Key Takeaways
- The Toronto Raptors' future led by Scottie Barnes looks bright with a promising young core.
- Toronto's core includes RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, who are both terrific fits next to Barnes.
- The Raptors have established a solid foundation and a clear direction, paving the way for a successful rebuild.
The 2023-24 NBA season marked the beginning of a new era in Toronto Raptors basketball. The Raptors officially handed the keys to the franchise to Scottie Barnes after they traded long-time mainstays Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby during the season.
With an All-Star caliber player like Barnes leading the way, Toronto figures to have a promising future. They have surrounded the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year with a solid young core that can make noise in the Eastern Conference down the line.
However, other teams in the East have also positioned themselves with intriguing young cores that could compete with the Raptors in the future.
With that, let's see how Barnes and the Toronto Raptors stack up with the other rebuilding teams in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto Raptors Core Led by Scottie Barnes
Masai Ujiri has surrounded Barnes with the right pieces
The Raptors have a clear-cut face of the franchise: Scottie Barnes. Having turned 23 years old in August, Barnes is well-equipped to lead this next era of Raptors basketball thanks to his all-around and developing game.
After a sophom*ore slump, the former Florida State standout showed tremendous growth this past season, becoming an All-Star (albeit the replacement route) for the first time in his career.
With the departure of Fred VanVleet last summer, Barnes was entrusted with more facilitating and ballhandling duties in 2023-24. He averaged career-bests across the board, and was just one of five players to average 19+ PPG, 8+ RPG, and 6+ APG this past season.
| Scottie Barnes - 2023-24 Season Stats | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stats |
| PPG | 19.9 |
| RPG | 8.2 |
| APG | 6.1 |
| SPG | 1.5 |
| BPG | 1.1 |
The other four included Giannis Antetokounmpo , Nikola Jokic , Luka Dončić , and Domantas Sabonis . That is elite company right there, and it only shows that the Raptors have a special talent on their hands in Barnes.
Masai Ujiri has surrounded Barnes with an interesting young core headlined by RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley .
Barrett has emerged as a dynamic scorer who could thrive off of Barnes' playmaking chops. It could be the water in his hometown, but Barrett has suddenly become an elite shooter since joining the Raptors. A career 34.2 percent three-point shooter during his time with the Knicks, the Mississauga, Ontario native shot 39.2 percent from three in 32 games with the Raptors.
Quickley, meanwhile, has always been an intriguing young guard ever since he was with New York. The Sixth Man of the Year runner-up in 2022-23, Quickley has a great chance to showcase that he can thrive as a full-time starting point guard in Toronto. He showed that in the latter half of the 2023-24 season, when he averaged 7.8 assists, with a solid assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.13.
Both former Knicks finished strong last season and, during that time, showcased that they can thrive with or without the ball. Their ability to play off-ball makes them ideal pieces next to Barnes.
| Toronto Raptors Young Core - 2023-24 Post All-Star Break Stats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% |
| RJ Barrett | 23.5 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 55.8% | 42.9% |
| Immanuel Quickley | 21.2 | 6.1 | 7.8 | 44.2% | 38.5% |
| Gradey Dick | 12.5 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 43.7% | 37.1% |
Gradey Dick, Toronto's lottery pick last year, also had a promising end to his rookie year. After struggling out of the gates with his shot, Dick converted 37.1 percent from three in the final 26 games of the campaign.
Apart from those three, the Raptors also added prospects like Ja'Kobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo in the draft.
Toronto has finally made a clear direction as a franchise. While the results may not show up immediately, they have at least established the foundation to win in the long run.
How the Raptors Compare with the Hornets
Charlotte's direction is still unclear
Much like Toronto, the Charlotte Hornets have done a great job finding pieces that fit to make up their core. LaMelo Ball , Brandon Miller , Mark Williams , and Nick Smith Jr. — all 23 years old and younger — figure to be the core four that should make up Charlotte's future.
Led by a former All-Star in Ball and the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year runner-up in Miller, the Hornets have a good chance to be a wildcard in the Eastern Conference this upcoming season. Williams is an intriguing center prospect who complements Ball well as a lob-threat. Smith saw limited playing time in his debut year, but promisingly shot 43.2 percent from three as a rookie.
| Brandon Miller - 2023-24 Season Stats | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stats |
| PPG | 17.3 |
| RPG | 4.3 |
| FG% | 44.0% |
| 3P% | 37.3% |
With Ball and Miller as the two building blocks, the Hornets could have the higher ceiling over the Raptors. Ball has already been an All-Star, while Miller has shown the potential to be one down the line. However, a lot of that will depend on Ball's health and Miller's development. These factors are why Toronto's floor is higher than Charlotte's.
Miller's emergence has also instigated some chatter about whether the franchise might be better off building around the 21-year-old instead of the 23-year-old Ball, who is entering his fifth NBA season. Trading Ball and committing to building around Miller would set back the Hornets' timeline further.
Thus, it is still unclear what trajectory the Hornets are currently on.
How the Raptors Compare with the Pistons
Detroit has surrounded Cade Cunningham with odd pieces
The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in basketball last season. Apart from winning a league-worst 14 games, they also got the dishonorable record of tying the longest losing streak in NBA history at 28 straight losses.
