to make some changes to compete with the big boys.

The Toronto Raptors need to make these four changes after a rough first quarter

4. Upgrade the centre position

The Aron Baynes signing looked promising but it’s not a fit, as he’s providing minimal offensive and defensive production when he’s on the floor. The departure of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka looks worse with each passing day. With the young core of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam ready for a huge campaign, the fact that Baynes is asked to do so much on offense is somewhat puzzling.

With a ton of money connected to their backcourt, the Raptors don’t have a ton to spend on their frontcourt, so it gets tricky on who they could acquire. If money’s coming in, it’ll most likely have to come out. Clint Capela, currently on the Atlanta Hawks, makes a ton of sense given how the roster is constructed.

Capela had a 27 point, 26 rebound night just a few days ago. Although Capela offers little outside of the paint on the offensive end, he’d make for a great fit on this roster and his contract is reasonable.

No one knows what route the Raptors are going to go, but whatever they do, they need to upgrade the position one way or another, as Baynes’ limited production is simply not good enough for a starting center.