Title: As free agency looms, offensive ceiling for Raptors’ Anunoby remains unknown
Date: December 6, 2023
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: In my latest at Sportsnet, I wrote about OG Anunoby’s fit in the Raptors’ new offence, which has asked him to change very little about his role, for better or worse.
TORONTO — There is a great deal of value in consistency. Knowing what a player will bring each night, and being able to rely on it, is a necessary component of success and team-building.
Stagnation, however, is a second cousin of consistency.
If a player, particularly a younger player, brings the same thing to the table year after year, teams have to weigh that consistency against the lack of a step forward. Not every young player has the space and opportunity to expand their game, and in those cases, you’d hope a player becomes better and better within their designated role. Player-development curves peak in the late 20s, and while they can continue improving beyond that point, a player is usually paid for who he is by age 27 or 28.
Those realities make O.G. Anunoby’s 2023-24 season fascinating, especially as the Raptors look to install new offensive principles and a more egalitarian system.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 