5 Reasons To Be Excited About The 2013-14 Toronto Raptors

Posted By: Midfa Chowdhury

This upcoming season will feature a young, talented and explosive Raptors squad that can make some serious noise in the Eastern Conference and turn some heads. In particular, there are three players to watch, one head coach and one executive to keep an eye on. The combination of these factors should make the Raptors a team to watch and possibly a playoff contender.

 

5. Jonas Valanciunas is the first member of the team that comes to mind right away as far as improvement goes. In Summer League action, Jonas Valanciunas played very well as he caught the attention of many. He averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, 56% shooting from the field and 88% from the charity stripe in his four appearances. Most of all, he passed the eye test as he has shown growth and improvement. Clear to the eye was his strength and new post moves. He was such a dominant force that it earned him Summer League MVP. Even more important, he impressed new General Manager Masai Ujiri. Now the question is, will he be able to carry his Summer League success into the NBA regular season? So far early indications say he can.

 

4. Dwayne Casey is the next most intriguing figure on the Toronto Raptors this upcoming season. New General Manager Masai Ujiri stepped in with a decision to make on whether Head Coach Dwayne Casey sticks around especially considering that 2013-14 is his last year on his contract. Comparing philosophies and visions for the Raptors going forward; Ujiri decided for Casey to stick around. It will be interesting to see what Coach Casey will have up his sleeve this year to better the offence while still throwing in his usual defensive expertise. With his future on the line, a better set of players and new vision for the team; expect him to deliver.

 

3. General Manager Masai Ujiri is of course a very exciting figure going into the 2013-14 season. For the reasons above with Coach Casey and because of what he brings to the table. The reigning 2012-13 Executive of the Year with the Denver Nuggets showed what he can do. He made a serious contender out of the Denver Nuggets turning them into a fast paced team with no clear cut superstar playing as a unit. To the happiness of long time Toronto Raptors fans, he traded Andrea Bargnani to the New York Knicks which symbolized a much needed fresh start. Considering his body of work coming in which cannot be ignored, there should be nothing but optimism when looking into what he can do in the future for Toronto. He will work very hard for the team he has a special connection with because as he said, “I’m home”.

 

2. Demar Derozan will be the next individual to keep an eye on in 2013-14. Demar at the very young age of 24, has literally grown up in the Raptors system. He has seen Chris Bosh play to free agents come in and has even seen the development of new young players. While this was going on around him, the torch was slowly being passed on to him. In the 2013-14 expect Derozan to elevate his game to a new level. He has been improving every year since coming into the association. His shooting, ball handling and leadership have all really improved since his first days on the team. Over the summer he has been working very hard once again on his game while also trying to stay fresh and add new wrinkles to his repertoire. With steady improvements, I would not be surprised if he takes a new leap in his career. Next up is strong consistent play and if he can do so; it could mean an All-star appearance for the young man.

 

1. The most intriguing element of the Toronto Raptors to watch in 2013-14 will be without a doubt Rudy Gay. As soon as he was traded to the team last season, Rudy Gay showed his ability and its impact on the team. Many have been critical of Rudy Gay’s contribution to the team in comparison to his contract. I on the other hand feel he is absolutely worth what he is being paid. It has been a long time since the Raptors have had a clear star on the team and Rudy Gay has played at a high level virtually all his career. In addition, there is no doubt that he is the leader of this team going forward as he has also owned up to it while also embracing it with open arms. One could even argue that he is the fourth best at the small forward position in the NBA behind Lebron James, Kevin Durant and Carmello Anthony. Now with an entire season available to him and with plenty of time for him to build chemistry with all the players, there should be nothing that stops him from continuing to lead this Toronto Raptors team. Similar to Derozan, he will also look to become an all-star for the first time in his career. He will be expected to spear head the 2013-14 Toronto Raptors to the playoffs and he might just do so.