The Raptors went all in last season, making bold in-season moves to add Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker to make a run at the Eastern Conference crown. Despite finishing 51-31, an injury to Kyle Lowry sub-marined their postseason, as they were swept by the Cavs in the playoffs. This season they bring back their core, hoping to continue their regular season success into the postseason.
> One Team, One Stat: Raptors not much for sharing
> 30 Teams in 30 Days: Raptors’ veteran core ready to roll again
> DA’s Offseason Rankings: Toronto is No. 10
> Raptors buy into new pass-happy offense
ICYMI
Re-signed Kyle Lowry to a reported three-year deal … Signed Serge Ibaka to a three-year deal … Traded DeMarre Carroll along with Draft picks to Brooklyn to clear cap space … Cory Joseph was traded to Indiana … Added former Pacers swingman C.J. Miles in free agency … Drafted swingman O.G. Anunoby, who is recovering from a knee injury …
THREE POINTS
1. At this point, we know what kind of team the Toronto Raptors are. They are a very good offensive team and a pretty good defensive team who don’t play with much pace. They can beat most teams on most nights. But how do they get good enough to get past Cleveland and now perhaps Boston in the Eastern Conference hierarchy?
2. In a league embracing pace and space, the Raptors are something of a throwback. They finished last season with a 97.11 pace rating, tied for 22nd in the NBA. They were also bottom ten in three-pointers attempted (24.3 per game), but top ten in free throw attempts (24.7 per game).
3. While keeping their core together, the Raptors will still see some roster turnover, as they are without several players who have been key contributors (Carroll, Tucker, Patrick Patterson) and provided depth, particularly on the defensive end.
MAN ON THE SPOT
After several years of terrific performances, last season was DeMar DeRozan’s breakout season. After signing a long-term extension, the 28-year-old DeRozan averaged a career-best 27.3 points per game, and was named third-team All-NBA for the first time in his career. But DeRozan shot just 26 percent on 3-pointers, and his ability to improve from long range could open up the Toronto offense in new ways this season.
STARTING FIVE
Kyle Lowry | 22.4 ppg | 4.8 rpg | 7.0 apg
Made his third All-Star team last season, but injuries late in the season were crushing.
DeMar DeRozan | 27.3 ppg | 5.2 rpg | 3.9 apg
DeRozan was fifth in the NBA last season at 8.7 free throw attempts per game.
C.J. Miles | 10.7 ppg | 3.0 rpg | 0.6 apg
Shot a career-high 41.3 percent on threes last season with Indiana.
Serge Ibaka | 14.8 ppg | 6.8 rpg | 0.9 apg
Averaged his fewest blocks per game since his rookie season.
Jonas Valanciunas | 12 ppg | 9.5 rpg | 0.7 apg
The 25-year-old played in 80 games and averaged a career-high on the boards.
KEY RESERVES
Norman Powell | 8.4 ppg | 2.2 rpg | 1.1 apg
The 24-year-old fan favorite is one of Toronto’s most important role players.
Delon Wright | 5.6 ppg | 1.8 rpg | 2.1 apg
Former first round pick Wright stepped up last season in Lowry’s absence.
Jakob Poeltl | 3.1 ppg | 3.1 rpg | 0.2 apg
Former lottery pick will be expected to contribute more regularly this season.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Raptors should be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference just based on talent and institutional knowledge alone. But with four straight postseason appearances in the rear-view mirror, expectations have been raised. For a franchise that has made just one appearance in the conference finals, there are still goals to be reached.
Lang Whitaker has covered the NBA since 1998. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here or follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.