After what I consider to have been a very successful summer for the Toronto Raptors, the time has finally arrived to start looking ahead to their upcoming season.
The last few months have flown by quickly, with plenty of news, notes, trades, and signings to help move the time along. However, it seems like it has been a while since we last heard from the members of Toronto’s NBA squad.
More from Toronto Raptors
- NBA Trades: 10 Pascal Siakam deals the Raptors must consider
- Grade the Trade: Warriors become title-favs in proposed deal with Raptors
- NBA Trades: Memphis bolsters their roster in this deal with Toronto
- NBA Trades: This Pelicans-Raptors deal would send a star to the Big Easy
- 3 NBA teams facing do-or-die 2023–2024 seasons
This will all change on Monday, Sept. 29, when the team will hold its annual media day in advance of training camp.
I’m sure the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry will have a lot to say about the expectations for this team as well as what has been written and said.
Until then, here are three quick thoughts.
Is 47 wins a good prediction?
In my season preview, I predicted 47 wins for the Raptors in 2014-15, which would actually be a slight dip from last season when they won a franchise-best 48 games.
At the same time, I also said that they are essentially a lock to repeat as Atlantic Division champions and that the prospects of going deep in the playoffs are very real.
I still think it’s a good prediction. To expand on the idea, though, I see that number as the middle ground between 42 and 52 wins.
Not that 42 victories would be a worse-case scenario — it would still result in a postseason berth — but it would definitely be a step back.
Furthermore, the Raptors would have very little chance of securing home-court advantage in the playoffs under those circumstances.
The more likely scenario of the two, is that the Raptors surpass my expectations and make the leap to 50-win territory.
What makes me hesitate to commit to that outcome, though, is that in addition to the Raptors, there are a handful of teams (Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, and Charlotte) who will also be competing for the top three seeds in the East.
What I just can’t foresee is all of those teams reaching the 50-win plateau, especially considering that only two teams in the Eastern Conference in 2013-14 accomplished that feat, those being Miami and Indiana.
All of this is to say, that improved internal competition in the conference may drag down win totals a bit.
However, if a scenario unfolds where only two teams record 50+ wins, there is no reason to rule the raptors out of that equation
What will be the key to success?
Perhaps the biggest factor working in favor of the Raptors this year will be their depth. While some may argue that management didn’t go far enough to upgrade the talent on the roster this summer, that logic is slightly flawed.
In particular, USA Today predicted only 42 wins for the Raptors this season and also pointed to the acquisition of Louis Williams as the team’s biggest offseason move.
While the addition of Williams, a shooting guard who will provide scoring punch off the bench, does actually bring something more to the table, I wouldn’t say that was the high mark for the summer.
The fact deals were reached with Lowry as well as Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson is really what this offseason was about for the Raptors.
Obviously those three players were a major part of the team’s success last season, but there was no guarantee that any of them would return.
Even the signing of James Johnson should have more of an impact than some may realize. As a rugged 6’9″, 245-pound forward, he will bring much-needed defense and toughness on a nightly basis.
The Raptors are also at least two deep at each position, with their second unit perhaps rivaling the starting lineups of other teams in the East and possibly some in the Western Conference too.
Not only will the Raptors have players capable of stepping into a starting role if necessary, when healthy they should also have the luxury of spreading around the minutes and keeping guys fresh and healthy as the season wears on.
How far can they go?
As I have eluded to above, I think the Raptors have a chance to do something special this year.
Getting as far as the conference final is certainly not out of the question, but it might be a step or two ahead of an appropriate forecast.
I think the measure for success this season would be advancing beyond the first round and anything on top of that would be icing on the cake.
Perhaps the players will beg to differ.
Either way, in less than a week, we will finally get to hear what they think of all of this.