NBA
Toronto Raptors: What Will Their Starting Lineup Look Like This Season
The Toronto Raptors recently traded DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs to acquire Kawhi Leonard. With Leonard starting at Small Forward, the Raptors have some decisions to make at the other starting spots. There have been reports that neither Serge Ibaka or Jonas Valanciunas are a lock to start next season.
Backcourt
Kyle Lowry is going to be the starting Point Guard next season. Fred VanVleet has been great, but he isn’t going to take the starting job away from Lowry. I don’t see them starting VanVleet alongside Lowry either. They will play alongside each other at times but that won’t be how they start games.
Danny Green is the favorite to start in the backcourt alongside Lowry. He is a three-and-D guy who would fit in great alongside Lowry in the backcourt.
Green has been a great player for the Spurs for the past eight seasons. He has averaged 9.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game over that span. His one steal and 0.9 blocks per game showed his ability on the defensive end.
They could consider starting CJ Miles as well. He is a very good shooter and could fit in well within the offense. They will probably end up going with Green though. The starting shooting guard spot might not end up even being much of a debate.
Frontcourt
Leonard is clearly going to be the starting Small Forward. The other two starting spots in the frontcourt are very much up for debate. There are four guys battling for two spots, though all four will play a key role on next year’s team. Ibaka and Valanciunas were the starting big men last season. OG Anunoby started at Small Forward last year, but he won’t have any chance to start there this season.
Pascal Siakam
The other candidate to start is Pascal Siakam. Siakam is probably the least likely of the four to start. His athleticism is what could get him into the starting lineup. He is a young big who has played well and seems to be one of their key players going forward.
He averaged 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. If the Raptors want to have a faster post player, then they could consider Siakam for the starting job. Expect him to come off the bench for the upcoming season, though he could potentially be a starter after that.
Jonas Valanciunas
Valanciunas has been the starting center for the Raptors for a long time. He has started 434 of the 440 games he has played in fif them. He has averaged 11.7 points and 8.5 rebounds throughout his six-year career.
The NBA is going away from the old-school back to the basket big. He can still have a big impact on the game. There are so many teams who play faster guys who are just to tough for him to guard. There is a chance he could come off the bench next season.
Serge Ibaka
Ibaka has started almost every game in his career except the first year and a half of his career. He has been the starting power forward for the Raptors since the trade deadline in 2017.
He’s been a big part of the team’s success. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season. His 36% from three-point range is a big part of his game. His ability to stretch the floor is key for this offense. He could have the same impact off the bench and he isn’t near a lock to start next season.
OG Anunoby
The last candidate is OG Anunoby. He was the starting small forward with the team last season, but didn’t have much of an impact on the offensive end. His ability to defend would be a nice fit in the starting lineup.
The starters ability to defend would be insane. That said, Anunoby showed he can hit shots as well. He shot 37% from deep last season. Expect him to battle up through training camp to earn that starting power forward spot.
Toronto Raptors Projected Starting Lineup
All of these players are going to have a big impact on the team next season. Here’s the projected Toronto Raptors starting lineup. This lineup is definitely good enough to contend in the Eastern Conference.
PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: Danny Green
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Jonas Valanciunas
Credit: Chris Kern
