Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields—the two newest Toronto
Raptors—were introduced yesterday in a press conference. The two guards add
depth to an already crowded back-court, and both players should see significant
playing time this season. However, they aren’t the only new pieces the Raps
will see in 2012-13. Lowry and Fields are good additions to be sure, but when
paired with Jonas Valanciunas—the Raptors first pick in the 2011 draft—the
signs point to a drastically different team from the 2011-12 model.
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| Courtesy Score Media |
The early reports on Valanciunas are very positive. I will
say that I personally haven’t seen him play, but most analysts seem to think
the kid has serious talent. This is not to say that the guy will be an instant
20 and 10 player. But he is a true center who should contribute on both ends of
the floor, and has significant offensive upside. Even if he still needs time to
develop his offensive game in the NBA, he is a significant upgrade over the
Raptors’ centers from 2011-12 (Aaron Gray, Amir Johnson and Jamaal Magloire—none
of whom are very good at all).
Lowry, too, is a major upgrade for the Raps. While incumbent
point guard Jose Calderon may be a better shooter and pure passer, Kyle Lowry
does a lot that Calderon cannot or will not do. Lowry is a much better defender
than Calderon. For the first time in years, the Raps have a point guard who
won’t get repeatedly blown-by. Also, Lowry is a far superior rebounder compared
to Calderon. While Calderon may have the more consistent jump shot, Lowry can
score in his own right, and with his talent on the defensive end being much
higher than Jose’s, it seems Lowry has the edge in the point guard competition
at this point.
And then there’s Landry Fields. At first, I was completely
against the Fields signing, thinking the offer sheet the Raps signed the guard
to was far too expensive. While the offer may have been made in an attempt to
get Steve Nash, Fields represents a solid addition to the Raptors in his own
right. Like Lowry, Fields is known mainly for his effort and ability on the
defensive end. Where I see the upside, though, is in his offensive game. While
2011-12 was a poor year for Fields offensively, this is a guy just one year
removed from shooting 49.7% from the field, and 39.3% from 3-point range. We
know Fields will be solid on the defensive end of the court, but if he can get
close to his rookie shooting numbers, he could also be a nice contributor on
offense as well.
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| Courtesy Score Media |
Next season will be Dwayne Casey’s second as the Raptors
head coach. Coming to Toronto, Casey was known as a defensive guru, and his
first season brought marked improvements to the Raps on the back end. Likely,
no one in Toronto is as excited for the Raptors’ three main additions than
Casey, as the trio of Lowry, Fields and Valanciunas are all expected to bring
even more defensive accountability to the team. Really, though, if the Raptors
want to contend for a playoff spot in 2012-13, these three guys have to
contribute on the offensive side as well. While none of the three are
particularly known for their offensive prowess, they can all contribute in a
major way if they can manage to reach their upside.
Ultimately, these three big additions will go a long way in
shaping the 2012-13 Raptors.
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