3 areas where the Raptors are better than they were in Tampa
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors currently stand at 11-13, which is the same record that they had during their forced sabbatical to Tampa last season. However, fans should be much more optimistic about this team’s direction considering how they have made some positive strides.
Last year was nauseating at times. Toronto clearly wanted to win games, but killer injuries, a COVID-19 outbreak, and the lack of a true home-court advantage helped Toronto finish in the lottery for the first time in years. While expectations for 2021-22 were more measured, Toronto has still managed to be a fairly exciting team.
The Raptors have young stars like Scottie Barnes leading the charge while holdovers like Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby continue to blossom. The record may be the same, but Toronto is playing better basketball despite a gnarly West Coast road trip that did a number on their winning percentage.
The Raptors identified some of their big issues from last year, and they have already made strides when it comes to correcting those errors. These 3 numbers show that the Raptors are making strides and moving the team in the right direction.
3 places where the Toronto Raptors have improved compared to 2020-21.
3. Rebounding
Signing centers like Aron Baynes and Alex Len made it almost impossible for Nick Nurse to get consistency in the paint. Baynes was frequently overpowered in the post, and the Raptors saw several victories slip through their fingers due to poor rebounding. They aren’t dominating in this category in 2021-22, but there have been some positive signs.
Toronto is averaging 44.5 rebounds per game this season, which is better than the 41.6 boards the team averaged last year. The biggest turnaround has come on the offensive glass, as Barnes and Khem Birch have helped their team improve their offensive rebounding numbers from 9.4 per game last year to 13.3 this season.
The Toronto Raptors have slightly improved their rebounding.
The Raptors still lack a true center, which will make it hard to consistently assert themselves among the league’s elite. However, Barnes and Precious Achiuwa have both helped reinforce their ability to keep opponents off of the glass.
There is still a ton of work to do, as the Raptors may need to look to the NBA Draft to find a long-term contributor that can help solidify their presence down low. At the very least, the foundation Toronto has in the paint is much more robust and deep than what the squad leaned on last year.