A brief season review of the 2015/2016 Toronto Raptors | Raptors Republic
The Raptors started the season with a league-best 5-0 record (tied only with the Warriors at the time), and showed early signs of a team with the balanced offensive and defensive capability to hang with the toughest in the league, and make winning plays when it mattered most. They did, however, show signs of inconsistency as well, with the struggles of Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross letting the Raptors bench down on most nights in November and December. But the strong play of Cory Joseph kept the bench afloat, and provided the Raptors with a winning punch on many nights. And especially on one memorable night in Washington D.C (where else?).
The Raptors had huge early-season wins on the road against the Thunder, Clippers and Hawks, and at home against Cleveland, San Antonio, and Dallas. They finished with a record of 11-7 in November, and were 18-12 by Christmas. With Kyle Lowry playing in his usual early-season form, and DeMar DeRozan catching steam with more efficient shooting as the season progressed, the Raptors seemed to be good on most nights, but had a long ways to go. 18-12 was good, but the team knew that record could have been a heck of lot better.
Like any other season, the Raptors were hit with the injury bug in 2 major ways. A fractured metacarpal for Jonas Valanciunas, who sustained the injury on the road in Los Angeles on November 20th , was an injury that would define the season of his backup. Bismack Biyombo stepped in to the starting role and did so admirably – averaging 8 points and over 11 rebounds on 51% from the field during the month of December. Jonas returned on December 28.
On January 6, the Raptors announced that after experiencing discomfort in his right knee, DeMarre Carroll was to have arthroscopic surgery, a procedure that was not meant to address any ligament or structural damage, but rather to repair cartilage, reduce swelling and to keep the knee stronger. With a record of 21-14, the Raptors were 7th in the league in most power rankings, had a net rating of +3.5, and had a reputation of being an efficient offense and a reasonably strong defense. Things seemed….manageable. And without the services of Carroll, the Raptors went on an absolute tear in January, winning a franchise record 11 games in a row, and going 12-2 in the month. That included a grueling victory against the Orlando Magic in London, England.
By mid-January, the Raptors gained separation in the standings and found themselves in second place in the conference with a comfortable lead. The time was now to make their mark and solidify their position going into the playoffs.
An offseason plan for the Toronto Raptors. | Sports on Earth
For the Raptors to take a step back would be a drastic move, and even then, you would need to take several seasons to rebuild the roster back, and hope that you can land a franchise player via the draft, free agency or trade, and at the same time squandering the goodwill of this playoff run with the fanbase. It’s a tricky situation, and really it is the reality of existing alongside LeBron in the East. Teams often try to avoid being stuck in the dreaded middle, but the Raptors are the latest example of just how difficult it is to avoid that fate.
The other two main questions surrounding the Raptors should be resolved without much drama. Dwane Casey has one year left on his contract but per ESPN’s Marc Stein, there are already discussions on an extension. Bismack Biyombo will decline his player option after an outstanding playoff run and has priced himself out of Toronto, as the 23-year-old is expected to get at least $15 million per season on the open market. And that is fine for Toronto, who has a potential All-Star center in Valanciunas. Biyombo at his discounted price this season was a terrific asset. At a near max level contract, it would further cap the ceiling of this team.
So more than likely the Raptors will bring back their core group minus a few pieces next season and see whether they can make another deep playoff run. Lowry and DeRozan can perform at an All-Star level again. Valanciunas will improve. A healthier Carroll will help. Joseph, Ross and Powell can still get better. The team might be adding a lottery pick to this mix. The Raptors could get better, they could take a step back. But regardless, they’ll be chasing LeBron again, just like every other team in the East.
