3 burning questions Raptors must answer as 2023-24 schedule ramps up again

The Toronto Raptors are a mediocre team. The fans are well aware of what they are watching, the head coach knows this team doesn't have an identity right now, and players like Pascal Siakam have only exacerbated those feelings by admitting nothing feels particularly great this season.

The Raptors have yet to lose more than three games this season, but they also haven't won more than two games on the bounce. Their 9-11 record has seen them alternate very encouraging wins and painful losses that make fans question what direction this team is headed in.

Starting with a Wednesday duel against old friend Kyle Lowry and the Miami Heat, the Raptors have the chance to both take Darko Rajakovic up on his offer of a free dinner if they win three in a row and restore relevancy to their roster. They need to do some serious self-assessment first, however.

The Raptors need to ask themselves these three questions and come up with tangible solutions that can be implemented in the next few weeks. If they managed to get their heads on straight and come up with a plan of attack, don't be surprised if Toronto ends up getting back on track.

3 burning questions the Toronto Raptors must answer after 9-11 start.

3. Where is the shooting coming from?

The Raptors once again find themselves in the bottom of the league in 3-point percentage. While OG Anunoby remains elite as a shooter and Scottie Barnes has taken a step forward, the rest of the offensive roster around those handful of players has been nothing short of terrible.

It's clear the Raptors expected Pascal Siakam to play a big part in the teams' 3-point resurgence while leaning on new additions like Gradey Dick and Jalen McDaniels to supplement Anunoby and Barnes. As it stands right now, Dick is in the G League, McDaniels barely plays, and Siakam has been unwatchably bad as a shooter.

The Toronto Raptors must shoot better from 3-point range.

Could the Raptors make a move to bring in an additional sniper? Possibly, but that is still unlikely. The Raptors need to hope for more internal improvement, which likely means throwing Siakam back out behind the arc in the hope he somehow fixes his myriad shooting issues.

Giving Otto Porter Jr. more rotation time might help slightly, and they may have no choice but to return to Gradey Dick at some point if they feel confident in using him once more. If that doesn't happen, more nights where Toronto makes seven of their 30 3-point attempts could be in the cards.