The Toronto Raptors have had a great start to the 2014-15 NBA season and have been the second best team in the NBA during the 2014 calendar year, 61-31. The Raptors, just like any other team, can get better by the end of the regular season, but consistency will be key for the young squad in the new year.
Toronto has been dominant so far this season with the help of new teammates that fit perfectly with the Raptors’ strategies from last season. Lou Williams has been crucial and James Johnson is really making a name for himself during his second stint with the Raptors.
Terrence Ross has been averaging around the same numbers as last season and showing the same lack of consistency. The Raptors are No. 1 in the league when it comes to offense, but if Ross can come out big and start producing more consistently — especially with no word on DeMar DeRozan’s return — he can help Kyle Lowry by making big shots when it counts.
Patrick Patterson is one of the best at shooting the three in the NBA but much like the other players on the team some nights he is absent. He manages to make up on the defensive end by helping with rebounds and being a lock-down defender — remember his defense on Carmelo Anthony in the overtime game with the New York Knicks.
Williams, one of the more consistent players, has been exceptional for the team and is definitely a contestant for sixth man of the year, being less than two points behind reigning sixth man Jamal Crawford in PPG. Greivis Vasquez can really perform and help run the floor when Lowry is on the bench, but once he is in a shooting slump he becomes less of a threat. And with a team that relies heavily on bench performance he could make a huge difference.
Other players not used for their offense, like Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough, know when to score and in Hansbrough’s case go up with the ball. So instead of looking for a trade, the Raptors should focus on player consistency to really help them get to the next level.
Abdikarim Hashi is a NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GoldHashi, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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