The Toronto Raptors played two of the most exciting preseason games ever recorded, and they both came against the Boston Celtics. It wasn’t a terrible preseason, with some down, but plenty of good with a 3-2 finish. Most everyone had a moment at one point or another, with Dalano Banton in particular playing great from start to finish. To prepare for the entire season, we’ve gathered the collective will and wit of Raptors Republic to talk through the offseason, preseason, and make predictions for the upcoming year. You can find part two here.
How would you rate Toronto’s offseason?
Adon Moss: To rate a Raptors offseason is to try to calculate the virtuosity of an artist; to make empirical the radiance of a moon illuminating the darkness of a wooded winter’s night; to say yes or no to the dubiosity of our very purpose as sentient beings. What is or will be, time and patience will reveal soon enough.
Josh Howe: Let me just brush past all the Kevin Durant-related jokes. One second. … Ah, there we go.
The Raptors had a good offseason! It may not have been flashy, but retaining key pieces in Boucher and Young while adding freshly crowned NBA champion Porter bolsters what was a 48-win team last season despite a litany of injuries to core talent. Selecting Koloko in the draft, too, looks to be another sly victory for Ujiri, Webster, and company.
Simon Broder: I would give the Raptors a solid B- on their offseason. They did everything they needed to do in terms of keeping the core together and bringing back key contributors from last season, and Otto was a shrewd addition (provided he can stay healthy for a decent chunk of the season). And for all the talk of bringing in a big name, doing so would have almost certainly meant moving out a cornerstone player, so it’s understandable that they were hesitant to do so.
Louis Zatzman: The Raptors only know two speeds for offseasons: Calm and steady or set the world on fire. So sure, they didn’t set the world on fire after bowing out to the Philadelphia 76ers. But Otto Porter jr. is a nice add, and Christian Koloko could be a very nice add. That’s enough. So how about a B+, I suppose. Slow and steady and all that.
As far as realistic targets go, was there someone you liked more than Otto Porter jr.? If so, why?
Adon Moss: Nah. As you probably inferred from my response to Question 1, this team’s banking entirely on their current core composition and its evolution. A deferential, long, intelligent, defending, shooting roleplayer is a near perfect accompaniment to what Toronto is building towards. Particularly, for $6 mil/year.
Josh Howe: There weren’t any pragmatic free agent targets I necessarily preferred over Porter—guys like Bobby Portis, Victor Oladipo, Gary Harris, etc. were all intriguing in their own ways, but Porter fits like a glove with the Raptors, both in play-style and personality. So long as he can stay healthy, his defensive acumen and three-point sniping prowess (39.8 per cent for his career!) should significantly impact the team’s ceiling.
Simon Broder: I went on record saying that I thought Gary Harris would be a nice pickup, because I was concerned about the backup PG/ballhandler role behind Freddie and thought he would be a solid stopgap type who could also shoot, but he wound up taking more than the mid-level to stay in Orlando before getting hurt, so we might have dodged a bullet on that one. I also mentioned Victor Oladipo as an upside play, but I’m more than happy with Otto.
Louis Zatzman: I was big on Lonnie Walker IV. He added so much the Raptors needed, and he was a big upside swing. Otto Porter jr. is a floor raiser, and a play for present success, so the Raptors went in the other direction, philosophically, from my preference. But as far as short-term, floor-raising plays go, Porter was ideal. I can’t complain in the least.
How important do you think Rico Hines runs are?
Adon Moss: There is a bit of controversy with these runs, weirdly. I was privy to certain conversations among certain media members who downplay its value. David Thorpe has said similar on Will Lou’s podcast. I’ve already stated my case in the affirmative. I think it’s great for team building both in spirit and on-court cohesion. Pfft to the naysayers.
Josh Howe: Rico Hines is a legend for a reason, and the Raptors evidently take those runs seriously. That’s enough for me.
