Just a few years removed from their miraculous title run, the Toronto Raptors sit at a major crossroads for their future. If they go in one direction, they can re-tool around Pascal Siakam and try to surround him with win-now players. In the other direction, they can rebuild completely and start from scratch around Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl.
But changes have already taken place and after the firing of head coach Nick Nurse, Raptors President Masai Ujiri hinted that a lot of things would be different next season.
“I did not enjoy watching this team play. I think that spoke loud and clear. You could see it throughout the year. There was never that full excitement. There was never that full spirit,” said Ujiri. “There was never that (feeling) of togetherness. We all saw it. You all saw it. It’s not something we are making up here… It’s not one person or one finger to point. I’m not pointing the finger at Nick. I have to take responsibility for this, too. As the leader of this organization, I will do that. It wasn’t us. This year wasn’t us. I think everybody saw that… I think there’s talent. It just hasn’t come out yet. We’re still developing, and this takes time sometimes. Maybe we could be wrong, but we still believe in those kids as talents.”
What’s Next For The Raptors?
The Raptors struggled to find consistency all season long thanks to a lethargic offense that just couldn’t keep up with the modern NBA. While Ujiri admitted the road would be tough, he assured the media (and the fans) that things will be better.
“Many things,” Ujiri said when asked what he could do better. “Look at the roster maybe in a different way. We have to figure out shooting on this roster in some kind of way. We have to figure out who fits and who doesn’t fit. Maybe manage people better and maybe see things a little bit deeper, because when we hire people I let them do their jobs. That’s been a strength of ours the last 10 years here, but I pay attention now a little bit more.”
Obviously, Masai will be working hard to find a new coach to lead this group, but how far can they really go with this group of players? At this point, Ujiri must see more than anyone that this roster does not work and it’s only a matter of time before he pulls the plug.
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