2 Raptors whose stocks are skyrocketing, 2 that are fading fast
By Mike Luciano
OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, and the Toronto Raptors have made a ton of noise in the first seven games of the season. Their 3-4 record has been defined by some ugly slugfest, improbable comebacks, and encouraging showings from some of their prized young assets.
The Raptors are trying to once again win without fully committing to a rebuild, as they are hoping Darko Rajakovic and his offensive system could be enough to set this team apart from the rest of the Eastern Conference. There have been some growing pains, but Toronto has also made it work to some degree of success.
Considering all the young players permeating around this rotation, this Toronto team may be prone to fits of maddening inconsistency. As such, it can often be tough for players to sustain any positive momentum they may pick up from any given contest.
The sudden rise of Barnes and the unusual struggles of Siakam were discussed until the collective Raptors fandom turned blue in the face. Outside of those pivotal pieces, two Raptors have been thriving, and two of them have been in the middle of some very nasty slumps.
2 Toronto Raptors who are rising, 2 who are falling.
Stock Up: OG Anunoby
While Siakam has often struggled to find a secondary role for himself in what has become a Barnes-led attack, Anunoby has not had that same problem. On a team that has often struggled to shoot consistently from 3-point range, Anunoby has always shone brightly.
16.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game might not seem like world-beating production. Still, the fact that Anunoby has connected on 42.5% of his 3-pointers on an excessive 6.7 attempts per game shows that even with Barnes dominating the ball, he can settle into a supporting offensive role.
OG Anunoby has impressed for the Toronto Raptors.
While he hasn’t been switching as much on the defensive end of things (though he still is doing a fair bit of it), Anunoby’s results have been terrific once again. OG has locked horns with some of the best scorers in the game, and he’s come out on top in most of those matchups.
Anunoby came up in trade rumors quite often last season, as he and Siakam are both free agents to be. While he isn’t a lock to remain in Toronto, this stretch has shown that his status as one of the best role players and two-way studs in the leagues is firmly entrenched.