Simon Broder: Going into the preseason, I was optimistic that the Rico runs would really help the Raptors’ chemistry on the floor because they had already gotten in so much practice time together, but early on I didn’t really see the evidence of that, at least not offensively. Regardless, I think it’s important for camaraderie and team spirit and all that fun stuff.
Louis Zatzman: I love watching them, and by all accounts the players love playing in them. I doubt it matters as far as the team’s on-court play goes in the NBA, but to me it’s a wonderful balm as I wait for the real stuff to start. Fun videos.
Are you surprised the Raptors drafted Christian Koloko? Was there someone else you would have preferred at that spot?
Adon Moss: I’m no draftnik. Heed my input sparingly. It would’ve been hella fun to have Jaden Hardy on this team. Potential for major hooper vibes in the backcourt with Gary and Freddy. But I wasn’t surprised. Koloko was EXACTLY the right selection. Not because I can retrospectively say that after watching him play, but because I was always aggressively ANTI-trading-for-pick-your-available-center. Not divesting in draft equity or youth and not eating up cap space to find a center that doesn’t exactly fit into your master plans, but also might totally fit into your master plans, is the perfect play. Another Cameroonian is icing on the Master Plan cake.
Josh Howe: As someone who does not at all delve deeply into draft prospects beyond the first round, my opinion holds little weight here. That said, I thought Koloko was a cool (hailing from Douala, the same hometown as Siakam), if not smart, pick. A more traditional center with high defensive upside just seemed like a perfect layer to add to Toronto’s current roster.
Simon Broder: I wasn’t surprised at all – in fact, he was one of the candidates we had discussed going in that spot ahead of the draft. He just fits Toronto’s profile so perfectly – the Basketball Without Borders connection, the defense, the positional need – that you knew if he was still on the board at 33, the front office would have to strongly consider him.
Louis Zatzman: I was surprised almost because Koloko made so much sense. Hailing from Cameroon, he’s a product of Africa, which matters to Masai Ujiri. And as a 7-footer, he fits a position of need. But the Raptors always seem to go off the board when it comes to the draft (and then show why their board is so much better than what we expect). Instead they did what we all expected, which was ever so unexpected of them. As far as my preference, I’m very much not a draft guy, so I do all my analysis after the pick happens. So far, so perfect, as far as Koloko goes.
Now that you’ve seen Koloko play Summer League and preseason, what do you expect from him in the short term? Long term?
Adon Moss: Tough. I think Khem Birch has a “bounce back” year if he stays healthy and gets more reps. I also think we know what Birch’s ceiling is. Koloko’s we don’t and that’s deliciously intriguing. Koloko’s going to get exposure; if he continues to show development in practice and games, he could be a rotation player by the latter half of the season.
Long term…?
With the rise of a consistent jumpshot…?
Young Serge Ibaka…?
Josh Howe: It’s difficult not to be high (perhaps even unreasonably high!) on Koloko after his prodigious pre-season performance. In the short term, I expect him to be a rotation piece that ends up delivering 10-15 minutes a night, providing the Raptors with a new and unique edge, while also sharpening his skills with the 905. Long-term, he looks to be, at worst, a reliable back-up center.
Simon Broder: I was really worried about Koloko’s offense after Summer League, but he looked much more polished in preseason, and the defense is already there. I expect he’ll have a low-level rotation role right out of the gate with Otto and Boucher out, and if he performs he has a chance to earn regular rotation minutes even after they come back. Long-term, I’m not sure what his ceiling is, but he certainly looks like he could be a solid backup center or fringe starter at the very least.
Louis Zatzman: I have been absolutely shocked by Koloko’s athleticism and competence. It’s been preposterous. I think in the short term he probably won’t have a consistent role to play. Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher, and yes, Khem Birch, will all have perhaps more solid claims to rotation minutes. But injuries happen, and I can see Koloko positively impacting the games he does reach the floor. Long term, I think he’ll be great. I think it’s not too crazy to say he’ll be a rotation player when the Raptors do eventually become contenders again, which is probably wild to say about a second-round rookie before he plays a second in the regular season. But he looks great.
