Panic or Patience on 3 concerning Raptors preseason trends
By Mike Luciano
2. 3-point shooting
Toronto fixed their height issues by adding Christian Koloko and bringing in a bench gunner in Otto Porter Jr. to beef up the second unit. Shooting last year was a problem (outside of a few stars carrying the load for the rest of the team), and it may end up crippling them again.
The Raptors went 7-32, 6-34, and 8-37 from deep in that game, and those numbers may have been even more alarming than the already scary data would indicate. Gabe Brown, an undrafted rookie who will not factor into the team’s plans, hit a couple of the limited successful triples.
The Toronto Raptors need to shoot better.
The Raptors’ unique style of play will make them a huge pain in the rear end to play against, but that is not going to stop them from laying an egg against underperforming tankers and contenders alike if they keep shooting like this. Porter and Gary Trent Jr. can only do so much.
This team is going to be difficult to play against due to their veteran savvy, defensive potential, and unique roster construction. However, maintaining and coming back from big deficits is going to be nearly impossible to compete against some of the best teams in the league.
Verdict: Panic.