3 areas where the Raptors are vastly improved in 2022-23
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors remade their roster once again following a flurry of offseason moves made in quick succession. From re-signing both Thad Young and Chris Boucher to drafting Christian Koloko in the second round, this new-look Raptors team is in a better position than they were last year.
Toronto may have won 48 games in a season where they went into the campaign projected to be a fringe play-in team, but that didn’t mean that the roster construction was perfect. The holes present on that team contributed to their downward turn in the postseason.
The Raptors have their eyes set on competing for a top-four seed and a deep playoff run this season. The only way they would overcome the roadblocks that kept them unable to move into the second round was by identifying their issues and patching up the cracks.
The Raptors have taken significant strides in the right direction due to checking these three boxes. It remains to be seen if they’ll convert that momentum into any extra wins in the postseason, but the roster is without question deeper and more diverse than it was in 2021-22.
3 reasons the Toronto Raptors are better in 2022-23.
3. Veteran experience
Going into last season, the only player on the Raptors older than 30 was Goran Dragic, who played a grand total of five games. Key members of the roster were still in their formative years. After bringing in some veterans and watching their homegrown players mature, the Raptors have a much more robust squad this year.
VanVleet and Siakam are both 28, and they’ve been to hell and back in Toronto. With Otto Porter Jr. about to turn 30 and the ageless Young now in line for an entire season in Toronto, this group has more of a veteran backbone than the ragtag bunch of youngsters from a year ago.
The Toronto Raptors have good leadership.
The Raptors have a very nice blend of experience and youth. Gary Trent Jr., Precious Achiuwa, and Scottie Barnes are all under 24 years old, and recent draftees like Dalano Banton and Koloko figure to play parts in the rotation at some point down the stretch.
The impact Young had after getting settled, even in such a limited timeframe, was visible to even the most casual observer. With that NBA greybeard joining a more battle-tested group, the Raptors should be more hardened when the postseason picture takes form.