After Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors for the Los Angeles Clippers, many assumed that the Raptors would no longer be a contending team and that their championship window had now closed. They had won their lone NBA championship, could celebrate over the summer, and would now go back to being a middle of the pack team. Those assumptions, at least so far, don't appear to be accurate as the Raptors are 7-3, just two games back of the 9-1 Boston Celtics.
While Leonard is no longer around, Pascal Siakam appears to be ready to take the reins, averaging 26.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game after averaging 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last year. We already saw Siakam as an emerging star during last year's NBA playoffs and now he is really coming into his own. To go along with Siakam, Kyle Lowry (who is out two weeks with a broken thumb), Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka (out indefinitely with an ankle injury) are doing their part to help pick up the slack left from Leonard's absence. This is evident by their 7-3 start.
As you can see above, probably the main concern for the Raptors right now is health. If they want to once again win the Eastern Conference title and get back the NBA Finals, they have to stay healthy. If they are hobbled up come playoff time, they will not go far. But, the same can be said for every team. If you don't stay healthy, you're not going to win the NBA championship.
That said, what makes health extra important for this Raptors team is the fact that their strength lies in their numbers. They have a lot of depth and the ability to wear teams down with their bench play. Also, they do a great job of playing together. While Siakam is their top player, it's not a case where they solely rely on him to carry them. They do a good of collectively sharing the load and taking pressure off of each other.
Ultimately, I believe in this Raptors team. I think Siakam and Lowry form a really good duo and they have a solid supporting cast around them. If they can stay healthy and take advantage of their depth, there is no reason to doubt their ability to once again represent the Eastern Conference come June.
To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here.
To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here.
To connect with Ben Parker, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment