TORONTO — Essentially, NBA purgatory is a place for teams that aren’t good enough to be contending, but also aren’t bad enough to find themselves with a high lottery pick. This is where the Raptors are here…again.
Look at the Raptors teams from 2016-2018. Each was a very good team but each one also needed that extra piece to become a contender. Once that extra piece was acquired by trading for Kawhi Leonard in 2018, it propelled them into the title picture.
The Raptors currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 16-21 and find themselves back in the position they were in just four years ago.
Bright future
The team has a solid core and promising future with guys like Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes. Siakam is currently averaging 26.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 6.5 APG. While Barnes, despite a shaky start to the season, is averaging 14.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 4.7 APG. Despite solid numbers from both young stars, the team has lost 11 of their last 16 games since Dec. 2nd and are currently dealing with significant shooting woes, sitting 26th in the league for Field Goal Percentage and 29th in 3-point shooting.
It’s clear the team is lacking direction and changes need to happen as soon as possible.
This may hurt some fans’ feelings, but this team can’t be a contending team with Siakam being the best player on the team. While he is no doubt a really good player, this team needs a superstar, and he has yet to show that he can lead this team like a superstar can.
Decisions, decisions…
This Raptors team has the option to move in two different directions as they approach February’s trade deadline, although winning a championship should remain the team’s top priority.
For starters, they could look at making trades to better their team now, like when they acquired Leonard. Yes, mid-season trades are tougher to pull off without overpaying to some degree, but if the Raptors are serious about contending this season, those are risks they’ll have to consider.
The team either needs that one superstar-calibre player that can lead them to a title, or maybe a few talented pieces to help Siakam and Barnes elevate their games to that superstar level.
Helping hands
Earlier this season, it was rumored that the Raptors didn’t have enough assets to trade for Kevin Durant, but it was later reported that the team would be giving up too much to complete a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. This move could be revisited in the offseason.
Other names floating around the Raptors rumour mill are Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner and Pacers shooting guard Buddy Hield, although with the Pacers (19-17) sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference, it’s unlikely they’re going to trade away pieces that are helping them be what the Raptors are looking to become – a playoff contender.
Of course, the team could also consider taking the tanking route. This would be a very definitive direction to move, ultimately trading away most the team’s current top talents and hitting the reset button on the work they’ve done up to this point.
While this move is often looked down upon by fans, it would be a sure-fire way to kickstart the development of their young core at the sacrifice of losing a lot of games in the new year.
Although not impossible, the tank route is an unlikely scenario given the way general manager Masai Ujiri has run the team to this point.
With the trade deadline just over a month away, the Raptors will need to decide on the direction of their team sooner than later.
Who knows, maybe Ujiri has a few tricks up his sleeve that shocks the rest of the league.