The Future Of The Toronto Raptors | The Sports Quotient
Toronto should be in the “win-now” mindset. The East looks weak compared to the West, and after beating San Antonio and staying competitive with Golden State, Kevin Durant looks like he may just stay in the West (although Game 7 may tell us if he really will). The Celtics still look a couple years away from seriously contending, and the Bulls will probably start over this offseason. The team to beat is Cleveland, so the roster should be constructed around this goal. But, as upcoming superstar Kyle Lowry has a player option after next season, this offseason may be the biggest opportunity Toronto has to get to their first ever NBA Finals, before the Raptors will be forced to offer Lowry a max contract for the 2017-2018 campaign.
Priority number one this offseason is to sign DeRozan. Rather than spend a crazy amount of money on Bismack Biyombo, the Raptors could look to a veteran free agent who may pair with up-and-coming star Jonas Valencunias this season.
Pau Gasol could be an excellent fit in Toronto. He has won two championships with L.A., has ample playoff experience, and would give the team a physical, passing big man who can stretch the floor. Also, Gasol has said he would take less money to play with a contender, and Toronto seems to be a fantastic fit for him. He was rumored to be headed to Toronto before the trade deadline this season, which should make Raptors fans even more excited. Al Hortford could also be effective in helping stretch the floor, as the veteran big man has been a model of consistency.
Toronto probably wont swing for Durant, Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside, or Dwight Howard this offseason. They’ll look for maybe one more key piece and try to complete the process with tough veterans who will buy into Dwayne Casey’s system. They might just be able to use their contending stature to negotiate for slightly less than that individual might be worth, which will result in more depth. Another stretch four, a knockdown shooter, and lockdown perimeter defender later, Toronto might just be the favorite for next year.
Kelly: DeRozan will likely return to Toronto next season. Now what? | The Globe and Mail
During the Miami and Cleveland series, Biyombo showed remarkable versatility as a defender and offensive rebounder. If he had two more inches and could hit a jump shot, he’d be among the most valuable players in the league.
Since he isn’t going to find either one of those things this summer, he’s a luxury Toronto can’t afford. No sane executive gives $80-million to a backup.
Someone else is going to take a big runner on Biyombo and almost certainly be disappointed they did. But right now, losing a player that dedicated and charismatic will feel like a huge loss. You know that it will be especially disappointing to Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri to let go of the best young African player in the NBA.
Biyombo will need replacing, as will faded veterans Luis Scola, James Johnson and Jason Thompson. Those minor switches, plus big raises for Jonas Valanciunas, Ross and DeRozan, eat up most of the new cap money.
There’s only one available free agent who could push the Raptors over the top, and the odds that Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant will choose Canada are perishingly small. They reduce to nothing if the Thunder end up winning a title.
Toronto has the ninth pick in the coming draft. That could be something, but there’s no one at that spot who can make an immediate impact.
Bismack Biyombo Will Be Back With The Raptors Next Season | Pro Bball Report
If the Raptors rescind all of the player cap holds except for DeRozan and Biyombo, they can get to almost $7 million for Biyombo and there is room to tinker, but to get to a contract on par with Valanciunas’ extension (a reasonable target), they’ll need to double that.
Someone with a reasonably significant contract – like say Patterson ($6 million) or Ross ($10 million) could be traded to a team with cap space for assets with a limited current cap hit to create room. Teams have done this before, it can work, but how Ujiri would get it done in Toronto is anyone’s guess at this point.
Expect a very busy period for the Raptors between the draft and free agency. Ujiri has been nothing less than a magician when it comes to moving, keeping and and acquiring players since his arrival in Toronto.
Although the Raptors fell short against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals in 6 games, DeMar and the Raptors showed all of the NBA just how dominant they can be, quieting many critics across the boarder, maybe next year they will get more respect and not play the dreaded afternoon playoff games that we have become all to accustomed to the past few seasons.
I’m not sure if DeMar DeRozan will be back in a Raptors jersey next season, but if he chooses to leave the Raptors and take advantage of his well deserved free agent status, I want to say thank you to DeRozan for everything he has done for team and their fans. DeMar, you gave us hope as fans when the team was in its darkest days. You helped bring this franchise to places it has never been and helped Toronto become Canada’s team.
