"No one predicted Detroit becoming a 60-win juggernaut before the season. Unfortunately for Pistons fans, most people also did not expect that 60-win juggernaut to struggle through a seven-game series against the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic, then lose in seven games against the Cavaliers."
"The Raptors have already accomplished the first two parts of that blueprint. Last year, Toronto finished 11th in the Eastern Conference. This year, the Raptors made their surprising leap after adding Brandon Ingram. They now need to develop their young players and add one or two proven contributors to continue their Detroit-like ascension."
"Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson are the Pistons' main young contributors who have made jumps over the last two or three years. Scottie Barnes, who was drafted in the same class as Cunningham, made his own leap this season and broke out even further in the playoffs. Collin Murray-Boyles and Ja'Kobe Walter also flashed huge upside in the second half of the season."
"All you had to do was watch five minutes of Collin Murray-Boyles this season to see his overwhelming potential. He is a 99th-percentile athlete in the NBA with special defensive instincts, much like Ausar Thompson. Ja'Kobe Walter does not have the same defensive upside as Barnes or Murray-Boyles, but he still showed he can be a defensive force in the playoffs."
Detroit’s season produced major success alongside major disappointment, including a seven-game loss to Orlando and a seven-game loss to Cleveland. Detroit’s path began with a 14-68 record, followed by a leap the next year through development of young players and addition of veterans. Toronto has already completed the first two steps by improving from 11th in the East to a surprising leap after adding Brandon Ingram. The next needs are internal growth from young players and one or two proven contributors to sustain progress. Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Ja’Kobe Walter are positioned for development, with Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson serving as Detroit’s young core examples.
Read at Raptors Rapture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]