Raptors supporters can now finally grasp management’s direction and have cause for optimism following the decisions made at the deadline and during the previous two months.
SDPN developed a concept for team building that, in my opinion, is ideal for professional team sports in North America. Teams must use roster changes to convey one of two messages to their supporters: hope or victory.
The Toronto Raptors sold winning from 2015 to 2020. regular season success, an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, a regular home court advantage in the playoffs, and ultimately an NBA Championship.
Things changed in the 2020–21 Tampa season when the Raptors marketed optimism rather than winning. The hope that they will be able to move back to Scotiabank Arena, the hope that supporters will be able to attend games again, and the hope that they will be selected highly in the draft to help the team in the future.
That optimism persisted in 2021–2022, when it was mixed with a little amount of success. The squad made it back home, Scottie Barnes surprised everyone by winning Rookie of the Year, and although though their postseason run was not as long as planned, they were safely in the postseason as the fifth seed in the East.It’s been unclear what the Toronto Raptors have been attempting to market since the start of the last campaign. They could have tried to sell winning, but it was clearly not working. Toronto surrendered a first-round selection to re-acquire Jakob Poeltl, even though the team was not even assured a berth in the play-in, much less the playoffs, and ended up as the ninth seed in the East with a.500 record. Their play-in game was lost due to a late lead, leaving little hope for the future and much less chance of winning.
Both losing Fred VanVleet and Nick Nurse didn’t help either department, as the team struggled to start the season and gave the impression that they weren’t committed to letting go of OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, two prospective free agents.
Nonetheless, it appears that Raptors management has made up their decision and revealed their cards throughout the last six weeks. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to win with the lineup they had put together. Supporters demanded a reconstruction and said they would put up with a losing squad as long as they knew there was a long-term plan to succeed. They wanted to believe that things would improve because they were tired of the product they were receiving.
They should be happy that they received exactly what they requested, in my opinion. I’ll outline all the reasons why I think the Raptors have a bright future, based only on their current roster.
Quickley, Immanuel
When I first saw the original Anunoby trade, I was ecstatic to have Immanuel Quickley. IQ was a wonderful fit since he was a young primary ball handler who would provide this team with much-needed guard play and was demanding more minutes that were just not available in New York.
Quickley, who won’t turn 25 until June, is probably going to sign a long-term contract to serve as Toronto’s starting point guard for many years to come. His career-to-date output is comparable to that of Tyrese Maxey, the guard chosen four spots ahead of him in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Despite having quite different responsibilities, their per-36 production was relatively close during the first several seasons of their careers. Since the conclusion of his rookie campaign, Maxey has started the great majority of his games, whereas Quickley has spent the most of his time in New York as a sixth man.
Now that he is beginning as a lead guard, Quickley has the chance to advance on his own. Though I’m not suggesting that the Raptors guard will reach All-Star status as fast as Maxey did, it’s heartening to watch a player with a similar archetype succeed so well in the same position.
Quickley’s usage rate has only gone up by 0.6% since joining the Raptors, but in the short time he has been in Toronto, his assist percentage has risen by almost 11%, to a career-high 26%. His points per shot attempt has plummeted to a career low, placing him in just the 32nd percentile among point guards this season.What does all of that signify? In essence, Quickley is not holding the ball much more than he did in New York, but he is dishing out far more assists despite his decreased shooting effectiveness. While his efficiency from floater range has declined dramatically, from 58.6% in New York to 31% with Toronto, his three point percentage has actually climbed.
The lack of a lob threat probably has an impact on his floater efficiency as well. Therefore, Quickley has every chance to develop into one of the better starting point guards in the NBA if the Raptors can put together a roster that suits his style of play.
Barrett, R.J.
To be honest, I wasn’t first convinced by the concept of obtaining RJ Barrett, but the Canadian winger has worked hard to disprove my opinion. Barrett, who is only 23 years old, has already demonstrated some of the scoring ability that helped him land the third pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Barrett has the capacity to take over games when he gets hot, so while I don’t anticipate him to become a superstar, he should develop into a reliable second or third option in terms of scoring as he advances in his career.
Barrett’s usage rate has dropped while his points per shot attempt has increased in Toronto—basically the exact opposite impact that the deal has had on Quickley. In comparison to his stay in New York earlier this season, he is scoring the ball with greater efficiency from all three levels.
Barrett and Scottie Barnes have gotten along well, and they appear to be the cornerstones of the Raptors’ future development. The stars appear to be aligning for Barrett as he returns to his hometown, works with the Raptors development staff, and reunites with Masai Ujiri, his father’s lifelong friend. I’m really excited about Barrett’s future development in Toronto.
Dick Gradey
As of February 14th, when this piece was written, Gradey Dick had just finished his best game in his short NBA career. Dick scored 18 points against San Antonio after shooting 7/10 from the field and 4/5 from three just over a week ago, despite his 22 points against New Orleans.
Although he hasn’t had the rookie season Raptors supporters were anticipating for after his spectacular draft attire, the 13th overall pick in this past summer’s NBA Draft has been developing lately.
