Coming off of last year’s championship season, big things were expected from this Raptors team when the season commenced. Last year was incredible with bringing the championship to Canada and making history. That team was truly unified, and their sense of togetherness was unmatched by any other team, thus, they managed to bring the title home to Toronto. This season the Raptors finished with a record of 53-19 for second in the Eastern conference, another successful campaign in the books. Now as with hockey, the Raptors season was cut in two because of the coronavirus pandemic. When the Raptors returned after the long layoff, they played well and had one of the best records in the bubble pre playoffs. They were 7-1 and looked to be a force heading into the postseason. The team’s that I honestly thought we had trouble with during the season were the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, one of which we would run into later on.
Throughout the season our dynamic duo of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet was a force to be reckoned with, establishing themselves as one of the best backcourts in the game today. Our bench was good with Norman Powell and Chris Boucher, further supplementing our depth at the position. Serge Ibaka provided us with valuable minutes at the big spot with his rim protection and scoring ability. OG Anunoby continued his upward trend as a swiss army knife type of player who could step in when called upon and provide scoring and defence. His ascendence this season was a big reason why the absence of Kawhi Leonard was not felt as much to the team’s overall performance. Pascal Siakam emerged as a number one option for the Raps, and he became an unstoppable force on many nights as the Raptors reeled off victory after victory. Unfortunately, all this regular-season success did not translate into a repeat championship. Furthermore, because of the Covid-19 pandemic pause, I feel like the Raptors lost a step and their rhythm once they went deeper into the playoffs. Although they were good upon return to play, some players did not look the same as they did before the break. Pascal Siakam in particular and Terrence Davis the standout rookie took a step backwards. These subpar performances from those two and Marc Gasol played a big role in why the Raptors got bounced in the second round to the Celtics. Although, with Marc Gasol, it could have been because of his age and with Pascal and Davis probably conditioning, timing, rhythm etc…. something was off and the team as a whole suffered as a result. No excuses though really, as every team had to go through this break in play.
When the Raptors started the postseason nobody expected the Brooklyn Nets to give them any trouble, especially with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving sidelined. This was the case as the Raptors dispatched them in four games with relative ease. Next, the Raptors moved on to face the Boston Celtics, this match up worried me for several reasons. First of all, the Celtics had the Raptors number all season and every time we played them and the Miami Heat, there were problems. Boston played just as tough as the Raptors all season. They had emerging stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown which are a handful for any team to contain. Kemba Walker was always a threat and who expected Marcus Smart to be as effective a player as he was against the Raptors. As the series started the Raptors got themselves in a hole early going down 0-2. When this happened, I had a bad feeling about their chances of coming out of this series. As has been their trademark though all season, the Raptors fought back and won game 3 to make this a challenge for Boston, although going down early 0-2 really hurt them as this round continued. Raptors evened up the series in game 4 with a victory, keep in mind the Raptors scraped out wins without Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol playing well which spoke volumes about the team’s heart. One criticism I had of Nick Nurse throughout these playoffs was that he did not go to the second unit enough, and benched key players at critical times in the game. Our bench was a major strength all season, and in my opinion, they were underutilized. The Raptors spent so much energy in games 3 and 4 to just tie the series that they were gassed by the time it got to games 5, 6, and 7. That was a big reason why the outcome was what it was. Something else that contributed to the Raptors downfall in this series was the play of Daniel Thies (Boston Celtics big) who was the best big on the floor in most of the games. Raptors had no answer for Theis and could not slow him down. With Serge Ibaka on the Raptors that cannot happen, Ibaka needed to play more to help the Raptors chances of winning. Ibaka also needed to be better than he was and especially Marc Gasol who was a non-factor all series. As a result of the Raptors having to fight so hard to just come back in the series, Boston seemed to have the upper hand throughout. They took game 5 and the Raptors came back to take game 6 and tie it again. It was an entertaining series, that much I will say.
All series it felt like the Raptors were hanging on and trying to come back. They never felt in control at any point. This is why I was not optimistic about their chances of advancing. Once game 7 came around you got the sense the Raptors had no energy left. There was not any purpose to their game and the Celtics jumped all over them. Raptors starters could not hit a shot most of the game and they had so many turnovers, it is a miracle they were not blown out. For the record, the Boston Celtics did not play well either and that is what made the result that much more frustrating. After the loss, you just felt that if the Raptors played a normal game with fewer mistakes they would have come out on top.
