Toronto Raptors 2014-15 Preview: Great expectations
The Raptors are coming off of the highest win total in franchise history. With Kyle Lowry and head coach Dwane Casey locked into new long-term deals, can the Raptors make some more noise in the playoffs in 2015?
SUMMER OF 2014 - TransactionsKey Additions - Vince Carter, Rory Hobbs, James Johnson, Lucas Noguiera
Key Losses - John Salmons, Steve Novak, Grevis Vasquez
With their cap space tied up, the Raptors didn't have a whole lot of flexibility to make many moves this summer, but they didn't regress either.
The biggest news of the summer came in July when Toronto signed the legendary Vince Carter to a 3 year contract. Carter will give Toronto a much-needed scoring punch off the bench, and you can expect him to play with something to prove as he works to earn back the respect of the Toronto fanbase. His departure from the Raptors was extremely messy and this move gives Carter a chance to show he is putting the team first.
In other big news, the Raptors resigned Kyle Lowry to a four-year, $48 million extension to lock up their electric backcourt of Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Lowry is coming off of his best year in the NBA and is climbing up the list as one of the top guards in the Eastern Conference.
As soon as last season ended, the Raptors signed head coach Dwane Casey to a three-year extension worth over $11 million. Through his first three years coaching in Toronto, Casey has accumulated a losing 105-125 record but is coming off a very successful season in which he was able to get a lot out of a roster with relatively average overall talent. Casey has drastically improved Toronto's defense as of late and he has gotten great individual progression out of multiple guys, pointing to strong teaching skills.
Toronto is in the process of solidifying a tough-minded culture, and Casey seems like he is the man for the job.
On draft night, the Raptors owned the 20th overall pick in the first round and went with Irish prospect Rory Hobbs, who is a long-armed 6'5" athlete with intriguing long-term potential. Hobbs was not expected to fall so far, but he could be a terrific fit off the bench with Toronto. At 20 years old, Hobbs may take some time to come into his own, but the pick may pay off down the road once he gets a chance to play extended minutes.
Shortly after the draft, Toronto traded the expiring contract of John Salmons to Atlanta in return for seven-foot Brazilian prospect Lucas Nogueria, who was selected 16th overall in last year's draft.
The Raptors also signed free agent combo forward James Johnson for two years at $5 million total. James Johnson is a well put together 6'9" forward that can play the three or four spot and is coming off of a nice year as a Memphis Grizzlies reserve last season. When Johnson played at least 20 minutes throughout 28 games last season, he put up 10.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per outing. Johnson is athletic and extremely active with a good basketball IQ, and he should have an opportunity to win some minutes in Toronto
Grevis Vasquez who was a restricted free agent was allowed to join the Grizzlies. Vasquez's solid playmaking ability will be missed, but the Raptors obviously believe in the potential of young Rory Hobbs to bring close to what Vasquez produced. The two players have a very similar play style.
Finally, in a move that brought Toronto some depth up front, former Celtic Greg Stiemsma was signed to a one-year deal worth $981,000. Whether he gets a chance to play on a regular basis remains to be seen, but we all know that he is going to block some shots and bring some toughness when his number is called.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
C - Jonas Valanciunas / Tyler Hansbrough / Lucas Noguiera / Greg Stiemsma
PF - Amir Johnson / Patrick Patterson
SF - Terrence Ross / James Johnson /Landry Fields
SG - DeMar DeRozan /Vince Carter
PG - Kyle Lowry / Rory Hobbs
X-FACTOR - Jonas Valanciunas
Jonas Valanciunas is a quality young center that is coming off of a productive sophomore season, where he flirted with a double-double on a regular basis and showed signs of improvement on both ends of the floor. However, as the team's only viable low-post scoring option, it's time he starts getting more aggressive. Better yet, it's time he starts getting more opportunities to finish plays.
Valanciunas is unique in the sense that he is extremely efficient around the rim and is also a seven-footer that shoots between 75-80% from the free throw line. The more opportunities he gets to make something happen on the block, the more easy buckets the Raptors will get and he can put some pressure on the opposition by getting to the free throw line more often.
In April last season, Valanciunas was fed more often and he took more shots and free throws than any other period during the season. As a result, he averaged 16.8 points and 11 rebounds in the final month of the regular season an in the last two months combined, he shot right around 60% from the field. For some reason, they went away from that in the first round of the playoffs, where he shot over 63% for the series but only took seven shots per game.
In his third year, he needs to get more touches and bring a new dynamic to Toronto's offense. The Raptors love to attack, but Valanciunas is the team's best bet at establishing a better inside-out game in the halfcourt. Let the big fella eat!
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2014-15The Raptors are the favorite to win the Atlantic Division and earn a seed in the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. You can expect a lot of what we saw last year - a tough, hard-nosed young team that respects the fundamentals and gets after it every night. Adding the experienced Carter will bring an added element and aid to the development of a young team.
Depending on health and who they draw as a postseason opponent, the Raptors might have a chance to make a little more noise and potentially advance to the second round.
PREDICTED STANDINGS1st - Atlantic Division
4th - Eastern Conference