We have only scratched the surface of what we can do, what we can become
goalkeeper Gary Trent Jr. said during the team’s end-of-season report on Friday.
This team can become very, very dangerous
ranked 16-year-old NBA veteran Thad Young.
This season, the Queen City representatives have taken a measure of their potential with a core of young players behind Pascal Siakam and Fred Vanfleet. While many critics saw their win in about 30 games, they won in 48 to finish fifth in the East and return to the playoffs after missing the previous year.
In the playoffs, the Raptors also stood against 76ers, and twice survived eliminations after losing their first three games. Then they showed their fighting spirit.
This season I sometimes felt like we were going to fall apart, but we never let that happen. We were always on the fight
Citam noted.
We did a good job. We worked hard as a team. Sometimes it wasn’t always pretty, but we didn’t [baissé] the arms. Everyone did their best to help the team. All we can do now is go back and see what we can do to come back stronger. It’s not the end we wanted, but I think there are promises.
The Raptors were defeated in six games by the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, but not without a fight.
Photo: Associated Press/Matt Slocum
Siakam himself regained his star performances this year. He was among the top 25 in the NBA in points (22.8), rebounds (8.5) and assists (5.3) in every game, and he also understood his role as a captain in the locker room and on the field.
Getting through the season and coming back from injury hasn’t always been easy, but with work I’ve been able to develop through the year and keep going. [progresser]. Yes, I think it’s been a good season for me too, but there is a lot of work to be done
Cameroonian said.
Fred Vanfleet, the other Raptors guard with Kyle Lowry’s passing, also boosted his level of play. He had his best season in the NBA with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and about 7 assists per game, which also earned him an All-Star nomination for the first time in his career.
Behind them, Gary Trent Jr., Og Anonobi and Precious Uchiwa, all in their twenties, all managed to run the same pace. Scotty Barnes, who was drafted by the Raptors for fourth place last summer, was so impressed that he was named Rookie of the Year.
According to VanVleet, the Raptors just have slash
To build a winning team. Not only is the core of the team established, but also savor the ups and downs of the full season and play-offs together. It was put to the test.
[Le manque d’expérience] It was a problem for a while. I felt like there was no standard, you know, for our young team, but now we have.
Now is the time. That’s all we wanted to do when it came to building […] Now, how do we put all these pieces together? Can we add some parts? Then how do you make it work, to be the most efficient and lethal team? I even think we can improve without adding anything
He said.
It was weird being in such an unpredictable season as nobody thought we’d be that good but we knew we were. We were playing for a championship, but it was kind of free basketball, so to speak. I think going back with a more specific goal will help us [l’an prochain] Allowing us to fit into our roles and be the most effective team possible.
Chris Boucher was excellent in Game 6 of the series between the Raptors and the 76ers on Thursday.
Photo: The Canadian Press/Nathan Dennett
No major Toronto player will become a free agent this season. However, the Raptors will have to replenish their reserve seats. Chris Boucher and Thad Young, among others, will be able to enjoy full autonomy.
Boucher, in particular, could net more than the $7 million he’s been making this season. He put in an incredible performance of 25 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday, his best game of the playoffs.
Soon I’ll be 30 and basketball, one day, it’s over, so the only thing I’ll think about is what’s best for me and my family. And then, I want to be where I feel good. In Toronto, I always felt good. I told myself that no matter where I go and what decision I make, it will be fixed because I play my best basketball when I feel good.
It is to explain.
The Raptors do not currently have a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. They exchanged him for the San Antonio Spurs in a deal that allowed them to relinquish Goran Dragić’s contract. However, they have a high pick in the second round, the Detroit Pistons, 33rd, to add to their roster.
Raptors coach Nick Norse and head coach Masai Ujiri did not speak to reporters on Friday. They will report on the season later.
