The Toronto Raptors are one of the more fascinating teams in the NBA because they are only a few players away from potentially competing for an NBA title. They don't have a lot of depth on their team, and they lack talent outside of their two stars and a few role players.

While struggling with some health difficulties this season, the Raptors have been able to play relatively good basketball recently despite lacking skill in some areas of their roster.

The Raptors' two best players are without a doubt Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. This isn't a criticism of the rest of their team; as they have a number of players that have the potential to be outstanding NBA players in the near future. The fact is that both Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are two of the top players in the NBA, and have a good case for All-Star consideration this season. Despite the fact that those two players are two of the best in the NBA, they still have some other guys who have stepped up to play a key part for them this season and have helped them remain afloat in the Eastern Conference with a 22-22 record despite many injuries and challenges.

Let's take a look at the three biggest unsung heroes of this Toronto Raptors team.

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Raptors Unsung Heroes 2022

3. Scottie Barnes

Scottie Barnes was drafted last season, and everyone thought the Raptors made a mistake by selecting him. Many people thought Jalen Suggs should have been the guy Toronto selected with the 4th overall selection in the 2021 draft. Clearly, whatever the front office in Toronto saw in Scottie Barnes was the right decision, since this kid has been fantastic for them and is somehow going under the radar in the NBA.

The twenty-year-talent old's talent is undeniable, and he deserves more recognition than he is presently receiving since he excels at everything he does on the basketball court, including defending at a high level.

Barnes has a strong chance of winning rookie of the year, but for some reason, he continues to fly under the radar in terms of the recognition he receives from his peers. As a twenty-year-old rookie, he's averaging 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds a game while playing 35 minutes per night.

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Scottie Barnes is only scratching the surface of how good he can be in the future. If he wasn't on this Raptors team, they would not have found nearly as much success as they have this season.

2. Chris Boucher

Chris Boucher has been one of the Raptors' players that simply goes out and plays hard. He's virtually everything a championship-caliber team would want on their roster, and he's made a significant contribution to their team that few other players can.

Boucher is averaging 9.3 points, 6 rebounds, and has a top 50 PER in the NBA this season. Although he isn't exactly filling up stat sheets, he has been one of those guys that plays high-level defense, which is something the Raptors love.

It is obvious that if you do not defend at a high level, head coach Nick Nurse will not give you the minutes you desire since he is a defensive-minded coach who believes that games are won on the defensive side of the ball, which he is quite accurate about.

1. OG Anunoby

OG Anunoby hasn't been able to play as much as he had hoped for this season, but he has returned and performed better than most expected.

He is currently averaging 18.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He has been a scoring threat for this Raptors squad, and he has significantly aided their offense on occasions when they have struggled. Anunoby is another one of those players who can defend at a high level, and at 6'7, Anunoby is someone the Raptors would love to keep on their roster for a long time.

He isn't the type of player that will dazzle you with his stats or style of play, but he goes out there and puts in the effort for this team, and he will do everything he can to help the Raptors win.

With the trade deadline approaching, it will be interesting to watch what moves the Raptors make, because if they bring back the right players, they may be a team capable of winning an NBA championship. They have several key role players as well as two stars, they may want to acquire another starter to strengthen their case for a championship.

Toronto has some talent on their roster and they have to make sure they make the right moves for their future.