Raptors: How many wins would Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka have added to this team?

After starting out 2-8, the Toronto Raptors’ rise back to contention despite losing Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka in free agency is nothing short of remarkable. However, one of the main talking points this season has been Masai Ujiri’s inability to replace the pair after they signed with the Lakers and Clippers, respectively.

Alex Len was so bad that he was cut during their early-season struggles, while Aron Baynes remains one of the most disappointing players on the team. Meanwhile, Gasol and Ibaka seem destined for a playoff crash course, as both of them are playing vital roles on two contenders in LA.

Ibaka is averaging 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game with the Clippers, showing that his ability to block shots while rising and firing from deep hasn’t waned in Los Angeles. Gasol is averaging just 4.4 points per game, but he is still providing the same interior presence that he did in Toronto.

With the Raptors struggling to replace their production to the point where they banished Baynes to the bench, would this team be in the Eastern Conference’s upper tier if both of these bigs stuck around?

Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol would give the Raptors a boost

The Raptors are clearly struggling with a center in Baynes that offers nothing on the offensive end. Siakam might be a better offensive center, but his slim frame is problematic. Ibaka and Gasol are both much better defensive players than Baynes and Siakam, and their offensive production would at least be somewhat equal.

Neither of them are producing as they did on the offensive end in Toronto, especially Gasol. However, given the star power on both of those teams, they aren’t getting the same volume of opportunities. Nurse put both of them in positions to both get their fair share of shots and keep the offense flowing, and Toronto’s performance on that end looks much more static this season.

While the Raptors’ performance against the Milwaukee Bucks proved that they can beat anyone in this conference, the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are a cut or two above the Raptors right ow

The Raptors wouldn’t necessarily be contenders with these two in the lineup, but they would give some extra size and versatility on both ends of the floor to a team that is currently dead last in the NBA in rebounding and in need of a true center. The Raptors are currently hovering around .500, but they might be two or three games better in the standings with these two.