The Toronto Raptors aren’t messing around. Let’s take a look at what the team has done in 2018.
Before the 2018-19 Season
When the Raptors were swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, they knew they needed to make a change. And boy did they ever. First, they fired their head coach, Dwayne Casey, who was named the NBA Coach of the Year.
Then they traded away their number one player, DeMar DeRozan, to the San Antonio Spurs. However, in return, they acquired defensive powerhouse Kawhi Leonard, and fellow Spurs’ teammate Danny Green. They also promoted assistant coach Nick Nurse to the vacant head coach position.
After which they hired four new assistant coaches to fill his spot as well as former Raptor Jamaal Magloire who is officially listed as a player development consultant. The Raptors made some drastic changes. Many thought it would take them at least a year to get to championship contention, but they are certainly proving those people wrong.
This Season
The Toronto Raptors had an 8 game winning streak right from the season opener, matching their franchise record. To date, the Raptors are 27-11. They are second in the Eastern Conference, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Even though the Raptors’ roster has been riddled with injuries lately, they’re still managing to win their contests. Kyle Lowry is currently missing several games due to a back injury. Serge Ibaka has also missed a couple games due to a knee injury. As well, Jonas Valanciunas who is out for at least 4 weeks with a dislocated thumb, which he occurred during the matchup against the Golden State Warriors in December.
So far this season, we’ve seen the incredible defensive and offensive skills Kawhi Leonard brings to the team. He is currently averaging 27 points and 8 rebounds per game with the Raptors. He also plays on average about 35 minutes each game. However, the Raptors have been resting Leonard whenever there are back to back games, which is a new concept for the team. Since he is coming off a season where he played only nine games due to an injury, coach Nick Nurse doesn’t want to overwork Kawhi before playoffs come around in May.
Despite his absence in a few games, the Raptors are still fairly solid without Leonard. Kyle Lowry has really stepped up his game, currently leading the NBA in assists. As well, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam have been off to a great start this season, standing out in their roles in the starting lineup. Toronto is set to end the year off strong, and are looking to keep up appearances in the new year to take them to the Finals once and for all.
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