Toronto Raptors: 3 players who must improve on offense quickly
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors have started the season off at 1-3, with a loss to the Chicago Bulls stinging even more after such a furious, encouraging comeback that fell short. The biggest concern has been a very lackluster showing on the offensive end of the floor. The performances of players like OG Anunoby have been let down by Goran Dragic and others.
The Raptors are 25th in points per game while shooting 40% from the field and 29.4% from 3-point range. In a league that is relying on the 3-pointer more than ever before, that is a very concerning figure to see. Toronto needs to get this hole patched up as soon as possible if they are to become true playoff contenders.
Toronto’s half-court offense has been stagnant, the transition game has had varying degrees of success from game to game, and the 3-point shooting has evaporated. Polishing some of the rough edges is critical to this team getting back on the right track.
Nick Nurse needs to get these three Toronto Raptors players back on the right track in order to save the season and get this offense performing with some degree of success with some winnable games coming up.
3 Toronto Raptors players who are struggling on the offensive end.
3. Goran Dragic
Dragic has been an ultra-consistent player over the last decade, as he was an integral part of Miami’s run to the title in the Disney bubble. Masai Ujiri might need to give Pat Riley a quick call, because I don’t think the Dragic the Raptors got sent was the same one that was an ace sixth man for Miami.
Dragic is averaging 6.0 points per game while making 31.8% of his shots and 22% of his 3-point attempts. Every possible benchmark you could use to evaluate his performance shows that Dragic is not performing well, and with Toronto looking to trade him, his value continues to shrink.
Goran Dragic is showing his age for the Toronto Raptors.
Nurse has so much confidence in Dragic that he is willing to restrict the minutes of two of his younger players, giving Dalano Banton just a spoonful near the end of the third quarter and freezing out Malachi Flynn. So far, Goran has not rewarded Nurse’s trust in him with scoring.
Nurse didn’t make it sound like a change is coming anytime soon, so Dragic needs to step up and ensure that he can be a reliable member of this backcourt rotation. With his defensive value slim, Dragic’s meal ticket (finishing and scoring) is failing him, which makes unloading him for more assets even tougher.