Title: Why it’s time for the Raptors to explore new lineup options
Date: December 8, 2023
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: In my latest at Sportsnet, I wrote about the lack of rotation creativity in the Raptors’ first 21 games and some tweaks I’d like to see for the second quarter.
TORONTO — A lack of directional clarity at the highest levels of the Toronto Raptors has, at times this season, created some strategic friction, with the purported goal of being competitive now rubbing up against the desire to develop for the long-term.
It is not impossible for teams to want to compete while simultaneously looking at the larger picture. No two teams and seasons are exactly alike (except, maybe, for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Raptors), but the Oklahoma City Thunder did it expertly last year. The Indiana Pacers have missed the playoffs three years in a row but only once bottomed out, eschewing ping-pong balls to build habits, system, and continuity. Even this Raptors franchise famously took the leap to great by initially accepting that “good” was good enough for an initial evaluation period.
This would be the Raptors third time missing the playoffs in four years, if the season ended today, and that lone appearance was a six-game loss after narrowly avoiding a sweep. Things have not gotten better; in reality, they have probably gotten worse.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 