3 offseason regrets Raptors may have after wild start to 2022

The Toronto Raptors are one of many Eastern Conference teams that are currently hovering near the .500 mark, though many fans have to be just a bit irritated with their overall performance. They are 10-9 thanks to a win against the Mavericks, but the basketball gods have blunted their momentum with so many injury curveballs.

The Raptors have seen four-fifths of their starting lineup miss multiple games due to either injury or illness, which has made it tough for the team to really get into a groove. While the Raptors’ offseason moves have helped mitigate the damage, they appear to have left some boxes unchecked.

The Raptors’ offseason may have been a bit noisier than most free agency periods, as Otto Porter Jr. came to town while Thad Young and Chris Boucher were both retained on long-term contracts. That’s a solid haul, but the first 19 games show they may have left some meat on the bone.

If they had a time machine and could fix their mistakes, the Raptors would likely try to fix these three issues with how they conducted their 2022 offseason. They wouldn’t be automatic top contenders, but they may have had an extra win or two in their back pocket.

3 offseason regrets the Toronto Raptors might have.

3. Letting Yuta Watanabe leave

The Raptors were able to help Watanabe resurrect his career, as he parlayed a two-way contract into a multi-year agreement with Toronto before last season and deal with the Nets. Injuries and ineffectiveness helped Watanabe get his shot in the rotation, and he isn’t giving up his spot anytime soon.

Watanabe is averaging 8.1 points per game while drilling an insane 57% of his 3-point attempts to lead the entire NBA. His trademark heart and hustle have not diminished, which has helped the Nets make a huge defensive turnaround after the firing of head coach Steve Nash.

The Toronto Raptors miss Yuta Watanabe.

The Raptors are in dire need of Watanabe’s services right now. While their offensive numbers as a whole look fine, their tremendous ability to crash the offensive glass obscures the fact that this is one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA. 57% from deep would be a major shot in the arm.

Not only are the Raptors witnessing a former bench player star elsewhere, but they have to look at him decked out in Nets black and white. Fans can be happy that Yuta has found his niche in the NBA while simultaneously being irritated with the fact that he was let go.