It’s been two years since the Toronto Raptors won the championship. Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, and Marc Gasol are all in Los Angeles, and Kyle Lowry might be joining them soon.
If the Raptors are committed to rebuilding with the guys left on the roster, the players will have a lot of opportunities to prove that the core can eventually develop into a group that can lead the team to a championship as the main actors, rather than playing supporting roles as they did in the 2018-2019 championship run.
Today, the Milwaukee Bucks may be champs, but it took eight years of development, progression, and playing together to make it happen. If Siakam isn’t traded, this summer could be the beginning of a long journey back to the title.
Here are three players the Raptors will be expecting improvement from, and one skill each needs to work on if the Raptors don’t blow the roster up. If they make good on their ability to improve these facets of their game, Toronto’s climb back to the postseason could get a major shot in the arm.
3 areas where Toronto Raptors players must improve in 2021.
1. Pascal Siakam: 3-point shooting
Siakam is the best player on the team, but he had a down year last season scoring the ball. His future will have a huge impact on the direction of the franchise, whether he is traded or not. If Siakam is still on the team next season, this will be his chance to show if he can be the unquestioned best player on a playoff team.
Siakam played like a young Robin that was learning how to lead without Batman this year. For Siakam to take the next step, from Robin to Nightwing perhaps, shooting more consistently from the 3-point line could be the key.
🌶 Pascal Siakam dropped 44 PTS (tied career-high), grabbed 11 REB & dished 7 AST in the @Raptors OT-thriller against Washington! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/ZxkwD5AUXt
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) May 7, 2021
Pascal Siakam needs to improve his shooting for the Raptors.
Siakam is already one of the best ball-handling bigs and, when he’s on, can finish at the rim almost as well as anyone in the league. This past season he shot 29.7% from three on 4.4 attempts per game. His career average is 32.5%.
We need to see a montage of Siakam draining threes on social media this summer, because if he can shoot better than his career average moving forward, it’s hard to imagine how teams will stop him from scoring. They may try to get physical with him, but putting a 78% free throw shooter on the line consistently isn’t a winning formula.