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NBA Power Rankings Week 1: Lakers woes and other first impressions

By Josh Cornelissen

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 12: LeBron James #6 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers on the basketball court together during the second half of a preseason basketball game against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on October 12, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 12: LeBron James #6 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers on the basketball court together during the second half of a preseason basketball game against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on October 12, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images /

1-2. Previous: 20th. Toronto Raptors. 23. team. 81.

Last Week: (L) to Washington, (W) over Boston, (L) to Dallas

There was optimism that this season the Toronto Raptors would bounce back to being a clear playoff team, that the chaos of the Raptors’ season a year ago (from playing home games in Tampa to COVID outbreaks) would fade as Nick Nurse and the Raptors took up the winning torch again.

Instead, it’s been a rocky start for the Raptors, who laid the smackdown on the Celtics but lost to a theoretically worse Washington team and to a Dallas Mavericks team that looked terrible itself against the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the week. Their defense has been solid with a collection of long, strong defenders, but this team misses Pascal Siakam, still out recovering from an injury.

First Impression: OG Anunoby is not having a breakout year. Obviously, there is plenty of time for that to turn around, but for now a preseason favorite for “Most Improved Player” has been a pretty poor offensive player. He is scoring 16 points per game but needs 16.7 field goal attempts to get there, shooting just 32 percent from the field. In the team’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks, he essentially disappeared offensively down the stretch. The Raptors are putting the ball in his hands and giving him the opportunity to develop into that player, but so far he’s been a wild mess trying to score.