Things look a lot different up north. From the roster and the coaching staff, the Toronto Raptors decided it was time to flip the script this summer and completely change their style of play after a dreadful first-round sweep that no one saw coming.
Taking a look down memory lane, the favored Raptors headed into the first round of the 2015 NBA playoffs confident as ever, looking to make some noise but ended up being a joke. Four losses in a row to the hands of the Washington Wizards, a team the Raptors had great success over in the past two season, made them a laughing stock.
The Raptors are looking to forget about the past, and this past off-season they made it their mission to fix things. Raptors' General Manager Masai Ujiri made some huge roster adjustments, parting ways with Lou Williams as he joined the Los Angeles Lakers and Amir Johnson signing with their division rival the Boston Celtics, joining the dark side.
Masai also made sure he addressed the defensive issues, acquiring DeMarre Carroll from the Atlanta Hawks to a four-year $60 million deal. Carroll averaged 12.6 points, with 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 31.3 minutes in 70 contests (69 starts) this past season with the Hawks while also leading the team in scoring in the postseason. Carroll will provide lock down defense for the Raptors while also taking pressure off DeMar DeRozan with his ability to knock down the three-ball, shooting a career percentage from deep at 39.5 percent this past season.
Carroll was just a small piece in what Masai was able to acquire this off-season. Cory Joseph and Luis Scola will also be joining the club this upcoming season, giving us a picture of how the bench will look. Joseph is departing from the San Antonio Spurs where he spent his first four seasons that included two NBA Finals appearances while winning a ring in the 2013-2014 NBA season. Joseph will bring a winning attitude while also living his dream playing for his hometown team.
NBA veteran Scola will be entering his ninth season in the NBA, averaging 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in his career. The Raptors were able to grab him for a one-year deal worth $3 million. Scola is in a pretty great situation heading into this season. He could see the possibility of starting for the Raptors with the power forward position up for grabs between himself, Patrick Patterson and James Johnson. He had an amazing summer playing with Argentina in the FIBA Americans where they took gold, while he also received the MVP award. Let's just hope he is able to duplicate that performance for the Raptors this season.
As the defensive focus has become more important, Raptors' coach Dwane Casey couldn't be more ecstatic.
“This is the most talent we’ve had,” said Casey when asked about his depth on defense in an interview with Sportsnet's Donnovan Bennett. “Without a doubt.”
This is coach Casey's opportunity to really showcase what he can do with a great defensive core that is willing to get after it on both ends of the court.
One huge question mark for the Raptors is DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan has spent six seasons with the club experiencing it all, from the highs and the extreme lows. After this season, DeRozan will become an unrestricted free agent and reports are that he'll be expecting max money. Masai stated that there will be no contract talks with DeRozan during the season. Is DeRozan receiving the same treatment Kyle Lowry did? The question the Raptors must answer is are they willing to pay DeMar $25 million or will they let him walk. The answer to the question will solely rely on how DeRozan performs this upcoming season.
The Raptors should be expecting to raise the Atlantic division title for the third straight year while also being a shoo-in for clinching a playoffs spot with the Eastern Conference continuing to be a joke. After winning a franchise record 49 games this past season, the Raptors should set their mark at around 46-55 wins this season.
Taking a look at the Raptors schedule to start the season, they should look to come out strong with seven out of their first ten games against teams that were under .500 this past season. Their hardest stretch looks to be at the end of the month of December and the start of January where they'll be taking on the Chicago Bulls (twice), Cleveland Cavaliers and the team that sent them packing in late April; the Washington Wizards (twice).
With tons of questions needing answers, this season will give us a hint of which direction this team will be heading in. Just make sure to get your popcorn ready and fasten your seatbelt, as this season is about to get rolling!