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Raptors 2016-17 Season Preview

In the rearview

The 2015-16 season was a special one for Raptors fans. The team came into training camp with high hopes and a defined goal of making it beyond the first round of the playoffs. Winning a franchise-best 56 games in the regular season and then making it to the Eastern Conference Finals and taking the eventual champion Cleveland Cavaliers to six games was above and beyond outside expectation, but a wild ride all the same.

Away from the floor, the Raptors unveiled a new practice facility, welcomed D-League team Raptors 905 into the fold, and also hosted All-Star weekend — the first time the event was held outside of the U.S. — where Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan represented the franchise. It was a season for the record books in more ways than one and it raised the bar for the season that’s ahead.

With a few departures and some new faces, there have been changes since a season ago. This is an inevitable in the world of professional sports. The 2015-16 Raptors team is much younger than it was a few months ago, with 10 players on the roster under the age of 25. There will be a steep learning curve and lots of lessons to be taught along the way, but the hope is that the continuity of the returning core will help Dwane Casey’s squad to keep building upon the blueprint he brought with him when he began his journey in Toronto six seasons ago.

Departures:

While the core of Toronto’s rotation remains intact, the Raptors get a lot younger this year. The departures of Luis Scola, Bismack Biyombo and James Johnson mean more opportunity for rookies and sophomore players on the roster. Johnson signed with the Miami Heat, Scola is in Brooklyn and Biyombo is now with the Orlando Magic. Of the three, it is Biyombo’s departure that will be felt the most. Despite only being with Toronto for a season, his energy and defensive timing were a large part of the success of Toronto’s second unit and also helped the team to close out some big victories down the stretch. Without him, everyone will need to be more alert defensively and guards will have to learn that they do not have Biyombo waiting behind them to clean up their mistakes.

Fresh Faces:

Jared Sullinger: The second biggest move of the offseason — after re-signing DeMar DeRozan — was the acquisition of Jared Sullinger. The 24-year-old comes to Toronto from Boston where he had the best showing in his four-year career last season. In 2015-16, Sullinger played in 81 games for the Celtics, averaging 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. In Toronto it appears that he will play alongside Jonas Valanciunas and the starting five, although his preseason was cut short because of a sore foot. Sullinger’s rebounding and scoring should provide an upgrade at the power forward position while taking pressure off Patrick Patterson who is expected to stay in his reserve role this season.

Sullinger received unfortunate news two days before the season tipped off when the team announced that he would undergo surgery to insert a screw into the fifth metatarsal of his left foot as a preventative measure to alleviate symptomatic stress reactions. After dealing with a sore foot since it was stepped on during Toronto’s first game of the preseason, it was decided that the surgery would take place and a timetable for his return was not given. One thing that is known: his absence to start the season means more minutes for Patrick Patterson and rookie Pascal Siakam.

Jakob Poeltl: Toronto drafted Jakob Poeltl from Utah with the ninth pick in the 2016 draft. The 21-year-old seven-footer has impressed the Raptors coaching staff throughout preseason with his maturity and poise. Thanks to the opening provided by Biyombo’s absence, there is an opportunity for the rookie to earn playing time this year, a rarity in Casey’s system. It is not often that rookies come into situations where there is immediate playing time available for a winning team. Although Poeltl has shown good footwork and a natural feel for the game, the transition to the NBA is usually difficult for rookie big men as they adjust to playing against much bigger and stronger opponents each night. Poeltl has said things seem to get a bit easier for him each time he steps onto the floor, but it would be wise to remember he’s got a year of learning and gaining experiences ahead.

Pascal Siakam: The Raptors used their 27th pick on forward Pascal Siakam from New Mexico State. A relatively unknown name on draft night, the Cameroon native has made a big impression in Toronto since being drafted in June. The 6-foot-9 Siakam was tagged for his relentless motor in pre-draft evaluations and it’s easy to see why. The 22-year-old is extremely active and uses his athleticism and speed well. Although he was expected to try to earn playing time behind his veteran teammates, Siakam has slid into the starting lineup for much of the preseason with Sullinger sidelined by a sore foot. If Sullinger is unable to play on opening night, expect Siakam to open the season in the starting five.

