The National Basketball Association begins next week, and it is once again time to preview every NBA franchise. I will be covering the teams in the Eastern Conference and my colleague, Joel Beatton, will feature teams in the Western Conference. Today we are featuring the Toronto Raptors.
Key Acquisitions
The Raptors now have a World Cup champion on their roster. On July 12, 2023, they signed Dennis Schroder of Braunschweig, Germany to a two-year deal worth $26 million. Schroder was instrumental in leading Germany to a stunning gold medal in the summer in the Phillippines. Last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 12.6 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, and 2.5 rebounds per game, and had a field goal percentage of .415, a three-point percentage of .329, and a free throw percentage of .857. Schroder is joining his sixth NBA franchise. He has also played with the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets. Schroeder has been known for his consistency. Over the last nine seasons, he has averaged a minimum of 10 points per game, including a career-high 19.4 points per game with the Hawks in 2017-18.
The Raptors also have a new coach this season. Darko Rajakovic of Cacak, Serbia replaces Nick Nurse, who is now coaching Philadelphia. Rajakovic was an assistant coach the last decade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies.
Fantasy Star
Pascal Siakam of Douala, Cameroon is seventh among centers and 10th among power forwards in fantasy basketball. Last season he averaged 24.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, 5.8 assists per game, and had a field goal percentage of .480, three-point percentage of .324 and free throw percentage of .774. Siakam had a career-high in points and assists in 2022-23. Where Siakam has significant value is the fact he is a workhorse. He led the NBA last season with 37.4 minutes per game, after leading the NBA in 2021-22 with 37.9 minutes per game. However, Siakam may not be with the Raptors all season. He has been involved in trade rumours for the last while.
Projected Finish
The Raptors have the potential of making the postseason, even though it is highly unlikely they will be among the top two teams in the Atlantic Division. It is very conceivable that the Raptors could be around the .500 mark and still be last in the division. Toronto may get into the play-in tournament, and once they get there, they could have some success. The Miami Heat went from the play-in tournament all the way to the NBA Finals last year.
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