Why are the Toronto Raptors struggling lately? This is a question many in Raptor land have been asking after the Raptors lost their third game in a row. I even took a short break from writing about them to process and assess what is going on with them. After watching back to back losses to Orlando and then losing again last night to Orlando, I narrowed it to one major thing. What is that?
Why are the Toronto Raptors Struggling? Need a Big Man
Now you might be thinking that the Raptors have Koloko and that’s true. However, he is a pretty raw second round pick who is not a good shooter, is very foul prone and is too weak to box out many players. As a result, the Raptors end up playing smaller players like Thaddeus Young at center. As a result, teams attack the rim on the Raptors. As we saw in the last few games, quick guards are getting into the paint. The result is that multiple players have to converge on them. This results in open shots for the opposing team. It also results in more offensive rebounds, as there is no big man to block out offensive players.
With an adequate big man, that Raptors would not have to converge on a penetrating player. Instead, they would let the big man protect the rim and the other players would stay home on the shooters. Also, the big man could box out opposing players and grab rebounds. This would limit second chance points by the opposing team. On the offensive end, the big man could draw out the opposing teams big from out of the paint. This would open up driving lanes to the basket for Raptors players. They would then have more open space to go to the rim or kick it out for an open look. Where can the Raptors get an adequate big man? There are two choices.
Why Are the Toronto Raptors Struggling? Choices of Big Men
The most obvious choice and the easiest choice is to wait until Precious Achiuwa is healthy and immediately put him in the starting line up. He is not the tallest center at six foot nine inches but he makes up for it in strength and athleticism. This helps him to be an adequate rim protector. Also, he can guard any position so you can switch him on any player. You also do not have to play him in drop coverage and instead have him hedge out on guards. He is probably the second best defender on the team after Anunoby, so the Raptors would be much better. On offense, Precious Achiuwa is getting better with his handle and has the quickness to get by most bigs. If you looked back at the playoff series against the sixers, he was getting by Embiid. Also, his three point shooting has been improving.
The other option is to make a trade. However, if you want a quality big man like for example Jakob Poeltl, you might have to give up a lot of assets. How much? Well, potentially two first round picks. That might be too much for an expiring contract. However, if the Raptors really want to compete, they might have no choice. Jakob Poeltl is one of the best defensive big men in the league. Also, he is a pretty good passer and has familiarity with the Raptors. The Raptors would immediately be better with him in starting line up.
Conclusion
Why are the Toronto Raptors struggling? There are other issues with the Raptors such as shooting and a need for a back up point guard. However, getting an adequate should be the priority as it gives them the best chance to turn things around. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do. However, they cannot wait too long as they are now in 10th place. If they keep losing then turning things around might no longer be an option. We will have to wait and see what happens.
You Might Like:
This page has affiliate ads in which we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you!