Could the Raptors’ Depth Be Their Downfall?

Recently there was an article published on Grantland written by Jared Dubin which poses the question “Do the Raptors Have Too Much Depth?“. The article poses the question whether the Raptors have too much depth at the shooting guard and small forward positions and if it will pose a problem for the team.

The Raptors have DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross returning as starters and have acquired scoring guard Lou Williams and James Johnson during the off-season to serve as their respective backups.

The current NBA landscape is moving away from more traditional lineups as we see more teams playing smallball and a two point guard backcourt. As Dubin points out in the Grantland feature, the Toronto Raptors were at their best playing Lowry alongside Vasquez in a two point gaurd backcourt.

Last season Lou Williams averaged 24.1 mpg in 60 games played last year with the Atlana Hawks and James Johnson averaged 18.4 mpg in 52 games played last year with the Memphis Grizzlies. The two new Raptors should be able to receive a similar amount of floor time considering the departure of players from last year’s roster.

John Salmons, who averaged 21.4 mpg in 60 games played, and Steve Novak, who averaged 10 mpg in 54 games played, are both no longer on the Raptors’ roster. The Raptors have also parted ways with Nando De Colo and Dwight Buycks who played limited minutes last season at the point position and there could likely be a decrease in the minutes Landry Fields receives. 

Also take into account that both DeRozan and Lowry set career highs in minutes per game last season and it could be Dwane Casey’s plan to give these players a little more rest throughout the season. So far in the preseason, Casey has rested his starting backcourt frequently and it could be an indication that he is looking to lower the amount of minutes they will play in the regular season as well.

If anything the added depth will improve the level of competition helping players further develop and push each other in practice. As Dubin points out in his article that it is “not even really a problem, per se. More of a slight issue.”

For the full article discussing the Raptors depth you can click here.

Gluttony of Guards

Raptors.com blogger Holly MacKenzie has written a preview for the upcoming 2014-2015 Raptors Season. The preview highlights the depth the Raptors will have at the guard positions. The Raptors backcourt was strong last year with Lowry and DeRozan combining to be one of the league’s most formidable starting duos. With Vasquez coming off the bench as well as the addition of Louis Williams during the off-season appears to once again be a strength for Toronto heading into the new season.

Searching for Trust

This week Raptors fans received a little bit of satisfaction during the transitional period between the NBA’s free agenct frenzy and the start of NBA Training Camps. Jonathan Abrams, a writer for the website Grantland, has written an excellent feature illustrating the development of Kyle Lowry into the current player he has become for the Toronto Raptors. The Grantland feature illustrates Lowry’s maturation from a young kid searching for trust after being repeatedly abandonned by the male figures in his life into a husband, father and unquestioned leader of the Raptors.