5 Pieces Raptors must find to become true title contenders
By Tyler Watts
4. Backup big man
The Raptors traded for Jakob Poeltl in February and just rewarded him with a new four-year $80 million contract. He is locked in as the team’s starting center next to Pascal Siakam, but do the Raptors need an upgrade behind them?
Chris Boucher is an undersized center, whose 38.3 percent 3-point shooting in 2021 appears to be an outlier. The 6’9 big man can log minutes in the regular season, but will he stick in the playoff rotation?
Precious Achiuwa is another undersized center that cannot stretch the floor. The 23-year-old continues to improve, but he is best suited for a 20-minute per game role and questions remain about his ability to contribute in the playoffs.
Can the Toronto Raptors find a backup big man that can stretch the floor and rebound? They could use Pascal Siakam at the five more in the postseason, but that would mean giving more run to rookie Gradey Dick and seeing Jalen McDaniels blossom into a larger role.
It feels like the Toronto Raptors need one more player to round out their depth. Can Jakob Poeltl match minutes with Joel Embiid in the playoffs? What about if they face the Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez? Having another versatile option to improve the matchups could be massive as the Raptors look to make a run.