The Toronto Raptors are taking positionless basketball to its logical extreme
But can they find enough offense to make the playoffs?
The Raptors, quietly, are back. They’re in the middle of that crowded pack of Eastern Conference teams hovering around the play-in race, scuffling with the Celtics, Wizards, Knicks, and Hawks for positioning. They have a pair of All-Star contenders and a set of uber-athletic, high-potential players coached by one of the most creative minds in the league.
Toronto is reaching the ultimate endgame of positionless basketball. They are running lineups of five perimeter players filled with size, ball-handling, and athleticism. They want to open the court for Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby.
In their most recent game, against the Trail Blazers, the Raptors started VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Siakam, Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes. Who is the center in that lineup? These are all perimeter players who can defend most positions, handle the ball, and launch threes (with varying results). Any of them could run either end of a pick-and-roll.
Off the bench, the Raptors use three different “bigs” who only accentuate the athleticism and switchability of these lineups. Precious Achiuwa is a hardworking, undersized (6’8) center who can play in space. Chris Boucher is actually taller than Achiuwa, but he pretty much exclusively plays power forward, launching threes and chasing other power forwards. Khem Birch is their more traditional center who can battle the league’s elite fives when necessary.
Their rotation is bizarre. There is no backup point guard, or even guards in general sometimes. When VanVleet sits, they rely on Siakam and Anunoby and play supersized lineups with all sorts of athleticism. The five-man lineup of Siakam-Anunoby-Barnes-Boucher-Achiuwa has actually played 21 minutes this season. That’s a crazy lineup! It has a plus-12 net rating, in case you’re wondering.
Has this worked? Well, it hasn’t always been seamless. They are surprisingly mediocre on defense, ranking 18th on the year, tied with the Lakers (not a good sign!). Their rating is better when the starters are on the court, but with all of these great defenders, they should be elite.
Offensively, there is heavy reliance on the main stars, VanVleet and Siakam. VanVleet should absolutely be an All-Star. He’s averaging 21.7 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 39 percent from three and playing elite defense. The Raptors are 15 points better when VanVleet is on the court than when he’s off.
He launches unguardable three-pointers to the moon:
His handles are tight, and he never gets caught up in traffic despite his size:
But while VanVleet is a constant source of offense thanks to his shotmaking and passing, he rarely makes two-pointers. That hurts his efficiency when he gets cold, as he has been lately. It also puts the onus on the Raptors’ other players to get to the hoop and finish.
That doesn’t always happen. We’re still waiting for that Anunoby leap. He oozes potential, but he has a tendency to settle for jumpers rather than keep the offense moving. He’s getting to the rim at his lowest-ever rate, so while he’s averaging a career-high in points, his efficiency has plummeted.
Siakam is back to his old self. He’s averaging the same amount of points as VanVleet while providing plus playmaking. His shooting isn’t back yet, but he’s confident driving to the hoop and spinning his way into layups:
The Raptors are 12th offensively this season, a testament to the efforts of VanVleet and Siakam. In big games, however, it’s the offense that will be the concern. This team is built as a modern, switchable defense, with big wings who can guard the league’s best players. They can get stale on offense, lacking shooting.
They might look to upgrade at the trade deadline. If a quality big is available, they should be interested. Another ball-handler to keep the bench afloat wouldn’t hurt. (Goran Dragic, supposed to be VanVleet’s backup, has been away from the team and will likely be traded.)
They are building an interesting experiment. They should be a great defensive team. They have all sorts of potential, with Anunoby and the All-Rookie lock Barnes. This group of players, capable of playing any position, could grow into a contender with more time and a little bit more help.
What else is happening in the NBA?
The Athletic reported that the Sixers are willing to keep Ben Simmons into the summer in order to land a superstar like James Harden. The other superstars on their list are Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, and Jaylen Brown. I don’t get why the Sixers are willing to waste an absurd Joel Embiid season. I’ll have more to say on this issue this week.
Jayson Tatum scored 50 points! He did it on 18-28 from the field and added 10 rebounds and seven assists. That’s one way to end a slump. The Celtics blew out the Wizards.
I jinxed the Hornets. Right after I praised their offense, they went cold against the Hawks and only put up 91 points in a 22-point loss. Terry Rozier was 2-14 from the field, and LaMelo Ball was 6-17. They’ll be just fine.
The Timberwolves beat the Nets 136-125 in an offensive explosion. The Karl Anthony-Towns-D’Angelo Russell-Anthony Edwards big three is cooking.
Steph Curry went 5-20 from the field and 1-13 from three (what in the world is happening??), but the Warriors beat the Donovan Mitchell-less Jazz in a 94-92 defensive battle. Neither of these contenders is playing especially well right now.