Coming off such a horrendous campaign, there is little reason to be optimistic about the Pistons for this upcoming season at least. But the franchise still has a glimmer of light to be hopeful about in the next few years thanks to their budding young core led by franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham.
| Cade Cunningham - 2023-24 Season Stats | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stats |
| PPG | 22.7 |
| RPG | 4.3 |
| APG | 7.5 |
| FG% | 44.9% |
| 3P% | 35.5% |
The emergence of Jalen Duren as a double-double machine is one of the few bright spots for Detroit. Jaden Ivey had a solid sophom*ore campaign. And Ausar Thompson is an intriguing defensive piece, but has glaring holes in his game.
Detroit's current core doesn't seem to be fit for the modern NBA, however. Duren, Ivey, and Thompson are all non-shooters, making them odd fits for a great creator like Cunningham.
The Raptors, meanwhile, have surrounded Barnes with more capable floor spacers and dynamic offensive weapons, which should maximize his playmaking abilities.
How the Raptors Compare with the Hawks
What does Atlanta do with Trae Young?
Unlike the Raptors, the Atlanta Hawks don't have a clear direction as a franchise. Compared to Scottie Barnes, the Hawks arguably have the better franchise cornerstone in Trae Young .
However, Atlanta has failed to build off its Eastern Conference Finals run just three years ago and is now faced with the dilemma of whether it should continue building around Young.
| Atlanta Hawks Records Since 2020-21 Season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Record | Finish |
| 2020-21 | 41-31 | Eastern Conference Finals |
| 2021-22 | 43-39 | 1st Round Exit |
| 2022-23 | 41-41 | 1st Round Exit |
| 2023-24 | 36-46 | Eliminated in Play-In |
To make matters more complicated, Atlanta somehow managed to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. However, this was a relatively weak class with no surefire franchise-altering prospect.
The Hawks used the pick to select 19-year-old Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher, who has great upside, but isn't expected to impact winning at this stage of his career. Given that he is still a project, it's still unknown whether he could be someone the Hawks can eventually build around.
Unlike Toronto, Atlanta still finds itself at a crossroads on what path it should take to get back to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
How the Raptors Compare with the Bulls
The Bulls still have pieces to trade
The Chicago Bulls currently find themselves in the same position the Raptors were a couple of years ago. Slowly but surely, however, the Bulls are already embarking on a rebuild.
DeMar DeRozan left this summer. Alex Caruso was traded. However, the Bulls are still looking to offload Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic . Their presence suggests they haven't undergone a full teardown just yet.
Nonetheless, the Bulls' young core is already starting to round into form. Coby White , Patrick Williams , Josh Giddey , and Matas Buzelis should be at the forefront of Chicago's rebuild. Those four have shown promise in their respective capacities.
| Coby White - Stats Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
| PPG | 9.7 | 19.1 |
| RPG | 2.9 | 4.5 |
| APG | 2.8 | 5.1 |
| FG% | 44.3% | 44.7% |
| 3P% | 37.2% | 37.6% |
White had a breakout 2023-24 campaign and finished as the runner-up for Most Improved Player. Williams has two-way upside but hasn't particularly developed into the star the Bulls wish he could be.
Giddey was on the come-up in Oklahoma City in his first two seasons before getting lost in the shuffle last year. Finally, Buzelis was one of the standout prospects during Summer League.
However, unlike Barnes, none of those three figure to be legitimate franchise cornerstones to build around.
How the Raptors Compare with the Wizards
The Wizards' young players are mostly projects
Only the Pistons had a more forgettable season than the Washington Wizards . Washington finished the season with 15 wins and are likely to experience the same kind of mediocrity this upcoming season.
The Wizards landed the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and used it to select Alex Sarr from France. Sarr had some hype entering the draft, but was incredibly underwhelming, to say the least, during his Summer League stint.
| Alex Sarr - Summer League Stats | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stats |
| GP | 4 |
| PPG | 5.5 |
| RPG | 7.8 |
| FG% | 19.1% |
| 3P% | 11.8% |
In four games in Las Vegas, the 19-year-old scored just 22 total points and shot 9-of-47 from the field. This included a 0-of-15 outing in his third game.
Nonetheless, Sarr's Summer League stint shouldn't box him as a bust. A 7-foot-1 mobile big with terrific athleticism shouldn't be scoffed at. So, there is a potential he could figure it out.
Apart from Sarr, Washington has another high-upside player like Bilal Coulibaly. However, he is more of a defensive guy who needs to work on his offense at this point of his career.
At this point, all the Wizards have are projects who are still banking on development.
How the Raptors Compare with the Nets
Brooklyn is embarking on a full-on rebuild, but could be scary down the line
The Brooklyn Nets signaled that they are kickstarting a rebuild when they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks this offseason.
Like Chicago, Brooklyn is still in the midst of a teardown. The likes of Cameron Johnson, Dennis Schroder, and Dorian Finney-Smith, among others, are all potential trade candidates who could be better off on winning rosters.
At this point, only Cam Thomas is the only promising prospect on the roster. It's likely that Brooklyn's next franchise cornerstone is still not on the team.
But their future is looking bright with all the first round draft picks they've amassed over the next six years.
Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference, NBA.com, and StatMuse
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