With Sullinger undergoing surgery to have a screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal of his left foot as a preventative measure to alleviate symptomatic stress reactions, Siakam’s role looks quite a bit larger than he was likely envisioning when reheard his name called on June 23rd. Although Patrick Patterson is likely to see his minutes and role increase, there is a chance Dwane Casey continues to keep him with the reserve lineup he likes so much, meaning Siakam could open the season alongside the starting five. Finding success in the NBA can sometimes be as simple as being in the right situation at the right time and taking advantage of the opportunity when your name is called. It appears Siakam’s opportunity is arriving a bit ahead of schedule.

Fred VanVleet: rookie Fred VanVleet earned Toronto’s 15th roster spot after a thoroughly impressive preseason audition. A four-year senior from Wichita State, VanVleet went undrafted in June, but remained undeterred. Since joining the Raptors for Las Vegas Summer League, the 6-foot point guard has shown his ability to run a team, score the ball, and perhaps most importantly for a third-string point guard, remain calm when he’s thrown into the fire and his name gets called. To get a better feel for the type of competitor and worker that VanVleet is, consider that he has become fast friends with sophomore stud Norman Powell. The two are daily members to the arrive early and stay late at the gym club, with each player feeling he has plenty to prove. VanVleet earning the 15th spot wasn’t surprising despite Toronto’s depth at point guard because he was that impressive throughout camp and preseason.

Business as usual:

The single biggest reason for optimism surrounding the Raptors is the return of their core. Beginning with the re-signing of DeMar DeRozan minutes after the free agency signing period opened, the Raptors will bring back Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross and Patrick Patterson, players who have all played with one another for multiple seasons. Last season’s star sixth man, Cory Joseph is back, along with Norman Powell, Bruno Caboclo, Delon Wright and Lucas Nogueira. Wright begins this season on the injured list after having shoulder surgery in the offseason. Nogueira rolled his ankle in Toronto’s preseason finale against the Washington Wizards, but after a strong effort throughout October had been poised to be the first big off the bench this season. After struggling to find solid minutes in his previous two years with Toronto, the 24-year-old is anxious to prove he deserves to be in the rotation. Like Nogueira, there is a big opportunity for Powell this year. After moving from the bench to the D-League and back again before sliding into the rotation during the postseason, Powell is focused on earning the coaching staff’s trust on a nightly basis. He spent his offseason in the gym, refusing to be satisfied with a very successful rookie campaign.

X-Factor:

Although he isn’t a new acquisition, adding a healthy DeMarre Carroll to the mix feels like an offseason acquisition. In Dwane Casey’s eyes, a healthy Carroll is equivalent to a key offseason signing. After Carroll signed with Toronto a summer ago, he spent his first year with the Raptors dealing with injury after injury while still doing his best to leave everything on the floor. Thanks to a summer of prescribed rest and rehab, Carroll looks like he’s back to form. His presence on both ends of the floor should be a huge boost for a Raptors team that managed to pull off 56 wins a season ago despite Carroll being limited to just 26 appearances. Carroll’s ability to hit the three and stretch the floor —opening things up for Lowry and DeRozan — would be huge, and his defensive abilities on the perimeter become even more important with the aforementioned departure of Biyombo. At 30 years of age, Carroll joins Lowry as the oldest player on the team. His leadership and experience will extend beyond the floor and into the locker room with younger teammates this season.

Added motivation:

It would have been entirely understandable had DeRozan and Lowry elected to keep their summers low-key, getting much deserved rest and downtime after leading the Raptors to their best season in franchise history. Instead the duo took their talents to Rio where they represented the U.S. National team in the Olympics, bringing gold medals back home with them. Both players received rave reviews from the coaching staff, with Lowry being heralded as one of the most impressive players on the team on both ends of the floor. Getting to spend more than a month of the offseason training and preparing alongside the NBA’s best talent, while being coached by a collection of some of the brightest minds in basketball can be a transformative opportunity. Not only do you have the chance daily to learn from those around you, but being around players who have reached the level of success you’re still striving to achieve is a special kind of motivation. After stellar All-Star seasons a year ago, Lowry and DeRozan were guaranteed to return to Toronto hungry for more. After the Olympics experience the two besties shared in Rio, that hunger has only intensified.