Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors are just a few quarters away from ending their season in a fairly unimpressive fashion, as the Philadelphia 76ers are completely dominating them early in their playoff series. The mood around Toronto is glum despite their success early.
The Raptors managed to rebound from their poor season in Tampa and earn the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. That’s not bad for a team that had to overcome so many noteworthy flaws late in the season and has just one player on the roster who is older than 30.
No matter how the season ends, Toronto can take solace in the fact that 2021-22 was a major step in the right direction. Masai Ujiri and Nick Nurse have this team set up for future success thanks to the pieces in place and the developmental trends that have boosted Toronto’s success so far.
These 3 parts of the Raptors’ season have been the best individual elements of a year where they have seen so much success come their way in such a short period. After winning 48 games this year, Toronto might be able to use this as a springboard to get even better next year.
3 best parts of the 2021-22 Toronto Raptors season.
3. Defying preseason predictions
Toronto’s Tampa sabbatical might have painted the franchise in a bad light, as they went from a consistent playoff participant to a 12th-place team in just one season. The national media seemed to ignore the factors working against the Raptors, including the laundry list of injuries and the lack of home games.
Raptors preseason predictions were full of pessimism, as many believed that they wouldn’t even make the play-in tournament. Some who thought they would make it that far predicted a close exit. Earning the No. 5 seed in the East seemed like a borderline pipe dream for this team.
The Toronto Raptors were better than expected.
While Toronto’s playoff performance left a ton to be desired due to the lack of success, this team is way ahead of schedule thanks to their young players all coming together at the right time. Nick Nurse might lean on his starters too long, but he played a role in getting this bunch to 48 wins.
After struggling against Philadelphia, the media is likely not going to take Toronto seriously as a playoff noisemaker due to the very deep tier of contenders in the East. Overcoming these doubters is nothing new for these players, this franchise, and this fanbase.
2. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet becoming stars
Siakam and VanVleet have not been the best postseason performers after really struggling against Philadelphia, but they helped stamp themselves as high-level stars with their two finest individual seasons to date. They will both likely be back as Toronto’s top two scorers next season.
VanVleet became the first undrafted player since Hall of Famer Ben Wallace to be named an All-Star. As impressive as his 20.3 points and 6.7 assists per game are, those numbers are slightly lower than where they could have been if not for a nagging knee injury.
Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam stood out for the Toronto Raptors.
Siakam was better this year than he was during his All-Star season. His points per game numbers were nearly identical, but he was much more efficient. With the best rebounding and assist numbers of his career under his belt, Siakam has been so lethal that Toronto could build around him for the next few years.
If Siakam is not named an All-NBA performer for his regular-season exploits, that would be an egregious mistake on the part of the voters. Even with all of the questions surrounding this team, they can take solace in the fact that they have two proven stars at their disposal.
1. The Development of Scottie Barnes
When the Raptors took Barnes, confusion gripped Canada. Why didn’t they take Jalen Suggs? Just a few months later, Barnes has become a Rookie of the Year frontrunner and two-way standout that Magic Johnson believes is very similar to himself. Not bad, all things considered.
With 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game to his name, Barnes could take home the top individual honor for a rookie this season if the voters wise up. So much of this season was based on surrounding Barnes with the tools he needed to be successful, and he has taken advantage.
Scottie Barnes has been very impressive for the Toronto Raptors.
Barnes is going to have a ton of pressure placed on him in the next few years. With VanVleet and Siakam both scheduled to hit free agency before Barnes’ rookie contract expires, Toronto might need to transition to a combination of him and OG Anunoby as the focal points of this team on both ends.
Luckily, Barnes seems more than capable of handling that pressure and establishing himself as a quality NBA leader. With the on-court skills to do nearly everything required of him and the mental fortitude needed to become the face of a franchise, Barnes has been everything Toronto could have ever asked him to be.