Having said all of this, the Raptors have had a heck of a ride the last two seasons winning the championship and pushing Boston to the brink in game 7. Fans of this team have to be proud of the fight and heart they have shown us. Heart of a champion is a real thing and the Raptors displayed that in game 3 when they were seconds away from losing but an OG shot kept their season alive. That shot is right up there with the Kawhi shot as one of the greatest shots in Raptors playoff history. It really was incredible to witness and the aftermath was intense full of Euphoria/happiness. At the end of the series, the Raptors lost Game 7 by a score of 92-87, and that is with them playing bad for most of the game. Nick Nurse I feel could have done a better job spreading out the minutes and Raptors as a whole did not get enough from all of their starters to advance. Boston was beatable and hopefully, the feeling they had after this loss motivates them going forward. It should help them learn that it is never a good thing to get behind in a series because then it becomes difficult to come back especially against good teams like Boston. That is why we saw the team look so tired at the end of it all, and basically say “okay we are done here with this bubble experience”. Literally as in the words if Kyle Lowry, “Ya it sucks it’s sad to lose especially with the group we have but I’m happy to be going home.” It is clear he missed his family and that is okay but you almost got the sense he felt relieved to not be playing anymore, rather than getting ready for the Miami Heat next round. Curiously, I wonder how many other Raptors teammates felt the same way and how inspired they were to repeat as champions with so many outside distractions going on. (Covid-19, racial unrest/tension and protests going on, away from families, being enclosed in a bubble from families for a period of time etc…)
Looking forward to free agency, this one is the strangest ever with Covid-19 running rampant throughout the world right now. Toronto has to think about the future in terms of the 2021 and 2022 NBA free-agent markets. Furthermore, a certain “Greek Freak” may become attainable to them if they play their cards right. It is all about getting better for the now and the future. Raptors can never lose sight of that goal. This is to ensure long term success and a chance at going on playoff runs with a good core, for years to come.
Raptors have re-signed Chris Boucher and signed Aron Baynes, and Alex Len to fill the voids left by Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol at the big positions. Among other players, they have signed or are about to sign, to fill out the roster for the start of the upcoming season.
While I write this Raptors fan favourite Fred VanVleet just re-signed a new contract with the Raptors for 4 years, which is great news for the future. However, crucial big Serge Ibaka departed signing a 2-year deal with the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. They will have to promote Chris Boucher in a bigger role, but is he ready to take that step though? Is the question. All in all, it has been an interesting season for the Raptors, in these uncertain times nobody knows how things will play out. We as fans just hope for the best and with Masai Ujiri and Nick Nurse at the helm Raptors, fans can rest assured the team is in good hands. Now looking ahead, the Raptors must find a way to stay competitive in a tougher Eastern Conference. This includes signings and trades perhaps at the trade deadline which can bolster our current roster as is. What the Raptors might really be waiting for though is that big fish to fall in 2021 off-season, in which they will be ready to pounce and acquire whoever it is for long-term success. This could be why they did not mind letting Serge Ibaka go. Ultimately, nobody knows how the Raptors will look like or play next season. This is especially true now that we know they will be playing away from home in Tampa Bay, Florida. Raptors fans are the best in the entire NBA. Not having them around to cheer the team on has to hurt a Raptors side that loves Toronto, Canada and feeds off of that energy #WETHENORTH brings to games.
In conclusion, Raptors management will target any free agents they can get their hands on, which will keep them a playoff contender. Keep in mind with the type of core the Raptors have they should still be good, how good is anyone’s guess. Just hope for a healthy season in which players develop in a positive way and step into roles they can excel in. Do remember we still have Kyle Lowry, and Nick Nurse is one of if not the best coach in the league. If anyone can get the most out of a group, he sure has the ability to do just that. Hey, you never know while down in Florida, the Raptors might run into some of the Toronto Blue Jays while they are spring training. Not to mention, we all know how much hometown boy Drake loves his Raptors. Who is to say he will not make a surprise appearance down there and meet up with some of the players? If this is even allowed due to Covid-19. One thing to watch for next season not just with the Raptors but with all teams is how they adjust to a longer bubble life, a shortened season, and an offseason with basically a full schedule consisting of little to no fans. It was one thing to be in the playoffs with no fans, but how much will that impact how a team plays over the course of 60 games or so? Some teams rely on fan interactions more than others. Home arena team? Road arena team? How will that work, and what advantage if any could that be with no fans in attendance? Will the players be completely safe from the virus? will there be a vaccine ready to distribute? Will families or close friends be allowed to visit? If not, will that affect the players in a negative way and how they play? So many questions and not enough answers are the main issues, with the way things are now. Hopefully, as time goes on here, things become much clearer as to how this next season and the ones to come are going to playout. This virus has brought about new changes and things to think about now, in which the game may have to permanently adapt to and do stuff differently because of it. Hold onto your hats folks, we are in for a bumpy ride ahead watching all of this unfold together and reacting afterwards. Would not be surprised to see things we are not used to witnessing and expecting the unexpected, that is the new normal now, unfortunately. Times have changed in 2020 and beyond, the game has to as well to stay relevant and keep up.
Until the next one, and as always Let’s Go Raptors!!
Matt
(Team 6ixhappening)