A little over a month after the start of the season, the Raptors are…exactly what we thought they would be. Namely a mid-table team, whose defense, rather solid (14th out of 30), cannot however hide the deep problems from which the attack suffers (24th out of 30, and 28th out of 30 in success percentage at 3- points).
After 22 matches, the club Toronto is in 11th place in the East with 9 wins and 13 defeats, and already seems to be plateauing, with a limited workforce and little room for maneuver. So obviously, the vise is already starting to tighten for this group, which from now on is playing big in every match, two months before the trade deadline.
“ I think the next 20 games will define who we are as a team “, also assures Dennis Schröder, the only Raptors player who explicitly addressed this reality. “ We played 20 matches. There are 20 more left before the halfway point of the season. The next 20 games are going to be crucial for this organization. Everyone needs to play with a sense of urgency. We are capable of beating good teams. »
Dennis Schröder, sacrificed to try to save the season?
The German leader speaks the truth, since the Raptors have beaten the Wolves, the Bucks, the Mavericks and even the Suns this season. But they also lost to the Bulls, the Blazers and the Hornets, and failed to worry playoff candidates in the Eastern Conference, like the Magic, the Nets, the Knicks, the Cavaliers and the Heat.
In short, Toronto players are capable of literally anything: losing against a bottom team one night, then beating a title contender another before taking a beating against a competitor in the play-in/playoffs. A symbol of this team which is navigating in a gray zone, without knowing what the immediate future holds.
Except in the mind of Darko Rajakovic, the Raptors coach, who seems to be resolving to the inevitable: soon changing the major five to try to instill a new dynamic within his locker room.
“ There will come a time when it will be necessary to act », recognizes the Serbian coach, while the Raptors' major five are penultimate in the league in offensive evaluation (105.8 points scored on 100 possessions!). “ I continue to believe in our [cinq majeur]. Even if the last five matches have not been satisfactory. These five players, but more broadly the team, will progress. And must progress. »
In the elimination game, it is in any case Dennis Schröder who seems condemned by default to be the collateral victim. By their volume of offensive play and their “playmaking”, Scottie Barnes And Pascal Siakam are indeed untouchable. As Jakob Poeltl, too valuable for his verticality in defense and his presence on the rebound to leave the major five. Same thing for OG Anunobythe “3-and-D” advantage of this major five…
Do not isolate Scottie Barnes, Darko Rajakovic's headache
“ We need a certain level of creation at all times of the match. Players capable of playing pick-and-roll phases and taking advantage of them », Continues Darko Rajakovic. “ We are constantly striving for progress as a group. And it's possible if all players raise their level of play. »
In short, the only concrete option currently available to the Raptors staff seems to trade Dennis Schröder and Gary Trent Jr., whose outside shooting would rebalance the attack in the major five. Thus, the German leader would take the reins of the bench, while Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam would take the reins of “playmaking” of the major five. Even if, and Darko Rajakovic is well aware of this, this would open a new loophole since the two wingers would then be under constant pressure from opposing defenses every evening.
“ We need a leader to take the pressure off the shoulders of [Scottie Barnes]to raise the ball », concludes the Toronto coach, who very rarely separates the pair Dennis Schröder – Scottie Barnes on the pitch. “ If Scottie is the only creator on the pitch, teams will easily defend against us, putting pressure on us all around, exhausting him. »
Darko Rajakovic’s puzzle has clearly only just begun…
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Pascal Siakam | 22 | 34.3 | 49.6 | 20.5 | 76.9 | 1.6 | 5.3 | 6.9 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 20.7 |
| Scottie Barnes | 22 | 34.8 | 46.8 | 38.3 | 74.7 | 2.7 | 6.5 | 9.2 | 5.6 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 19.8 |
| Dennis Schroder | 22 | 31.7 | 41.7 | 33.3 | 86.2 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 6.8 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 15.1 |
| Og Anunoby | 18 | 32.5 | 46.0 | 38.8 | 66.7 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 14.8 |
| Jakob Poeltl | 22 | 26.7 | 73.3 | 0.0 | 45.9 | 2.8 | 5.6 | 8.4 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 10.8 |
| Gary Trent, Jr. | 19 | 25.4 | 38.7 | 35.7 | 59.4 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 10.6 |
| Precious Achiuwa | 16 | 18.1 | 46.4 | 33.3 | 56.0 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 6.2 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 8.0 |
| Chris Boucher | 20 | 14.6 | 45.4 | 37.8 | 82.1 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 6.7 |
| Malachi Flynn | 22 | 16.1 | 42.0 | 32.8 | 77.8 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 5.3 |
| Gradey Dick | 15 | 14.7 | 27.0 | 24.4 | 100.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 3.9 |
| Otto Porter | 11 | 11.9 | 38.5 | 36.8 | 100.0 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 2.5 |
| Garrett Temple | 5 | 3.3 | 80.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 |
| Jalen Mcdaniels | 15 | 9.2 | 28.3 | 18.2 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 |
| Markquis Nowell | 1 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Thaddeus Young | 3 | 3.3 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Ron Harper | 1 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
