Now that the meaningless pre-season is officially and mercifully completed, the focus turns to the NBA’s regular season and how the Raptors can manage amid virtually zero expectations.
As competitors, players want to win.
As a second-year head coach coming off a maiden season that no coach would ever want to repeat, Darko Rajakovic wants to extract as much as possible from a group comprised mainly of youthful and inexperienced pieces.
Big picture, the best and only way for the Raptors to move forward in their rebuild is to lose as many games as possible, which will ensure the best odds of securing the first overall pick.
There is no franchise-changing prospect in the mould of a Victor Wembanyama, but there is a very acclaimed player at Duke in 6-foot-9 Cooper Flagg, whom many scouts believe will have an impact on both ends of the floor.
When the Raptors were fortunate enough to land Scottie Barnes, it involved the Tampa tank job.
Last year’s first-round pick, Gradey Dick, was able to put together a pre-season where he was able to show his improvement, whether it involved knocking down three-pointers or attacking the basket.
Dick is by no means a starter and there remain question marks surrounding his game, primarily his ability to defend.
The fact he’s been able to play well, albeit in exhibition, during extended stretches must be viewed as a positive.
Toronto’s bench depth will be a concern, and its defence and shooting are not far behind when it comes to areas that must somehow be addressed.
Chances are neither will be properly ironed out until better talent is acquired.
There’s always the possibility of internal development, but that requires time, which seems to favour the Raptors because time is on their side.
At least for now.
It’s a fine line that must be managed as the franchise tries to make the jump from irrelevance to the ranks of relevance with the hope of one day being among the top four in the East.
Clearly, Barnes’ mental resolve will be tested when the expected losing streak arrives and the realization of playing with untapped talent hits home.
If anything could be gleaned from Friday night’s pre-season finale in Brooklyn, it was the play of Immanuel Quickley, whose injured thumb to his non-shooting hand (left) kept him out of the lineup in the previous four games.
Quickley saw the floor for 24 minutes.
While he didn’t exactly showcase his explosive form, he allowed the game to come to him rather than force his game.
He ended the night with a game-high plus-19 minutes.
His 10 assists were very encouraging as were his three turnovers.
The undisputed starting point guard for the first time in his career, the fifth-year Quickley will be asked to shoulder a big load.
It won’t be as big as Barnes’ role, but the two do represent the team’s best players.
Barnes finished the pre-season by scoring 21 points on only 12 attempts in the win over the Nets, while not committing a single turnover.
How they learn to play off each other, how they adopt when times turn tough, and they will, and how they elevate the play of their teammates will go a long way in helping define this coming season.
The Raptors are not going to battle Boston or New York for the top seed and neither will they be in a position to compete for home court in the opening round.
Success might be measured by the team’s ability to compete in the play-in tournament.
But too often in the NBA, success can also be measured in the amount of lost games knowing every defeat increases a team’s lottery chances.
About to enter their 30th season in the NBA, history has shown the difficulty of attracting high-end free agents to Toronto who actually pan out.
While many of the misconceptions have slowly faded, far too many continue to view Toronto as a foreign destination where a nuisance such as a passport is required for entry.
This notion of being Canada’s team only resonates when the Raptors are winning.
Small wins can be attained if the likes of Dick shows continued signs of improvement to the point where he emerges as a legitimate starting wing.
Rewind to the championship run in 2019 and it’s hard not to notice the drafted players the franchise used as trade chips, resulting in three league defensive player of the year recipients landing in Toronto.
OG Anunoby was drafted by the Raptors, who became the trade commodity used last season to acquire Quickley and RJ Barrett.
Anunoby’s defensive versatility is second to none in the NBA, and his arrival in the Big Apple was welcomed from the start as he fit so seamlessly.
In basketball, the term two-for-one is common when describing late possessions to end quarters when shots are heaved to ensure you get the last shot.
The two-for-one phrase easily described the trade with the Knicks because the Raptors received two starters in exchange for one.
It’s still unknown whether Barrett will be cleared to play in Wednesday night’s curtain raiser when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit Scotiabank Arena.
Barrett, who was injured in the preseason opener, did not travel with the team to Brooklyn.
The Raptors aren’t exactly playing at full strength with Chris Boucher becoming the latest casualty.
Boucher looked good in preseason play, but he left Friday night with a contusion after he bumped his knees trying to go through a screen.
Boucher is about to enter the final year of his contract.
As long as he remains a Raptor, he does provide a much-needed shooting element coming off the bench.
He can also be disruptive on defence.
Toronto’s overall defence figures to be a weakness.
But as long as the Raptors provide entertainment by playing an up-tempo brand of basketball and by playing hard from the opening tap to the final buzzer, wins can be achieved in the face of defeat knowing the potential prize that might await come draft night next year.
For many, it’s hard to look that far into the future.
In many ways, the future is what will be at play this season.