The Toronto Raptors have already been put through quite a series of battles in their first 11 games. Despite a host of injuries, including one to star Pascal Siakam, and a schedule that saw them play 10 of their first 11 games against projected playoff teams, the Raptors have managed to claw out a 6-5 record.
The Raptors have built a very consistent ethos on the basketball court, as they have established themselves as a team that is going to cause chaos on the defensive end and get out in transition as fast as possible. This formula has helped Toronto overcome some pretty obvious holes.
The Raptors are clearly not in a position to sound the alarm on their season as a whole despite the Siakam injury, though there are some problems with the roster that could lead to a very quick end to their season. Nick Nurse is likely well aware of the dangers he faced playing with the roster as it is currently constructed.
Even though Toronto are only 11 games in, there are some issues with the Raptors that could be destabilizing. Should the front office continue to carry on hope that the problems eventually work themselves out, or hit the panic button and start to make changes?
Panic or Patience on 4 Toronto Raptors trends
1. Precious Achiuwa’s offense
The Raptors saw Achiuwa take the step forward they were looking for during the second half of last season, as he was electric from beyond the 3-point line. While he’s been terrific on defense yet again, it’s fair to wonder where the improvement on offense has gone.
Achiuwa is averaging 9.2 points per game, right on par with his 9.1 per game last year. More concerning, however, is the fact that Achiuwa is shooting just 40% from the field and 19% from 3-point range while committing some bonehead turnovers. This looks more like the inconsistent 2021 first-half Achiuwa than the second-half dynamo.
Precious Achiuwa must step up for the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors have invested in Achiuwa to a fairly substantial degree, but a team with eyes on the prize can’t afford to just keep leaning on Precious with the hope that they can eventually start winning. The lack of efficiency is a killer for a bench that is still deprived of quality and consistency.
Achiuwa is not going to be dropped from the rotation anytime soon, nor should he. He’s too valuable as a rebounder and defender. Precious can be a solid contributor to this team in the right situation, but the Raptors need to snap him out of whatever funk he is in sooner rather than later.
Verdict: Panic (slightly)