Toronto
Raptors, despite losing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to free agency, closed
out the 2019-2020 regular season with the highest win percentage in franchise
history at .736. After Milwaukee Bucks, they had the second-best record in the
entire tournament. In a bid to defend their 2019 NBA title, the Raptors won 53 of
73 games in a coronavirus pandemic-curtailed season. However, their momentum
was cut short after failing to return to a successive Eastern Conference Final
by two possessions in a game seven second-round series loss to the Boston
Celtics.

And, despite
all their success, the club still awaits the respect that they deserve and are
longing for. The latest snub in their list was their omission from playing a
game on Christmas Day. December 25 is considered to be a magnanimous day for
the NBA and is usually reserved for the highest-profile teams and superstar
players.

And this is
where they lag, it seems.

Raptors do not
have big players – LeBron James, Zion Williamson, James Harden, or Jimmy Buttler
– in their ranks. Where they lack big names, they make up with their impeccable
game. As defending champions, the Raptors, last year, did get a slot on Christmas Day but
that short-run has ended.

With the end of
the 2020 NBA Draft, and the new season beckoning, Raptors have to make some
major changes to take the team to a greater pinnacle. From Pascal Siakam becoming
their star player to making Fred VanVleet a priority to finding their frontcourt
players and go on the offense.

Last season,
Raptors suffered on offense but dominated opponents with their defense, transitional
offense, fastbreak, and three-point shooting but they struggled to score
consistently in the halfcourt averaging only 111 points per 100 possessions.

It was visible
when the Raptors would go several minutes without scoring a basket. And if they
want to return to championship form, they will have to produce an improved
offense.

Siakam has been
on a meteoric rise since the Raptors drafted him 27th overall in 2016. His
2019/20 numbers were off the charts before the season shut down. And after
resumption, something was missing in him.

In 60 regular
season games, he averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and shot 35.9% on
three-point attempts. More worrying is the fact that in the 18 games he played
in the Florida bubble were significantly below the season average with 16.9
points, 6.8 rebounds, and 26.5% on his threes.

If Raptors want
to create a ripple in the event, the old Siakam, who improved over the last
three seasons going from seven to nearly 17 and then 23 points this past season,
has to make a return.

Head coach Nick
Nurse has to rely on assistant Chris Finch to devise the offense. In 2020, the
Raptors were first in fastbreak points and were first in possessions and points
in transition. They also averaged about 42 points a game from 14 three-pointers
made.

However, when
it came to high-efficiency shot attempts OG Anunoby had 45% of his field goals
attempted around three feet while centers Marc Gasol took only 12.5% of his
shots from that range and Serge Ibaka 24%. They were also 21st in the NBA
scoring points in the paint.

With
seven-footer Alex Len at their disposal, it will be a welcome sight if Finch
and Nurse work some low post plays into the offense. ‘Three and D’ might be the
next new thing, the game is witnessing, but the only way to win a game is by outscoring
your opponent.

Last season, OG
Anunoby was a dominant force for the Raptors, defensively. However, he often
leaves you wanting more offense from him.

He works
beautifully if the game comes to him, taking open threes when available but
often he is comfortable moving the ball by making the extra pass. Averaged 10.6
points on 8.2 shot attempts per game while connecting on 39% of his long-range
shots. It feels as if it time for him to take on a bigger role in the team’s
improved offense.