The Toronto Raptors are coming off an impressive season in which they outperformed expectations. The Raptors ended the season on a hot streak and finished with a 48-34 record. Unfortunately, the squad was unable to make any noise in the playoffs and was knocked out in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers. Masai Ujiri continued to be the voice of reason and reinforced the message that Toronto is still in the building process.

Via RealGM:

“We still preach patience and growth here. I know with how the results came at the end of the season. I know the expectations now become day-to-day; I understand that from a fan perspective or media perspective. It’s win now. But we’re thinking about the long game here.”

The Raptors president went on to speak about his faith in the core of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes. While it is still to be determined if any of these players are capable of becoming a contending team’s No. 1 option, that is not a question that needs to be answered today.

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Why Masai Ujiri is right to preach patience with Raptors roster

Scottie Barnes is the timeline

The Raptors have a variety of players with exciting long-term potential, but Scottie Barnes possesses the highest ceiling. The Rookie of the Year is a versatile basketball player who competes every second he is on the court. Across 74 games this season, Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. He is capable of defending all five positions on the court and makes a positive defensive impact all over the place. The youngster also deserves a ton of credit for returning to the playoff series after an ugly-looking ankle sprain in Game 1.

While he certainly cannot do it alone, Barnes should be at the center of the Raptors' future plans. As great as he has already been, the 20-year-old still has plenty of developing to do. The Florida State product is a perfect stylistic fit in today’s game and also matches the Raptors' culture greatly. A true championship run centered around Scottie Barnes is still several years down the line. Even given the success this season, moving this competitive timeline up does not make sense for the franchise. As exciting as he already is, Scottie Barnes is sure to be a remarkably improved player just a few years down the line.

The identity has been established

Players come and go, but creating an organizational culture that lasts is a much more difficult task. The Raptors are ahead of the game in this regard already. It is clear Toronto has built its identity on hard-nosed defense and a switchable defensive scheme. While they likely will create a more well-rounded roster when the time to compete arrives, the Raptors stuck strongly to this principle this season.

Toronto built a roster with 11 of its 17 players listed at between 6’7 and 6’9. Nick Nurse is a brilliant basketball mind and utilized this by wreaking havoc on the defensive end. The Raptors ranked second in the NBA in steals, second in offensive rebounds and second in opponent turnovers per game. The length and active hands the team possessed made them a nightmare to match up with for opponents.

Just about every player on the roster is also capable of handling the ball, which is a big plus. The Raptors take advantage of this by allowing whomever ends up with the ball to take it up the court. This increased the pace of play greatly, and Toronto ranked third in the NBA in transition points.

While the roster may not be fully complete (still need more offense), the identity the Raptors have worked to build is not one that should be thrown away. Defense becomes incredibly important in the postseason and this unique scheme has shown success. Thaddeus Young was the only Raptors player on the postseason roster above the age of 30. The roster held an average age of just 24.6 after the trade deadline. The fact of the matter is the Raptors were not expected to compete this year.

The success of the roster should be celebrated but does not change the organizational timeline. The Toronto Raptors have a bright long-term future that will be ready to compete when the time is right. Allowing the young core to continue to develop before making all-in moves is what is best suited for the franchise. President Masai Ujiri has a plan and is set on executing it. This is a comfort that should not be taken for granted when compared to many teams around the NBA.