Following last year's worst record in nearly nine seasons, expectations for the Toronto Raptors have fallen further with the departure of Lowry and the addition of young players such as Barnes. Returning to the playoffs has always been their goal, and the Raptors still have the ability to compete for a playoff spot this season, especially since they look like they've turned things around lately, but the team still has weakness holes that can't be ignored.
3. Substitute point guard
VanVleet took over the baton of the main point guard, with the addition of Flynn and Dragic, the role of the backup point guard looks solid, VanVleet as a starting point guard is very good, contributing All-Star level data, however, the situation in the bench position is just the opposite, the Raptors are still looking for answers.
Dragic left the team for personal reasons after playing five games for the Raptors, and Flynn has averaged just three points per game this season and is shooting 33 percent from the field.
Their current backup guard is 2021 second-round pick Dalano Bandon, obviously not a good choice, averaging 3.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 12 minutes per game, and has a good defense, but the Raptors still need a better point guard than Darano Bandon.
2. Center
Achuva is a big athletic man who is now on track after a tough start, but the 22-year-old is still too young, averaging 8.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and an efficiency of less than 40 percent per game, which is unacceptable for a center.
When healthy, the Raptors often use Siakam as a small ball inside, but at present they are desperately short of an interior line with starting strength and strong finishing ability.
Substitute shooting ability
Gone are the days of the "bench bandits," with the Raptors averaging 24.7 points per game on the bench this season being the worst in the league, and looking at their bench alone, the best shooter is Yuta Watanabe with a 38 percent shooting percentage, and the other three players who should theoretically be good shooters are in the doldrums this season, at 32 percent, 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively.
Obviously, if the Raptors want to hit the playoffs, they need to bring in some players who can contribute and project from the bench.