What these 5 early-season trends could mean for Raptors long term

Patience is a virtue, yes, but idle too long and opportunity can pass you by.

The Toronto Raptors front office has never been one to act in a rush, and the franchise tested the limits of what its fan base could tolerate last season with selfish basketball, uncertain contract situations, and a misshapen roster.

“We do believe that a lot of our players didn’t play the right way last year and we want to see them play the right way,” Ujiri said at media day. “I said that we were selfish, I’m not running away from that. We were selfish and we did not play the right way so let us see it when we play the right way.”

New head coach Darko Rajakovic is the man tasked with making the Raptors play the right way and he has made several big changes that have dramatically altered the aesthetics, even if the results are still a work in progress.

Through eight games, these are the five biggest changes so far and their potential long-term ramifications:

Scotties Barnes as the focal point

Nothing mattered as much coming into this season as the growth of Scottie Barnes. If his first year in the NBA had nothing but wins culminating in the Rookie of the Year award, his second season was a trying one all about lessons.

Barnes has taken those lessons – his level of conditioning chief among them – and looks to be making the NBA’s proverbial leap in Year 3. Through eight games, Barnes is averaging 21.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.1 blocks. He has also made 38.1% of his threes on over five attempts per game.

The 22-year-old is doing so much it’s almost difficult to absorb it all. Rajakovic reiterated throughout the summer that the ball was going to be in Barnes’ hands “a lot” and most expected growing pains in transitioning to more of a primary ball handler. Now? He’s unquestionably taken over as The Guy and it’s clear Toronto has a certified blue chipper to shape the roster around.

What we’ve seen

Despite a 30-11-6-3-3 performance against San Antonio, Barnes’ performance against Dallas was arguably even more encouraging because it showed just how high his floor is.

Barnes struggled to get his own offence going but consistently pushed the pace and kept the Raptors in a great rhythm. He dominated the glass and continued to excel defensively as a roamer, using his IQ to spot potential dangers and put out emerging fires.

What we foresee

Even if the Raptors are hovering around .500, Barnes figures to make his first All-Star appearance playing at this level. If he can propel the team to a higher win rate, he may even have All-NBA in his sights. In keeping with his everything, everywhere, all at once performances, his defence to this point has been All-Defence calibre, too.

It’s a great start, but for now, the biggest challenge lies in doing this for a whole season.

Pascal Siakam no longer 'The Guy'

Many wondered where things stood between Pascal Siakam and the Raptors coming into training camp. Between the lack of an extension as well as a proposed shift in the offence that would negatively impact him, it was understandable.

The questions will only intensify with his start. Through eight games, Siakam is averaging 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists, all down from last season with the points nearly seven fewer.

The biggest bonus of Siakam’s new role has been a return to top form defensively, an aspect of his game that declined as his offensive burden increased over the years.

What we’ve seen

In Siakam’s words, he’s a fighter. After four years as "The Guy," he’s taking a diminished role in stride and trying to find his place in this system. At least for now, this doesn’t appear to be a disgruntled player underperforming but rather one making an adjustment to a major shift in role.

It’s one thing to have a hot shooting night and take advantage of a listless Bucks team. The way he asserted himself against the Mavs and punished any undersized defender was the Siakam we all want to see. He was extremely successful on a championship team as a secondary scorer, and having that type of “insurance” when Barnes isn’t at his best offensively is a luxury.

What we foresee

If Siakam can embrace a secondary role, one that a potential contender looking to trade for him would want him to play anyway, the Raptors should look to extend its relationship with the player. Top 30 players aren’t easy to find in this league, and if Barnes’ three-point shooting is real, Siakam’s fit becomes all the more tenable. If Siakam prefers a fresh start and has no interest in playing second fiddle to Barnes, February could get very tense.

The picture is clearer at least from the front office’s perspective in not getting a Siakam extension done in the offseason. No longer the focal point, his lower numbers will give Ujiri, Bobby Webster and co. greater negotiating power. How much has the relationship eroded as a result? That remains to be seen.

OG's time to shine

While Barnes was going to be on one end of the spectrum and be given all he can handle and Siakam the other, Anunoby’s offensive role was expected to be somewhere in the middle and continue to row down the gentle stream he’s been on.

He’s changing those expectations by looking the most poised he’s looked on the offensive end, attacking with just a bit more composure and taking every three-point attempt that comes his way. Through seven games, he’s the team’s second-leading scorer at 17.6 points, shooting 41.7% on seven attempts a game, and 55.3% from the field overall.

Then there’s the all-world defence that always leaves viewers in awe. He’s the best defender in the league and that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

What we’ve seen

Through the early season, he has already taken on the challenge of defending Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic with equal aplomb, a feat in versatility that no other defender will lay claim to over the course of the season.

Anunoby has attempted at least eight three-pointers four times in seven games. He attempted at least that many 14 times all of last season.

What we foresee

If Anunoby doesn’t make First Team All-Defence, fans will riot. Heck, he should be the early favourite for Defensive Player of the Year.

Seeing the type of money Jerami Grant and Jaden McDaniels received, it’s understandable why Anunoby would want to push an extension further down the line. He is a no-brainer wingman for Barnes in terms of on-court fit and age and Toronto simply can’t afford to lose him.

Point guard upgrade?

If speed kills, Dennis Schroder is guilty of murder. His zestful drives have been a sight for sore eyes and have added a dimension to Toronto’s attack that has arguably been unseen since T.J. Ford. Jose Calderon and Kyle Lowry deceived defenders with guile and change of pace, while Fred VanVleet needed to break players down with great crossovers. Schroder will just blow right by you.

He’s a defensive pest, too, exhibiting very good 1-on-1 defence and great leadership as well with his communication.

What we’ve seen

The belief coming in was that despite his FIBA World Cup MVP winning performances in the summer, he was a known quantity in an NBA setting. Averaging 17.0 points, 8.4 assists and shooting 40% from three, he has made a great start in rubbishing those claims.

What we foresee

If Schroder can keep this up, he’ll move his way up near the top of the rankings of best free agent signings in Raptors history just as quickly as he does on the court. It’s a fairly underwhelming list at present led by the likes of Calderon and Bismack Biyombo, Schroder’s two-year, $26-million deal is already looking like money well spent.

Bench usage

Rajakovic explained before the season that he would like his rotation to be 10 deep because it’s important for those depth players to have consistent opportunity and that the starters can’t be worn out come March, April and beyond.

He’s a man of his word because at least 10 players have hit the court in every game this season. This, of course, is in stark contrast to how Nick Nurse ran his ship with a very tight rotation.

What we’ve seen

It wasn’t pretty for Malachi Flynn early in the season but the goal for the Raptors this season has been to genuinely learn more about its young players and so he’s being allowed to play through mistakes. He has shown steady improvement and had his best game of the season against the Mavericks.

Otto Porter Jr.’s theoretical impact has always been appealing since signing with the Raptors. He has proven to be the most impactful player off the bench though he’s played three out of eight games.

Rajakovic also takes a bit of a horses for courses approach, electing against using Chris Boucher in the season opener and against San Antonio, but the energy man has made hustle plays when called upon.

What we foresee

This approach will at a very minimum inform the Raptors of some hard truths about its depth or at a maximum bring out the best in those players. There will be a time to debate whether Gary Trent Jr. taking minutes away from Gradey Dick is worthwhile, but that will require the latter to get his shot going first.