The Toronto Raptors managed to recapture some of their best chemistry last season. They were not at the top of the Eastern Conference standings by any stretch of the imagination, however, only qualifying directly for the playoffs in the last few weeks of the season.
They ended up finishing in the fifth seed, which is impressive given that most of their top players missed almost a quarter of the season, and some almost missed half the season. This meant that they took on the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, who dispatched them in the matchup.
The Raptors have all the pieces to be a competitive unit in the NBA but in order to take the next step, they need to make a few adjustments. Pascal Siakam is one of the hardest players in the league to defend and rookie Scottie Barnes typifies the way that the Raptors play.
5 roster moves the Toronto Raptors need to make this offseason: 1. Move on from Thaddeus Young
Prior to the trade deadline, the Raptors sent Goran Dragic to the San Antonio Spurs and one of the pieces that the Raptors received back was Thaddeus Young. At 33 years old, Young is a 14-year NBA veteran who has played for seven different teams during that time. He has bought his toughness and determination to every team that he has played on.
Last season saw Young’s playing time drop for both the Spurs and Raptors and as such he saw his production drop. This is not a problem usually, except that Young had a $14 million contract last season. He is going to be looking for one last payday and the Raptors need to get a player who is a better fit for their timeline.