Toronto Raptors: Roster power rankings after one quarter of 2020-21 season
By Ben Fisher
5. Fred VanVleet
If you were wondering whether VanVleet’s new $85 million contract would change the “bet on yourself” point guard, the answer has been a clear ‘no’. The 26-year-old’s three-point shooting is down slightly and his rebounding is up, but mostly he’s the same floor general and capable Lowry fill-in he’s always been. FVV was a central stabilizing force in the club’s rebound out of a 2-8 hole and continues to be a key part of the overall identity of the franchise. Currently the club’s leading scorer, VanVleet is one of the few Raptors in 2020-21 exceeding expectations.
4. Yuta Watanabe
When Watanabe, Alize Johnson and Henry Ellenson were signed to Exhibit 10 deals this past offseason, it’s fair to say that Watanabe was the least likely of the three to stick. On top of positional needs, Johnson is two years younger and Ellenson had a stronger pedigree as a former first round pick, but not only did the Japanese forward emerge, he’s carved out a valuable role as an energy guy off the bench who can knock down an open three. He’s even earning admirers back up north in Toronto. Watanabe could climb higher up this list if he develops a more reliable and efficient offensive game.
3. OG Anunoby
Raptors fans have been waiting for OG Anunoby’s rise to stardom for a few years now, so maybe his emergence as a core component of the organization isn’t entirely surprising. Still, it’s Anunoby’s consistency that has defined his season to date. The defensive calling card is, of course, always there, but an improved three-point shot (43.3 percent, up from a 37.4 percent career mark) has helped his offensive game achieve some of that same consistency.
2. Stanley Johnson
It’s taken a year, but the Raptors appear to have cashed in on the free-agent gamble on Stanley Johnson made before the 2019-20 season. In recent weeks, he appears to have earned the trust of Nurse, being regularly featured in a shutdown defensive role in crunch time. With a killer nickname (the “Stanimal”) and strong upside as a former lottery pick who is still just 24, Johnson certainly has the look of the latest in a long line of development success stories for the franchise. He still has a long way to go on offense, but Johnson appears to be becoming a fan favorite among Raptors fans.
1. Chris Boucher
With no disrespect to Johnson, the development story of the Raptors’ first quarter has unquestionably been Chris Boucher. The lone bright spot among the big man rotation, the Montreal native is averaging 14.3 points while shooting 45.3 percent from deep and recently came off a string of five 20+ point efforts in six games. Already a heartwarming rags-to-riches story, Slimmduck is now being discussed in early Most Improved Player conversations.
Development is never linear, and this Raptors team is showing just that. As some pleasant surprises (Boucher, Johnson) emerge, perceived ‘safe’ additions like Baynes and even established veterans like Powell haven’t come through in the same way. Perhaps the ceiling on this squad simply isn’t the same as in recent years, but there’s still room for the whole group to grow as the season continues.
