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Even with Kawhi Leonard's departure after their NBA championship in 2019, coach Nick Nurse propelled the Toronto Raptors to a second round appearance in the NBA Playoffs in the following campaign. Due to playing all their home games in Tampa, Florida last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was inevitable for the Raptors to have a tough time adjusting and eventually failed to reach the postseason. But now, back on their home floor, the Raptors have catapulted themselves to serious consideration once again.
Fred VanVleet is the first undrafted player to be named as an All-Star since Ben Wallace in 2006. Pascal Siakam has regained his form after missing the first month of the season because of shoulder surgery. Scottie Barnes was a jackpot draft selection. Getting Gary Trent Jr. for Norman Powell is looking like a massive win. OG Anunoby and Chris Boucher remain to be consistent contributors. All of these have contributed to the Raptors' rise in the Eastern Conference.
But as the second half of the season approaches, there are still some looming questions for the Raptors.
3 burning questions for Raptors after 2022 All-Star break
3. Are the starters going to run out of steam?
All the starters are in the top 15 in average minutes played in the league this season. Nurse decided to deploy this strategy around a month ago and it has reaped dividends as the Raptors went on a terrific stretch, highlighted by an eight-game winning streak. Trent has been scorching hot with his outside shooting and Siakam has elevated his production to one of the most effective forwards over the past two months.
There is, however, some cause for concern on the Raptors' core getting exhausted in April or May. They could clinch a play-in berth at the very least, but the hope is for their starters to still be 100% and not lose energy at that juncture of the season. Other possible play-in contenders like the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets have a deeper bench than the Raptors, and that could be a crucial advantage for opponents. To recall, the Raptors' championship squad in 2019 had incredible second unit guys like Powell, VanVleet, and Serge Ibaka.
2. Is the shooting enough?
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For a team that has a ton of length and versatility on all positions, the Raptors must still have that reliable outside shooting to space the floor for guys like Siakam and Anunoby. VanVleet and Trent have been converting a combined seven three-pointers a game on over 39% accuracy, but the next player on the list is sparingly used Yuta Watanabe, who has an 35.6% clip from deep.
Siakam has shown his ability to create offense as a point forward, while Barnes possesses the ability to body through some of the other wings in the league. Even with these huge improvements on their arsenal, this would be more effective if their teammates could convert those kick-out three-pointers. The three-headed monster of Siakam, Anunoby, and Barnes would have less space to maneuver if defenses shrink the floor and force them to consistently make outside shots.
1. Will the lack of star power come back to bite them?
Nurse is known to flourish as a coach that predicates his success on teamwork and blossoming unheralded players. He has been successful with guys like VanVleet and Anunoby or even someone like Boucher. Even with their spectacular success, one could argue that the Raptors will not have the best player in any series in the NBA Playoffs except maybe when they battle the Cleveland Cavaliers. VanVleet and Siakam are All-Stars but they have not proven to reach superstar status just yet.
Even with a united roster, the team with the best player in a seven-game series has a much higher probability of advancing. For instance, Leonard stamped his legendary talent in their 2019 run over all their opponents in all four rounds of the postseason. That seems to be the lacking factor in the current Raptors, but it would not be surprising as well if someone would suddenly step up and grab the responsibility.
When push comes to shove, the Raptors may not have that go-to-guy to manufacture shots in the clutch and Nurse must search for plausible contingencies in mitigating their glaring weaknesses and possibly surprise the NBA pundits after the All-Star break.
