Toronto Raptors Preview - NBA Team Previews 2022-23

Written by

Updated on April 7, 2023 7:37AM EST

2022-23 Toronto Raptors Team Preview

Despite some sexy Kevin Durant trade rumors, the off-season was rather dull for Toronto. The Raptors lacked a first-round pick and their splashiest free agent signing was a two-year deal for Otto Porter. Toronto has highly skilled players throughout the roster but still lacks that superstar needed to make a playoff push. Maybe 2021-22 Rookie-of-the-Year Scottie Barnes can evolve into that role.

2021-22 Record: 48-34; Lost in first round of playoffs (2-4) to Philadelphia

2022-23 NBA Win Total Odds: 45.5 wins (DraftKings)

2022-23 NBA Title Odds: +4,500 (DraftKings)

Want to bet on the Toronto Raptors? Click here for a DraftKings Promo Code.

Check out our 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Rankings, which includes fantasy basketball projections for every player.

Toronto Raptors Fantasy Basketball Preview - Top Players

Fred VanVleet

The 2021-22 season presented a changing of the guard for the Raptors after Kyle Lowry departed for the Heat. They turned the backcourt over to VanVleet, who had already proven to be a valuable running mate when Lowry was still in town. He took his game to another level with Lowry gone, averaging career-highs in points (20.3), rebounds (4.4), assists (6.7) and three-pointers (3.7) per game. For those who play in leagues that count turnovers, he was also an asset in that area by averaging just 2.6 of them per game. That's nothing for a player who has the ball in his hands as much as VanVleet does. The Raptors were extremely deep at forward, but their limited options behind VanVleet at the guard spot contributed to him averaging a whopping 38 minutes per game. The Raptors made no significant additions at guard during the offseason. Scottie Barnes is an excellent passing forward, so he'll likely be asked to continue to help VanVleet facilitate the offense for his teammates. However, with his hefty playing time and leading role, VanVleet comes with an incredibly high floor in fantasy.

Pascal Siakam

Siakam directed a strong 2021-22 season, making Third Team All-NBA - his second time earning an All-NBA nod. The forward set new career highs in rebounds (8.5), assists (5.3) and steals (1.3) while leading the NBA in minutes per game (37.9). He also added 22.8 points on 49/34/75 shooting. Siakam's improved rebounding was largely due to him playing more center than ever before. The Raptors went with a small-ball approach for most of the season, which resulted in him seeing 37 percent of his minutes at the five. The franchise didn't add any competition at the position during the offseason, so Siakam should continue to start there so OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes can also start. Siakam's realignment to center has also authorized him to shoot fewer threes - an area where he's posted mixed results. His three-point attempts have declined over the past two seasons, and he tallied just 1.1 triples per game last year. It's possible that starts to trend up, but fantasy managers shouldn't bank on it. By usage rate (25.8%), Siakam claimed the No. 1 spot for Toronto last season, and that should still be the case this season. Barnes' emergence as a playmaker will be an important trend to watch, and Fred VanVleet carries plenty of responsibilities as well, but Siakam has a high floor as a fantasy player given his role on the team. He ranked 33rd in per-game fantasy value in 2021-22.

Scottie Barnes

The fourth overall pick out of Florida State in the 2021 NBA Draft, Barnes played his way into 2021-22 Rookie of the Year honors. He came out of the gates hot, scoring in double figures in his first eight appearances, and he didn't slow down The versatile forward averaged 15.3 points on 49/30/74 shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 combined steals-plus-blocks. He had plenty of big games, most notably a performance in a 36-point win over the Nets where the rookie posted 28 points (12-14 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 16 rebounds (nine offensive), five steals, four assists and one block in 34 minutes. The overall result was Barnes ranking 70th in per-game fantasy value. The next step for the 21-year-old will be improving his shooting. He took a modest 2.6 threes per game and made them at 30.1 percent, and his free-throw percentage (73.5) leaves a bit to be desired. With the rest of his game already polished and the Raptors running a lot of small-ball, his lack of floor-spacing isn't a major issue for the team. He should make improvements overall this season, but Barnes' ceiling is a bit capped given that Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are above him in the pecking order, and OG Anunoby gets his fair share of touches as well. Barnes should be drafted before pick 70, but expecting a leap into All-Star status might be unrealistic.

Toronto Raptors Depth Chart for 2022-23

Click here to take a look at the Raptors' full depth chart

Toronto Raptors Predictions for 2022-23

A quiet offseason means any chance for improvement in Toronto relies on the development of 21-year-old Scottie Barnes and the health of Fred VanVleet. The fear is this team is always "pretty good", but never a legit title contender without a real superstar. If Toronto is humming along at .500 come the trade deadline, it wouldn't be surprising to see President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri make a big deal while FVV and Pascal Siakam still have lots of value. Presumably, a big change would be focused on pairing a younger star with up-and-comer Barnes.

Record Prediction

44-38
7th in the East
Lose in first round of the playoffs

Bold Call

So little has changed with this club, it's hard to envision a dramatic change in 2022-23. How about this: come playoff time, Scottie Barnes takes over as the new alpha dog on offense. One could argue this team has gone as far as it can with FVV and Siakam in charge. VanVleet and Siakam are both unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2024. It's hard to envision Toronto keeping both of them. Barnes will need room, and touches, to grow.

NBA Award Contenders

Pascal Siakam, MVP +11,000
Scottie Barnes, Most Improved Player (+3,000) & Defensive Player of the Year (+6,000)