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Toronto Raptors: 2016-17 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 1, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) and guard DeMar DeRozan (10) look on during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Toronto beat Memphis 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) and guard DeMar DeRozan (10) look on during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Toronto beat Memphis 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Raptors
Mar 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (7) talks with forward Patrick Patterson (54) and guard DeMar DeRozan (10) and guard Norman Powell (24) and forward Jason Thompson (1) during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Air Canada Centre. The Bulls beat the Raptors 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Predictions

Lowry and DeRozan will have a hard time building on career years in 2015-16, but they’ll still be All-Star caliber point guards who run the show in Toronto and lead a very successful playoff outfit back to the East’s No. 2 seed.

Valanciunas won’t have the breakout season we’ve been waiting for, but he’ll put up around 13 and 10 per game. Meanwhile, Carroll staying healthy helps overshadow some slight regression from Toronto’s backcourt duo.

Terrence Ross fails to take the next step forward, but Norman Powell rises to the occasion, Jakob Poeltl contributes in his limited action off the bench and Dwane Casey somehow manages to make that Sullinger-JV frontcourt duo passable on the defensive end.

With Toronto gobbling up rebounds and the backcourt doing their thing, the Raptors win about 53 games and make it to the second round of the playoffs before falling to a Celtics team peaking at the right time.

Next: 2016-17 Win Projections For All 30 NBA Teams

Because Ujiri is unable to swing a trade for a star power forward, the franchise faces some tough decisions about Lowry’s next contract and what path this franchise needs to take in order to seriously challenge Cleveland and Boston in the East.

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