Well… that’s it. The 2023-2024 season is in the books.
While some fans might be thanking the man above that this dreadful season is coming to an end, I tend to lean on the sadder side of things knowing that there will not be any form of Toronto basketball until the summer.
Alas, the Raptors ended the campaign on a bitter note losing to the Heat 118-103. The two teams were tied heading into the second quarter when Miami took over, outscoring Toronto 43-26 in frame number two.
The Raptors lost for the 19th time in 21 games to close out the season, finishing with a record of 25-57, the fifth-lowest winning percentage in franchise history and worst since 2010-11.
Gary Trent Jr.
In what could have been his final game in a Raptors uniform, Gary Trent Jr. led all players in scoring with 18 points, four rebounds, one assist, and knocked down three triples. The 25-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this off-season and could find a new home. If they have learned their lesson, it’s hard to see Toronto losing the asset for nothing, but if he does leave, it was fun while it lasted.
Gradey Dick
Someone who will be in Toronto for the foreseeable future however is Gradey Dick, who had yet another solid game to cap off what has been a fun and encouraging second half of the season. The 20-year-old finished with 14 points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals. The Wichita, Kansas native has secured his spot in the Raptors core and it will be interesting to see what he can add to his game come summer league and beyond.
Looking towards the future
The next key date for Raptors fans will be the NBA draft lottery on May 12th.
The Raptors are locked into the sixth-worst record in the association meaning they’ll have a 45.8 percent chance of keeping their pick, a 37.2 percent chance of moving into the top four, and a nine percent shot at landing the always coveted No.1 overall selection. If it falls out of the top six, which has a 54.2% chance of doing so, the pick will go to the San Antonio Spurs, via the Jakob Poeltl trade.
Toronto will have at least two other selections as well, the acquired Indiana selection in the Pascal Siakam trade will fall between 16-19 overall (depending on play-in/tiebreakers). Also, the Raps own the first pick on the second day (31st overall) of the debuting new draft format which has now been separated into two days.
To end the season I want to say thank you to Raptors Republic for having me on this year, and a thank you to everyone who has read and supported RR and myself throughout this less-than-ideal season. It truly is one of the best places for Raptors coverage and we aren’t done just yet. Keep checking in throughout the summer for player reviews, draft content, and much much more.
