Toronto Raptors Stat Average Predictions

The Toronto Raptors are hoping to get back to the playoffs, but they’ll need a couple big seasons from key players in order to get there.

The 2013-14 season will be interesting in Raptorland, with a couple starters entering contract years and two sophomores looking to prove they will be strong players in the NBA for many years to come.

Rudy Gay will look to prove he’s good enough to lead a team all on his own as he prepares for his first full season in Toronto. Gay has given the Raptors its strongest wing player since Vince Carter suited up for the club, and like Carter, he’ll be depended on to lead Toronto back to the playoffs. Gay will be the primary option on a team for the first time in his career as he’ll no longer have to share the offensive load with Zach Randolph or Marc Gasol. Whether the extra workload translates to career numbers will remain to be seen, one thing is for sure, the Raptors will go as far as Gay takes them.

DeMar DeRozan will be Gay’s sidekick for the 2013-14 season and it could be a role that results in great success for the 24-year-old. DeRozan was the primary option on the club before Gay’s arrival and it appeared to be a role the swingman wasn’t ready for. DeRozan had a career-year in the 2012-13 season, proving he’s a talented force in the league. However, defenses were able to slow him down on some nights, as DeRozan struggled with consistently being the main focus of every opposition’s defensive game plan. With Gay in the line-up for a full season taking most of the opposition’s attention, DeRozan could be freed up to once again deliver a career season for the Raptors, even as the secondary option.

Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas are looking to build off respectable rookie campaigns, and will be given every opportunity to do so in the 2013-14 season. Both players have shown a stronger commitment to the defensive end and if they are able to show improvement in that area then they’ll be seeing plenty of court time. Ross and Valanciunas proved last year they are talented offensively, but in 2013-14 they’ll need to prove they are capable defensively.

With Gay, DeRozan, Ross and Valanciunas looking to put up better numbers than they did a year ago, the Raptors could be looking at a strong core moving forward. The four players are arguably the four most important players on the roster and it’ll be interesting to follow what kind of numbers they are able to produce.

It’s now time to see what kind of numbers these four, along with the rest of the Raptors, can put up in 2013-14.

Legend:

GP = Games Played

MPG = Minutes per game

PPG = Points per game

RPG = Rebounds per game

APG = Assists per game

STLPG = Steals per game

BLKPG = Blocks per game

Quincy Acy

Unlikely to see many minutes unless injuries occur, the undersized power forward will provide more energy and hustle than numbers on the stat-sheet.

2013-14 Stats: 25GP, 10.6 MPG, 3.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.4 APG

Austin Daye

The 6-foot-11 forward will need to battle in order to earn playing time in the rotation as he’ll likely be used sparingly given the rest of the talent on the roster.

2013-14 Stats: 34 GP, 9.2 MPG, 3.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.5 APG

Aaron Gray

The 7-footer will only be used in situations when the Raptors have to try to contain bigger centers such as Roy Hibbert, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. When the opposition has a smaller line-up, Aaron Gray won’t be seeing much playing time.

2013-14 Stats: 39GP, 12.3 MPG, 2.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.7 APG

Steve Novak

The three-point specialist could find a nice comfort zone in the rotation as the Raptors will need his long-distance shooting to prevent defenses from packing the paint. If Steve Novak competes hard when he’s on the floor, Raptor fans will be seeing him on a consistent basis.

2013-14 Stats: 78 GP, 19.8 MPG, 5.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.5 APG

Landry Fields

His first season in Toronto was miserable as Landry Fields couldn’t stay healthy and never appeared comfortable on the floor. Looking to bounce back from a tough first year as a Raptor, expect to see the player he was before he arrived in Toronto compared to what fans saw last season.

2013-14 Stats: 71 GP, 21.2 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 STLPG

Terrence Ross

Last season’s dunk champion will be looking to prove he’s more than just a highlight reel by using his athleticism to have success on both ends of the floor. If Terrence Ross can show he can play consistent defense, he’ll receive regular minutes in the rotation and be given every chance to succeed in his sophomore season.

2013-14 Stats: 75 GP, 21.9 MPG, 8.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.7 STLPG

D.J. Augustin

The backup point guard will be looking to bounce back from a tough season a year ago and he’ll be given every opportunity to do so with the Raptors. He’ll mostly be used to lead the second-unit, but don’t be surprised if he slides into a starter’s role given Kyle Lowry’s injury history.

2013-14 Stats: 79 GP, 19.3 MPG, 6.9 PPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 RPG, 0.6 STLPG

Tyler Hansbrough

The 6-foot-9 power forward will be trusted to provide energy off the bench and in return the coaching staff will provide Tyler Hansbrough with plenty of playing time. Likely to receive more minutes than other bench player, along with sliding into a starter’s role occasionally, Hansbrough could have a career season in Toronto.

2013-14 Stats: 81 GP, 22.1 MPG, 8.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.7 APG

Kyle Lowry

Entering a contract year, Kyle Lowry will need to have a career year if he wants to be paid like a top point guard at the end of the season. He’s proven he’s a talented guard capable of doing a little bit of everything on the court. Now he just needs to prove he can stay healthy.

2013-14 Stats: 72 GP, 31.5 MPG, 13.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.4 STLPG

Amir Johnson

Coming off a career-season and entering the year as the team’s starting power forward for the first time as a Raptor, Amir Johnson has the potential to put up double-double numbers. Averaging a double-double might be a bit of a stretch. However, don’t be surprised if Johnson manages to have another career season now that he’s Toronto’s undisputed starting power forward.

2013-14 Stats: 79 GP, 33.1 MPG, 12.3 PPG, 8.8 PPG, 2.1 APG, 1.4 BLKPG, 1.2 STLPG

Jonas Valanciunas

Entering his second season in the league, Jonas Valanciunas will be trying to prove he can stay on the floor by eliminating the rookie mistakes that plagued him a year ago. If the 7-footer can stay on the floor longer than the 23 minutes per game he averaged last season, he’ll have the chance to record impressive numbers for a sophomore center.

2013-14 Stats: 74 GP, 27.8 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.8 BLKPG, 0.6 STLPG

DeMar DeRozan

Looking to have the type of breakout season that puts him in the class with the rest of the top shooting guards in the league, DeMar DeRozan wants to make it hard for coaches to leave him off the All-Star team. He might not reach All-Star level this season, but given how he’s looked in the preseason, he might not be as far away as some may think.

2013-14 Stats: 82 GP, 37.4 MPG, 19.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 STLPG, 0.6 BLKPG

Rudy Gay

Playing his first full season in Toronto, Rudy Gay will want to show the rest of the league he’s good enough to lead a team on his own. He has the right to opt out of his contract at the end of the year, which means he’ll be motivated to have the best season of his career in order to get paid like one of the game’s elite players.

2013-14 Stats: 76 GP, 38.1 MPG, 22.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.6 STLPG, 0.9 BLKPG