Toronto Raptors- Season Over

By: Greg Rector

The 2022-2023 Toronto Raptors season ended the way so many nights did for them all season long. Losing the 9/10 play-in game to the Chicago Bulls 109-105 was just a typical game seen far too often for fans of We The North. Going cold as shooters, had an absolutely horrendous night from the free throw line, and self-inflicted turnovers. That sums up the Toronto Raptors in 2022-2023.

Time To End The Experiment

The experiment of course was to have as many 6’8″ 6’9″ players who could guard 1 through 5 and be versatile on the offensive end of the floor. When they acquired Jakob Poetl at the trade deadline it was an admission that the experiment had failed. The worst part of the experiment though was the inability to have a starting unit backed up by a consistent bench. That never happened and it’s not only on the players but on head coach Nick Nurse as well who I feel was often way too short-tempered with the leash so to speak with his bench players. Make a mistake and sit for two games? You can’t kill a player’s confidence like that.

What Happens Now

The first off-season decision is the one head coach Nick Nurse will make about his future unless Masai Ujuri and Bobby Webster make it for him. There’s no debating that Nick Nurse is a quality coach but sometimes the same voice saying the same thing begins to fall on deaf ears. Has Nick Nurse reached that point? Remains to be seen. I don’t see the Toronto Raptors firing Nick Nurse, they will allow him to determine his future. His name is in the rumor mill, especially as the next head coach of the Houston Rockets and if he does leave you can bet a few other teams would explore having Nick Nurse as their next coach as well.

Plenty of free agents to deal with as well starting with Fred Van Vleet and Gary Trent Jr. Do the Toronto Raptors lose both for nothing or can they at least get a sign and trade done for one of them? Trent Jr has expressed his desire to stay in Toronto. Fred Van Vleet may end up being too expensive to keep.

Then you have the other two core players in Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, both of whom would draw plenty of interest if the Toronto Raptors decided to blow it up. Masai Ujuri and Bobby Webster have to decide if they keep their veteran presence or make the tough decision that between salary and their ages, it’s time to move in a new direction.

That direction would be making the Toronto Raptors a Scottie Barnes-led roster. Is Barnes heading into his third season ready for that role? Again something else without a definitive answer. Moving away from beloved players such as Sikam and Anunoby will be divisive with the fans but if the decision is made to rebuild it’s a very distinct possibility.

Don’t Rush Anything

The Toronto Raptors do not have to make any rash choices. It’s not in Masai Ujuri’s makeup to do anything rashly. Once the player’s exit interviews are done you better believe there will be some very long days upstairs at Scotiabank Arena with the entire Raptors executive group. This might be the busiest off-season in recent memory for the Toronto Raptors something that hasn’t been the case in a long time. Normally it’s adding a piece here and there drafting and working towards challenging for the playoffs.

No matter the decisions that are to come from Nick Nurse or the brain trust the 2023-2024 Toronto Raptors will look quite different. I really can’t see Fred Van Vleet remaining with the Toronto Raptors and the remaining decisions won’t be easy either.

It’s very hard in the free agency era to remain competitive without plenty of things continuing to fall just right. The last several seasons outside of the brutal COVID season in Tampa have been tremendous for Toronto Raptors fans. Of course, nothing will top that 2019 NBA Championship but there comes a time when those memories aren’t enough and that time has arrived in my opinion. A 41-41 team is not what any Toronto Raptors fan wants to see. Getting back to being a contender is the goal. How they go about that task will be seen soon enough.

As always find me on Twitter @GregCowboys