The Toronto Raptors had a pretty good 2021-22 NBA season. They finished with the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference and were competitive against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Looking ahead to the 2022-23 NBA season, they do have some questions they have to face as they enter training camp.
The Raptors had an interesting offseason that should enable them to remain in contention next season. Getting Otto Porter Jr. from the Golden State Warriors was crucial, as he provides much-needed shooting while smoothly integrating into the Raptors' positionless framework. Chris Boucher and Thaddeus Young are also good returnees, while rookie Christian Koloko might cover some big-man minutes during the regular-season grind.
Toronto's offseason additions didn't exactly blow anybody away, but they kept the majority of their youthful, intriguing core.
Given this context, here are four of the hottest burning questions facing the Toronto Raptors entering their 2022-23 NBA training camp.
4. Will Gary Trent Jr. be part of Raptors' starting lineup?
Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Gary Trent Jr. started 22 games together last season. In those contests, the Raptors were 15-7, which included Game 1 of the playoffs. However, the team also recorded a net rating of just 0.5 points per 100 possessions in 345 total minutes throughout the regular season, according to NBA.com. That barely outperformed their opponents, with the defense significantly outperforming the offense.
Found an old digital camera and figured y’all would want to see Gary pic.twitter.com/hDyPL50NVB
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) September 26, 2022
If Nick Nurse will improve that starting five, Trent could be the odd man out. The Raptors' “core four” will likely be set in stone, which means someone like Precious Achiuwa or even Porter could potentially slide into the starting five in place of Trent.
This may not be the worst thing for Trent, though. More minutes in other units should allow him to broaden his offensive game. That would put the ball in his hands a little more than when he's with the team's three primary playmakers.
3. Will Christian Koloko make any immediate impact?
Christian Koloko was selected with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Raptors want him to be an impactful starter in the future, and there is little doubt about that. On the flip side, Masai Ujiri and GM Bobby Webster have hinted that Koloko would spend most of his rookie year in Mississauga with the Raptors 905 G League team.
Over the summer, Koloko did flash some degree of brilliance. During Summer League, in fact, he was completely dominating on defense, though there were some rough edges on offense that need to be smoothed out. His performance for Raptors 905 should reveal a lot about how far he has progressed. As of now, Khem Birch is the Raptors' backup center, but if Koloko proves he can handle himself at the elite NBA level, the Raptors will likely bump him up sooner rather than later.
2. Will Nick Nurse change anything with Raptors' offense?
Before the regular season, the Raptors will likely not change much in terms of their offensive schematics. Nick Nurse did mention at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, however, that his team had drifted a bit too far from his preferred shooting spectrum for his comfort. He also added that this was a result of additional focus on defense while being content with getting an okay shot after laboring on offense.
To wit, more than 29 percent of Pascal Siakam's shots were from between 10 feet and the 3-point line. Trent's own shots weren't much different. The Raptors were also 27th in both effective shooting percentage and true shooting percentage. They beat out only Orlando, Oklahoma City, and Detroit. In terms of analytics, the Raptors won a big number of games by dominating the possession battle, not necessarily by outshooting their opponents.
They should sustain this, of course. The Raptors should continue to dominate the offensive glass and continue to force a ton of turnovers. Both should remain important elements of their collective identity. However, if they can improve their half-court offensive efficiency, they can transform from an average-to-good offense into a genuinely elite one.
1. Will Scottie Barnes be super in 2022-23?
We can rephrase or measure this in a few ways. How far has Scottie Barnes progressed throughout the offseason? Has he buffed up? What did he fine-tune or overhaul this summer? Did he add anything new to his game?
Basically, has he done anything to ensure he will make a big leap in Year 2?
Keep in mind that Scottie Barnes earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2021-22, displaying outstanding multipositional defense and even a few spurts of respectable outside shooting. In fact, he hit 37.5 percent from 3-point range in February.
His most fascinating ability, though, was kept under wraps last season. Recall that during his lone season at Florida State, Barnes was practically a point guard. If Nurse & Co. can unlock Barnes' point forward potential, that should take him (and the team) to the next level.
Giving him more on-ball and playmaking opportunities can also make Fred VanVleet's life simpler by giving him more catch-and-shoot possibilities. It may also compel opponents to devote their best perimeter defenders on Barnes, giving his other teammates even better matchups.
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