Raptors' 'biggest fear' coming true could quickly create nightmare offseason scenario

"Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes listed "shooting is too expensive" as the Raptors' worst fear this offseason, noting that there aren't too many great 3-point shooters available and that the Raptors would probably have to "trigger the hard cap at the first apron" and not make re-signing Sandro Mamukelashvili a priority to upgrade their perimeter game."

"If that fear ends up coming true, the Raptors will leave the offseason disappointed and with many of their offensive problems still very much alive-a nightmare for a team that's gearing up to build a contender around Scottie Barnes sooner rather than later."

"A team in the Raptors' position wants to get a bit better every year until it's finally time to push in all the chips and make a big splash on the trade market. The Raptors took a massive step forward this season when Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja'Kobe Walter got their first taste of playoff basketball, Scottie Barnes learned what it took to be the guy in the postseason, and Darko Rajaković braved his first playoff series as a head coach."

"The next step forward is to improve the offense, which includes adding shot creation and 3-point shooting. The Raptors finished the regular season twenty-first in 3-point percentage, on average making 11.4 of their 32.1 attempts per game (35.4%). In the playoffs, they took fewer threes per game but still made 35.6%."

The Raptors have momentum from a top-five finish and a first-round series pushed to seven games despite injuries to two starters. Offseason uncertainty includes the possibility that acquiring shooting will be too expensive, with limited available 3-point talent. That scenario could require using the hard cap at the first apron and deprioritizing re-signing Sandro Mamukelashvili to improve perimeter play. If shooting upgrades do not happen, offensive problems may persist, undermining plans to build a contender around Scottie Barnes. The team seeks incremental improvement each year, with the next step focused on offense, shot creation, and 3-point shooting. They ranked 21st in 3-point percentage in the regular season and made 35.4% of attempts, while playoffs production remained similar at 35.6%.

Read at Raptors Rapture