When the Raptors face opponents with bigger frontcourts, they may switch up their lineup, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby will start most nights but it “doesn’t mean you always have to start your five best,” according to head coach Nick Nurse said.
“Do we really want Scottie, Pascal or OG guarding a really good, big five to start the game?” Nurse said. “I don’t think we do, so we’re going to have to make some adjustments to that, or it’s just going to be three minutes and we’re sending in a guy.”
We have more on the Raptors:
- Fred VanVleet believes there’s good chemistry in the locker room, Michael Grange of SportsNet.ca writes. “I think you have to give credit to management and coaching staff. They have their hands full in terms of putting together a locker room that works before we even step on the court,” said VanVleet. “I think we have done a good job of building that back up. It feels more like a Raptors team now.”
- Nurse may weigh potential offensive contributions a little more heavily when it comes to deciding which player gets the 15th spot on the roster, Grange tweets. Justin Champagnie, D.J. Wilson, Josh Jackson and Gabe Brown are the candidates.
- Barnes has been a little slow getting up to speed and there’s a good reason for that — the reigning Rookie of the Year was held out of training for the last three weeks prior to camp with a mild ankle sprain, Grange tweets. Nurse commented on that subject. “He’s playing a little bit of catch-up and it’s noticeable,” Nurse said, as relayed via a Lewenberg tweet. “I don’t think he’s shown a whole lot in the preseason… I think he’s just behind a little bit, conditioning-wise, feel-wise. We need to keep plugging away and get him feeling (like himself).”
I honestly think they should consider using FVV as a 6th man scoring threat, and starting a lineup of Barnes, Trent, OG, Siakam, Boucher. Otherwise they could also go with Otto Porter as a starter instead of Boucher, and start Siakam at the 5, or continue with both their guards and the 3 main guys…
to me, as long as they have 3 of Barnes, OG, Siakam, Boucher, Banton, Champagnie, even Birch on the floor as much as possible, they can plug in 2 of FVV, Trent, Porter, Hernangomez, or Flynn, and most of those lineups should be really strong
I am curious to see what they do in different matchups. I personally think they dont need Thaddeus Young, and dont think they have room for Josh Jackson either
I know I thought they’d be a super dangerous team last year, and they were very good, but this year, I think they have a good shot at a top 4 seed assuming health. I personally have them 3rd as of now
I’m kind of on the opposite end. I don’t think the Raptors will fare that well at all this year. Something about them that doesn’t sit right with their lineup. I don’t even know if I can put a finger on it. But there’s only one way to go but up and you have to like their good mixture of Youth and guys in there 5th through 7th year.
If you have them third, then ahead of who Milwaukee Boston Philly Brooklyn? Even Atlanta and Miami.
Right now, I have Boston, Milwaukee, Toronto, Miami, Philly, Cleveland top 6, although I think a few of those teams could be bunches up, and I think that 4-8 spot could end up being really different. I’m going to probably reevaluate once the preseason/training camps end though, as we maybe also get a better I understanding of what rotations teams are actually using, rather than their rosters on paper. I always have a retraining camp prediction, and then a preregular season prediction, and then maybe a new 1 2-3 weeks into the season
Last year things changed a lot throughout the season before the final seeding…I had Boston at 1 before the season as well, but they were 9th in January before they finished 2nd, and Cleveland, Chicago, and Brooklyn were also a top 3ish team before dropping as they did, so that’s also something to consider
And as always, injuries, rotation decisions, and close games will be a big determining factor in the seeding
Raptors are build a competitive team. Barnes will need to take a jump for them to one day come out of the East. They have not peaked yet!