Raptors: 2 positive and 2 negative takeaways from Summer League

Negative No. 2: We can’t shoot

It was the fear with Barnes, it was the fear with Dalano Banton, it was the fear with David Johnson, it was the fear with Achiuwa.

Sure they score. Barnes has shown Draymond-like point-forward and distributing skills to go along with his interior game, Precious is one of the more fluid-moving young big men in the league, Banton is a 6-9 kettle of funky offensive quirks. As far as spacing the floor goes, it’s pretty bleak.

The average NBA shooting percentage is 46%. Only Achiuwa, Matt Morgan, and a center who barely played in Anas Mahmoud topped that. They made just 48 3-pointers and shot just 32% from behind the arc, with Banton failing to make one single 3-ball. 

The Raptors’ shooting struggles still exist.

This is scarier in the short term than in the long term. The Raptors can cobble together enough respectable shooters for the 2021-22 season to stay afloat, but it’s not like the team’s competing for the title this spring anyway.

For those worried about what this lack of perimeter scoring means for our young core’s future, remember that turning non-shooters into solid shooters is what the Raptors’ training staff does best. Pascal Siakam and Chris Boucher can speak to that.

So if you look at the Summer League squad and think about how these guys couldn’t hit the side of a boat from 3-point land, remember that Barnes and Banton and the rest will be working day in and day out to get to a respectable level.