An uncertain off-season begins for the Raptors : while most clubs are currently thinking about their strategy for the Draft, that of Toronto think more broadly about his strategy for next season.
It is in any case what ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reportswho explains that the usual discretion of the governing bodies of the Canadian franchise makes their strategy within the league very illegible, and ultimately even suggests that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster are themselves uncertain of the direction to take…
A finding that corresponds quite well to the current state of the club’s sporting project, a little in the trough after a particularly bland 2022/23 campaign. The management could as well choose to leave with the same group under the orders of a new coach, Darko Rajakovic, just as it could press the “reset” button and start a new cycle and reshape the workforce. A not particularly comfortable in-between…
Thursday, the evening of all decisions?
The evening the Draft could thus bring a little more clarity in Ontario. Especially since the Raptors (like the Pelicans) have recently been mentioned as a team that would have discussed with Portland about a potential exchange around Pascal Siakam on the one hand, and the 3rd choice of the Blazers on the other. And if Masai Ujiri were to succeed and select Scoot Henderson, for example, it would be certain that the club would switch to reconstruction mode, around the prodigy of Team Ignite and Scottie Barnes.
But a young operation would also undoubtedly mean the departure of Jakob Poeltl, specifies our colleague, who adds that the Austrian pivot, who returned to Canada during the season but is an unrestricted “free agent” this summer, would not be particularly keen on the idea of taking part in a transition / reconstruction season at the start of the school year. An opinion no doubt also shared by Fred VanVleet, the other “veteran” at the end of the contract…
In short, it seems that there is no real middle ground for the Raptors this summer: it will either be off again for a round with the current squad and a few adjustments, such as the unanimously expected selection in the league of a shooter in 13th position, notes Jonathan Givony, a reshuffle around Scottie Barnes.
A funny gray area, less than 48 hours from the Draft…
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Pascal Siakam | 71 | 37.4 | 48.0 | 32.4 | 77.4 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 5.8 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 24.2 |
| Fred Vanvleet | 69 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 34.2 | 89.8 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 7.2 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 19.3 |
| Gary Trent, Jr. | 66 | 32.1 | 43.3 | 36.9 | 83.9 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 17.4 |
| Og Anunoby | 67 | 35.6 | 47.6 | 38.7 | 83.8 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 16.8 |
| Scottie Barnes | 77 | 34.8 | 45.6 | 28.1 | 77.2 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 15.3 |
| Jakob Poeltl | 26 | 27.2 | 65.2 | 0.0 | 56.9 | 3.2 | 5.9 | 9.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 13.1 |
| chris butcher | 76 | 20.0 | 49.3 | 32.8 | 76.2 | 2.1 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 9.4 |
| Precious Achiuwa | 55 | 20.7 | 48.5 | 26.9 | 70.2 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 6.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 9.2 |
| Otto Porter | 8 | 18.3 | 50.0 | 35.3 | 100.0 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 5.5 |
| Malachi Flynn | 53 | 13.0 | 36.0 | 35.3 | 75.8 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 4.6 |
| Dalano Banton | 31 | 9.0 | 42.3 | 29.4 | 70.8 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 4.6 |
| Will Barton | 16 | 13.2 | 35.4 | 33.3 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 4.5 |
| Thaddeus Young | 54 | 14.7 | 54.5 | 17.6 | 69.2 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 4.4 |
| Christian Koloko | 58 | 13.8 | 48.0 | 8.3 | 62.7 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 3.1 |
| Juancho Hernangomez | 42 | 14.6 | 42.1 | 25.4 | 56.3 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.9 |
| Jeff Dowtin | 25 | 10.3 | 43.9 | 31.3 | 66.7 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.4 |
| Ron Harper | 9 | 5.3 | 50.0 | 33.3 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.2 |
| Khem Birsh | 20 | 8.1 | 59.4 | 50.0 | 80.0 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Justin Champagnie | 3 | 3.6 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| Joe Wieskamp | 9 | 5.5 | 21.4 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 |
