For many reasons, the 2020-21 season for the Toronto Raptors was a mess. It has been covered a lot, but there is still an uncertain factor that has been a problem for several years: since winning the championship in 2019, offense is not a particular strength of the Raptors. Kawhi Leonard's departure clearly left a lot to be needed in scoring situations. A year later, the absence of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol as big pitchers with high basketball IQs is indeed felt. If you are already worried about how the Raptors will solve their league average offensive problem, the first few weeks of the offseason in 2021 may not help alleviate these concerns.
With the 2021 draft approaching in late July, rumors abound. The Raptors were fortunate to finish fourth after winning the seventh-highest odds, and they seem to be taking away anyone left by Jaylen Green, Evan Mobley and Jaylen Suggs. As the draft process progresses, the name Suggs seems more and more possible, if not almost certain. On draft day, Raptors fans were as ready as the media to welcome Saggs. Then Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster chose Florida State University forward Scottie Barnes (Scottie Barnes).
Suggs proposed an obvious solution to the loopholes that appeared within a few days of Kyle Lowry's signing with Miami, while Barnes proposed a more confusing scenario. A 6-foot-8 forward with high mobility, incredible defensive skills, and an offensive game that is definitely going on. Where have we heard of it before? Will OG Anunoby ring the bell? Maybe Pascasiacam? In the next few hours and days of the draft and free agent market, Ujiri and Webster doubled their favorite player types. They selected Toronto native Dara Nor Benton, another giant guard of David Johnson, and then later that night switched to signing Justin Champagne for a two-way deal. In Lowry's sign-and-swap deal, they acquired Precious Achiuwa and imported Ishmail Wainright from overseas. All players have extraordinary size, high defensive advantages, and are still developing offensive skills. Can I be interested in the super-switching lineup of Siakam, Barnes, Anunoby, Yuta Watanabe, and Achiuwa? No offense. Just defense and resonance.
In an NBA that is increasingly defined by three-pointers, the Raptors' actions during the offseason are clearly problematic. The four conference finalists are all top ten offenses in the regular season, with extremely recognizable pivots and systems. Treyang has created a full court advantage for the Atlanta Hawks with his emergency stop shooting and incredible passing. For the champions, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Middleton, despite having a game, had an absurd talent for completing the game. Even without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers can open space and control the mid-range. For the Phoenix Suns, Devin Booker and Chris Paul took turns running high screens and rolling.
In the championship season, the Raptors ranked fifth in offensive efficiency in the regular season. In the next two seasons, they fell to 13th and 16th respectively. The Raptors were younger without Leonard and Danny Green, and the players did not immediately develop into new roles. Fred Van Fleet took on more ball-handling responsibilities, and due to constant injuries and size, it was difficult for him to finish the game at the basket. Anunoby is still learning how to hone his creative skills and attack rotating defenders better than fixed defenders. Siakam took too much burden on the offensive end, and his emergency stop jumper abandoned him.
The Raptors have had some success in teaching players how to shoot. Scottie Barnes entered the draft with an obvious negative impact, so I hope the team can help him become a forward shooter. In his only college season, he only took 40 shots, and his field goal percentage from beyond the three-point line was very low, only 28%. In contrast, Siakam made 17 shots during his two years at university, and his hit rate was even lower, reaching 18%. Siakam's three-point shooting percentages in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons reached a very impressive 37% and 36%, respectively. Last season, Anunobi shot 37% from 1.5 shots per game during his college years, and last season averaged 40% from 6.1 shots per game. Here is a record showing that the Raptors can help players improve their jump shots. Barnes made 27.3% of his three-pointers in the summer league, but the team has always believed that cultivating this skill is a long-term process. In the foreseeable future, Barnes' progress as a shooter and the return of Siakam's three-pointer will be an important factor in the Raptors' offense. But the fact remains that if the Raptors’ most important offensive player and the fourth overall pick are on the court with a negative interval, it will mean that the offense will continue to be uneven.
If the defense is forced to respect them from the outside, it will create more interior space for the cut-in and create more space for the cup. Five of the past six NBA champions are among the top five in the regular season (the only exception is the Lakers in the 2019-20 season, which allowed LeBron James to play a role in the playoffs). The Raptors seem to be making the decision to focus on the other side of the ball, choosing ultra-flexible and convertible defenders, which will cause them to become a threat to the transitional offense, but may stagnate at halftime. If we know one thing, to get playing time under Nick Nurse, you have to be in his good defensive book-see Patrick McCaw, about anything in the Raptors Healthy all the time. There is a way for the Raptors to become a very tough and interesting defensive team. We should expect a lot of steals from Siakam and Barnes to grab rebounds and speed up the pace. VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. and Malachi Flynn will have plenty of opportunities for transition and three-pointers. But when it really comes down to it and the game slows down, in the late game and in the hope of the playoffs, they may try to initiate a half-time action. No one said that this is the wrong blueprint, but it means that the usual problems of the post-championship season may continue into the 2021-22 season.
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