#toronto-raptors

#toronto-raptors

Boucher didn't see game action in the final 23 games in his last season with Toronto, and it wasn't because of poor play. The 33-year-old was Toronto's leading bench scorer at 10.0 points per game while chipping in 4.5 rebounds, and was having one of his best shooting seasons, converting at 36.3 per cent from three-point range (3.9 attempts) while hitting at a 63.3 per cent clip from inside the arc. Among Raptors regulars, his +4.9 net rating was second.

We are back for week 10 of the Top 10 Raptors Plays of the Week, as Toronto heads into the All-Star break with a 32-23 record after only winning 30 games all of last season. It's been a tough limp into the All-Star break with a bunch of double-digit leads being thrown by the Raptors, and of course, the record should be better, but let's take a moment to appreciate that Toronto is currently in a fight for a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The week kicked off with one of the thrown leads at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves, to the Chicago Bulls game that was nationally televised for the Americans for some reason, to a Super Bowl Sunday victory against a familiar foe, and finally an embarrassing blowout loss against the top-seeded Pistons at home.

Taking a flier on Sochan would seem like a low-risk upside play. He was the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft less than four years ago; perhaps they could unlock his potential in a new situation and pick up a talented forward for nothing? Fat chance. Jeremy Sochan is washed up already For starters, the reason that the Spurs moved on from Sochan was that his complete and utter lack of shooting and scoring ability made him unplayable.

Matchup wise, Scottie Barnes has the advantage tonight. His big and broad frame barreling downhill is a lot for most teams to handle, but with Indiana not having a large wing to throw on him, it will make his drives even more fruitful. Pascal Siakam or Aaron Nesmith may get the assignment tonight, depending on how Rick Carlisle wants to guard Brandon Ingram, but whomever it is on Barnes, he will have the size advantage.

Coby White is headed back home to North Carolina. A native of the Tar Heel State and of course, a University of North Carolina (UNC) alum, the 25-year-old spark plug guard has reportedly been dealt to his hometown Charlotte Hornets in a trade also sending veteran guard Mike Conley to Buzz City, while Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks go to the Chicago Bulls.

In 2019, the Toronto Raptors made an improbable run to the NBA Finals, winning it all in six games over the two-time defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. Today, the Raptors look nothing like that squad, with Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell having since moved on to different teams. VanVleet and Powell both shared that championship together as teammates and have maintained a connection ever since.

It's a bittersweet time to be a Raptors fan. The regular season success is starting to come back into the picture for the franchise, but there is a looming sense of unease. Some of the pieces of this puzzle don't fit together cleanly. The team very clearly has some bad salary, and it's a little uncertain how the roster can improve without taking unappealing and risky money in return or by offloading assets that are still needed in order to realize long-term success.

When the Raptors handed Immanuel Quickley a five-year, $175 million extension in the 2024 offseason, many were left wondering about the hefty price tag for a restricted free agent. But in today's NBA, where contracts keep getting bigger, there was also a chance this deal could turn out to be a smart financial move down the line - especially if Quickley makes a significant leap to stardom.