Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors are 3-3 to start the 2022-23 season, which isn’t bad by any means, given the demanding schedule the Raptors have had to plow through. The Cavaliers, 76ers, and Heat have all fallen to a Raptors team that still has some significant issues.
Toronto was taken apart by Philadelphia in a game that saw Tyrese Maxey torch Fred VanVleet for 44 points. Toronto saw their bench completely shrivel up in this loss, while starters like VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. picked a very inopportune time for their worst games of the season.
The Raptors have largely been exactly what we thought they would be to start the season. They are an annoying opponent that plays great defense, yet struggles to consistently pull away due to a lack of proven offensive talent on the roster. Same as it ever was, if you’ll allow me to quote David Byrne.
The Raptors have put some concerning trends on display, some of which will remain throughout the entire season and some of which will melt away into nothing as the year progresses. Which trends are for real, and which trends are nothing to get too worked up about?
Buy or Sell on 3 Toronto Raptors trends.
3. The bench is still a huge problem
Not being able to welcome Otto Porter Jr. into the lineup has certainly made it challenging for Toronto to get their second unit operating at peak efficiency. Still, Porter is simply not the type of player who should destabilize an entire bench with his absence. Toronto’s second unit was horrendous against Philly.
11 players got minutes in the first half of Friday’s game, but only four scored points. Precious Achiuwa’s 22-rebound game against the Heat didn’t translate into many more impressive performances, while Chris Boucher and Christian Koloko didn’t provide much on offense.
The Toronto Raptors lack quality bench play.
With Porter out for a while due to personal issues, the cavalry isn’t going to come for a while. The players on this bench need to get themselves sorted out, as even playing at a league-average level would be a game-changer. Unfortunately, the start to the season looks poised to continue.
The Achiuwa domination of Miami and Boucher’s generally solid offensive play since his return from injury shows that this issue is more related to the wild volatility this bench has rather than a lack of talent. Solving that issue in the span of just a few games, however, is unlikely.
Verdict: Buy
2. Fred VanVleet is regressing
Three of the five players in Toronto’s starting lineup are scoring more points per game this year than they did in the previous season. While O.G. Anunoby is starting to rehabilitate his offensive numbers following a sluggish start, VanVleet has been in for some rough sledding.
VanVleet is scoring just 13.3 points per game, with a one-point, 0-11 outing against the 76ers bringing his average down to 35% from the floor. While his steal numbers are still high, the poor percentage and big drop-off in shots attempted could be indicative of passiveness and general unease offensively.
Toronto Raptors: Will Fred VanVleet turn things around?
VanVleet was making almost half his 3-pointers (well, 48%) in the five games he played prior to that nightmare against Philly. Considering his struggles against Maxey and Philadelphia, this is likely more of a continuation of his struggles against this particular team rather than something he will carry with him for weeks.
Even if you’re not the biggest VanVleet fan in the world, do you really believe he’ll suddenly turn into Ben Simmons? The Raptors are in the middle of some tough sledding, largely caused by VanVleet being less offensively sharp, but an All-Star player shouldn’t take too long figuring things out.
Verdict: Sell
1. Pascal Siakam is an MVP candidate through six games
Is Siakam going to win MVP? No, barring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic suddenly turning into Bruno Caboclo and Freddie Gillespie. Has he shown that his production so far this season has been so dominant that the voters have choice but to put him in that tier? Without question.
Siakam is averaging 25.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game this season after losing to the 76ers, and those numbers were so sparkling that NBA.com decided to rank him fourth in their latest MVP ladder. Only Antetokounmpo, Doncic, and Ja Morant ranked above him.
Pascal Siakam can lead the Toronto Raptors.
We’ve seen Siakam be an All-NBA player before, and we’ve seen him contribute to a championship team in a very significant way. Doing both at the same time while challenging for a triple-double on a nightly basis is going to be hard for even the most virulently anti-Raptors voter to ignore.
Siakam’s boasts about being a top-five player, at least through the first handful of games in the season, have not been one-bit hyperbolic. If anything, Siakam may have sold himself short. 2022-23 is without question going to be the finest season we’ve seen from the Cameroonian star.
Verdict: Buy