2 reasons the Raptors shouldn’t panic (and 1 reason they should)
By Mike Luciano
Panic: Stars and starters are starting to regress
We know VanVleet is one of the two most important players on this team, but that is not an excuse for the squad playing as poorly as they have. From Gary Trent Jr. to Pascal Siakam and everyone in between, Toronto is collectively not pulling their weight on offense.
Trent has gone ice cold from 3-point range in such a concerning fashion that he might need a day off just to clear his head and get back on track. Siakam was dominant against Detroit and Orlando, but he was shooting 29% from the field in their first two games. While Cleveland clamped down on him, he had his fair share of open misses.
The Toronto Raptors are struggling on offense.
Don’t even get us started on Khem Birch. The Raptors might as well play with four players and an office chair on the floor, as he has been pitiful on the offensive end of late. Outside of Precious Achiuwa, the bench didn’t record a single point against the Cavaliers.
Getting Anunoby and VanVleet back will help, but many of the players that are stinking it up right now will be expected to play major roles with this team. Even when they’re healthy, can they be a threat in the playoffs when Birch is struggling to make layups and Trent is building a house with all of his bricks?