In an impressive win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, it looks like the newest Raptor, Rudy Gay is settling in to his new home just fine. Whilst playoffs seem highly unlikely for the Raptors, the new Toronto duo of Gay and DeRozan have potential to do big things for the team, for the remainder of the season and for the upcoming seasons.
Toronto has never had much luck in the NBA since joining the league in 1995. They have a had a few promising seasons the past decade, including a few playoff appearance but the thought of them being NBA champions has never seemed likely. Since the departure of Chris Bosh in 2010, the Raptors have had a bit of rebuilding to do. Whilst they have a ways to go yet, the inclusion of Rudy Gay is certainly a good start.
 |
| Rudy Gay |
Gay made his debut for Toronto on Wednesday night against the Clippers. I admit, I expected a solid performance from Gay and the Raptors but I held no belief that they would win, let alone win by as much as they did. The convincing win (99-73 was the final score) ended a 3 game losing streak for Toronto. Gay played 33 minutes, shooting 50% from the field, including three 3 pointers, to finish with a game high 20 points. DeMar Derozan shot just under 50%, finishing with 19 points and 7 assists, including 2 beautiful alley oops to Gay.
Not to take anything away from Toronto, but let's be honest, one win against the Clippers (who were missing key players) doesn't mean a lot. The following game, the Raptors went down to the Heat, 100-85. It was still a good showing from Gay and DeRozan. The question is, can these two bring out the best in each other and continue to do so?
 |
| DeMar DeRozan |
Derozan will have to be able to continue to effectively move the ball around, with minimal turnovers. A struggling team cannot afford to turn the ball over. He needs to develop his jump shot and increase his range to the 3 point line. If he can consistently score, it will make it easier for him to pass the ball around. Ideal averages for him would see his points at around 15-20 a game, with his assists somewhere around 10 a game. He is already a great defensive player, so he needs to keep his pressure up to try and force a few turnovers for some easy points.
Gay is going to have to score in bunches with a high percentage. His percentage is at 40.8 at the moment which is good, but with good shot selection there is no reason why he cant increase to 45%, maybe even close to 50 percent. I would like him to score around 25 points a game. I don't expect a lot of assists from him, but if DeRozan does become a better shooter, Gay will be able to draw the double team and kick it out for an open shot. Gay does need to rebound a lot more, his average is 5.9 rpg, but if he works hard in the paint, he can increase that to around 10.
If both players can achieve like that (both are doing well together so far) it will be a great start for Toronto. Basketball is a team game though and no matter how good those two get, they will need a solid team around them if Toronto wants playoff success.
 |
| Andrew Wiggins |
Currently favored to be picked number one in next year's draft is Canada's own, Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins is widely considered the hottest basketball player outside of the NBA. At just 17 years of age, he would be in for a great career if he lives up to his hype, and it seems very likely that he will. Now I'm not suggesting Toronto throw the rest of the season to get a better chance at drafting him, but if they won the draft lottery and picked up Wiggins, the playoffs would seem almost certain for Toronto. It's a nice thought to have Wiggins bring Toronto to success but they cannot pin all their hopes on the Draft Lottery.
They are a fairly young team and need to continue to play basketball with everything they have got. Fields, Lowry and Johnson all have something to bring to the table. Behind DeRozan and Gay, the rebuilding phase for Toronto looks just about over.
