Raptors: 3 areas where Toronto is already better than last year

1. Rebounding

Toronto’s lack of skill in the post last year was pitiful, as they were routinely worked on the glass without Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka to bolster their ranks. At least the Raptors managed to identify that rebounding is a major issue and create a squad that can actually fend for themselves.

The Raptors were near the bottom of the league in rebounding for most of last season, but they’re already up to 12th in the preseason. On offense, they rank fourth in offensive rebounding percentage. Even without two of their best rebounders, Toronto looks much better in this area.

Can the Toronto Raptors fix their biggest flaw from last year?

The Raptors were downright putrid in this area, and even improving that weakness by a very slim margin should translate to a couple of extra wins. It will take a team effort to sustain this success, though Toronto is seemingly planning on everyone else pitching in.

With perimeter players like Barnes and Anunoby expected to be major contributors on the glass due to how flexible this team’s configurations will be, everyone on the Raptors should be expected to crash the boards this season.