The Toronto Raptors saw Fred VanVleet put on a show at All-Star Weekend, meaning they can resume their quest to make it to the postseason. With their 32-25 record putting them just a half-game behind Boston for the all-important sixth seed, Nick Nurse has to like his chances.
Toronto’s success is intrinsically tied to their depth, as they have been winning despite a supporting cast that hasn’t always given VanVleet and Pascal Siakam the support they deserve. Thad Young is in town, but the rest of this Raptors’ roster is far from a sure thing.
The Raptors have a few matchups against some of the best teams in the West on the schedule and some games against the Nets and 76ers coming up right after. Toronto needs to see their secondary and tertiary players start to take steps forward and finish 2021-22 out strong.
These 3 players will be integral to Toronto making a deep run in the postseason this year. If they start to put some recent clunkers in the past and get back on the right track, that could be all that this Raptors squad needs to firmly cement themselves as a postseason participant.
3 Toronto Raptors players who need a strong second half
3. Dalano Banton
The lack of a true backup point guard has haunted this team all year long, but Banton is trying to fill that void with his combination of athleticism, effort, and explosion. While Toronto keeps winning games with Banton in the lineup, he hasn’t had the best box score stats over the last few weeks.
Since the start of the new year, Banton is averaging just 2.8 points per game and making 38% of his shots from the field. It goes without saying that his grip on that rotation spot is about as loose as humanly possible. Banton needs to start flexing his muscles on the offensive end.
The Toronto Raptors need Dalano Banton to step up.
Banton is averaging just under 29 points per game in the G League, showing that he is improving as a scorer when compared to his college days at Nebraska. While making Banton any sort of offensive vocal point would be ill-advised, he needs to be more involved on that end.
In a league where some second-round picks get stuck in the G League or never play in the NBA, Banton has already proven worthy of NBA minutes in some form or fashion. Unfortunately, if he is to take that next step in his development and beef up Toronto’s bench, he needs to let it fly.
2. Precious Achiuwa
Fans watching the Rising Stars Game got a full dose of the Achiuwa experience. Just a few possessions after running the floor and bringing the house down with a thunderous slam, he’ll miss two wide-open teammates and take one of the most ill-advised shots you’ve ever seen.
Achiuwa might be slapped with a slight decrease in minutes over the next few games. In addition to the Young addition and Chris Boucher continuing to prove his worth, Khem Birch starting over Achiuwa when VanVleet was hurt may show that he has jumped over Precious in the rotation.
The Toronto Raptors need consistency from Precious Achiuwa.
We know that Achiuwa can crash the boards, and his standout defensive skill has been a very pleasant surprise. Still, the issues with shot selection, odd turnovers, and poor finishing near the basket have helped Achiuwa’s playing time fluctuate from game to game.
The Raptors have not been shy about playing the young kids and letting them figure things out on the fly. However, there will be a line draw soon. Achiuwa might be excommunicated from the playoff rotation if he continues to be so volatile on offense.
1. OG Anunoby
For nearly all of this season, Anunoby has been the same rock-solid scorer and borderline defender we all know and love. However, he was clearly pining for the All-Star break to come, as he needed to recharge his batteries following a stint of poor shooting from the field.
Despite playing 32 minutes per game in his last four games before the break, Anunoby scored just 8.8 points per game and connected on just 31% of his shots. Gary Trent Jr. made up for a ton of that missing production with his shooting, Anunoby can’t keep performing like this on offense.
The Toronto Raptors must help OG Anunoby get back into a groove.
Anunoby averaged 22.6 points per game while making 46% of his shots and 42% of his 3-pointers on over eight attempts per game during an eight-game stretch between October 23 and November 5. When the ball is in his hands and Toronto has needed a bucket, he’s proven that he can come through for them.
The Raptors are in a unique position with their starting lineup, as they need all five of their best players to click to stay with some of the best teams in the league. Anunoby will likely break out of this slump, but Toronto needs him to wake back up as soon as possible.