The Toronto Raptors appeared to have hit rock bottom on Friday night, as the lowly Orlando Magic were able to beat Nick Nurse and Toronto’s much-hyped defense into submission. Just when fans thought things couldn’t get any worse for the Raptors, they started their second Magic road game in an even worse fashion.
At the end of the first half, the Raptors had just 39 points on the board and two made 3-pointers, one of which came with just seconds left. While they were defending well despite the loss of O.G. Anunoby, the most pitiful half-court offensive attack in the league threw up another stinker.
The Raptors were ultimately defeated 111-99, as their defense managed to crumble completely in the second half. Toronto is now 13-14 on the season and firmly in last place in the Atlantic Division, which is extremely disappointing for a team that came into the year with some genuine hype.
What has become painfully clear during Toronto’s last few days in Florida is the fact that the Raptors need to make a win-now trade to add shooting, even if it comes at the expense of some draft capital. This team may be young, but they’re built to win now, and the front office can’t be satisfied with the offensive results.
The Raptors have been great defensively, their offense is just one of the worst in the league.
— Libaan Osman (@libaanstar1) December 12, 2022
The Toronto Raptors must make a move after losing to the Magic.
Executives around the league are reportedly expecting “fireworks” if the Raptors keep losing. Masai Ujiri has been vocal in his distaste for being a play-in team and not committing to either a rebuild or a championship push. Considering the poor form lately, Ujiri may be coming close to lighting the fuse.
While big names like Gary Trent Jr and Fred VanVleet will likely percolate around the rumor mill for the next few months due to their stature, there are smaller moves that could be made. Perhaps finding a way to ditch Khem Birch and/or Malachi Flynn for a player that can provide a more immediate return is worth looking into.
Think about how bad a team has to be to have the league’s worst half-court offense in the NBA. Now consider the fact that they have an All-NBA forward in Pascal Siakam on the floor and are still ranked at the bottom of the list. Unless the Raptors think this play is acceptable, change must happen soon.
magic looking at the raptors like food. this sucks
— William Lou (@william_lou) December 12, 2022
Siakam is staying, and so is Anunoby. Other than that, Toronto should be open for business. If the stated objective is improvement from last year, the way this team is constructed has so many fundamental flaws that achieving that goal may be impossible.