2017–18 NBA Season Preview: Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri entered this summer forced to make one of the biggest decisions he has ever made — whether to re-up with Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka and continue to compete for a conference title, or move forward without them and rebuild. He ultimately opted to re-sign Lowry and Ibaka, while tweaking much of their supporting cast.
Offseason Moves
Re-signed: Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka
Added: CJ Miles (sign-and-trade)
Lost: Cory Joseph (sign-and-trade), DeMarre Carroll (Trade), Patrick Patterson (Free Agency), PJ Tucker (Free Agency)
Bringing back Lowry and Ibaka is reasonable, although what they should have done is blown it up last winter. They’re going to be a very solid team, but have no real chance of challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers, or even the much-improved Boston Celtics. Lowry and fellow backcourt star DeMar DeRozan have continued to disappoint come playoffs time, and there’s no reason to expect either of them to improve when the pressure is on. They traded Carroll and a first-round pick to Brooklyn to save money, which was a smart forward-thinking move. Miles was a very good replacement for Carroll thanks to his shooting ability. Tucker leaving is a tough one to swallow, but the Rockets gave him more money than he is worth. The biggest mistakes, though, were not re-signing Patterson, who took a very cheap deal with Oklahoma City, and not finding a new home for Jonas Valanciunas, a bigman with an outdated skillset. Patterson’s ability to space the floor is very valuable, and a small-ball starting lineup with Lowry, DeRozan, Miles, Patterson and Ibaka would be very versatile, and even more interesting to watch.
The Key to Their Success
If the Raptors want any chance at competing for a Finals berth, Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan must become a superstar. It’s extremely unlikely, but that is what it’ll take. It’s hard to see either of them reaching a new level, as Lowry will turn 32 next March, and DeRozan lacks three point-shooting ability.
Player to Watch
If the Raptors get off to a rocky start to the season, they should look to pull off a giant rebuild — starting with moving DeMar DeRozan. If they can’t compete with the Cavs and Celtics, there’s no use in hanging onto their big-name players until their value drops. Trading DeRozan will be much easier if third-year guard Norman Powell, a second-round steal, can become more than just a spark plug scorer off the bench. If he can show versatility and the potential to be a high-end starter on the wing, a DeRozan trade would make much more sense. He played in limited minutes last season, but averaged 16.8 points per 36 minutes — a good starting point for someone of his age and experience level, but with lots of room for improvement.
Best and Worst Case Scenario
Best case: Lowry and DeRozan show up in the playoffs, and the Raptors prove to be a formidable opponent for anyone in the East. They don’t get to the NBA Finals, but they get close to it.
Worst case: The whole team disappoints, Lowry, Ibaka and DeRozan regress, their trade value drops, and the Raptors trade a few of them for forty cents on the dollar.
Predicting Their Fate
This year’s Raptors roster is constructed somewhat differently compared usual, but the result won’t be — the Raptors will be a good regular season team and get destroyed by LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the postseason.
