Title: Raptors Player Development Series: What to expect from holdovers, new pieces and rookies
Date: September 20, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about which Raptors may break out, plateau, or take a step back as part of a mini-series on Raptors player development.
Setting expectations for the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors was easy. They went all-in to acquire Kawhi Leonard and create a one-year window of contention. Something less than a title would be understood, but it was quite clearly the goal.
One year, one mission accomplished, and one little bit of the bubbly later, and things are different. The Raptors still project as good. Quite good, possibly. They also project with a lot of unknowns, as older veterans try to maintain their production, younger veterans get to expand their games in larger roles and a host of young players battle to become pieces of the core and become the next Raptors success story that bucks pre-career expectations.
This is the final installment in this three-part mini-series on player development as we try to establish expectations for the Toronto Raptors.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 