3 biggest flaws Raptors must overcome to make a playoff run

DENVER, CO - MARCH 6: Gary Trent Jr. #33 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - MARCH 6: Gary Trent Jr. #33 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 8: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /

2. 3-point shooting

The Raptors knew that this area of their roster was a problem last year, but the only significant addition they made to bolster that area last offseason was signing Otto Porter Jr. in free agency. With his season ended so quickly that less observant fans may have forgotten he was even on the team, Toronto has again struggled.

Toronto currently ranks 26th in 3-point percentage, coming in just a few fractional percentage points above the Lakers and Heat. Only the Hornets and Rockets, who may be the two hardest teams in the league to watch on a nightly basis and are in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, are ranked below that group.

The Toronto Raptors lack 3-point shooting.

The Raptors have made some progress in this area in the last few weeks, as OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet are back to their career averages from beyond the arc, and Scottie Barnes is also back to last season’s 30% mark. That won’t be a catch-all solution, however.

Players like Poeltl, Christian Koloko and (most of the time) Precious Achiuwa are complete non-shooters that will share the floor for heavy minutes. Putting them out on the court and asking one or two creators to cook consistently might not be very sustainable.