News - Toronto Raptors - Dylan
Raptors updates
This season we have held our cards close to our chest, not really sharing our thoughts and reasoning for moves with the NSL fans and fellow GMs, for the first season we have only made 6 trades for the season, which well down from our usual 12-15 trades a year lol. (**Counting the deals that had to be split as only 1 trade transaction due to skirting around trade restrictions**) Coming into this year we had hopes of another playoff push, a goal we still have in mind for this team. However, injuries have struck at the worst time of the year. We began the year through the first 10 weeks with an average opponent strength of .560 which was the toughest schedule to the league at that point and still managed close to a .500 record despite the uphill battle. Our opponent strength going forward is at .458 and we were hoping for a big finish to the season in our playoff push however our worst fear came true, and we hit a catastrophic injury to our best player Julius Randle. Who with the Raptors is averaging 28ppg, 10rpg, 2apg, 1.5spg on 55/64/72 splits. Averages which have him as a top 10 scorer in the league and a top 25 player.
Thankfully just over a month ago we made a deal to send out D'Angelo Russell who we expect to turn down his player option for our 2024 unprotected 1st round pick and Brandon Clarke who has had a stellar NSL career so far and last year averaged 12ppg, 9rpg and 1.5bpg. Due to Brandon Clarke being out all year we expect he will still be the same player as he was preinjury once he returns as 2k don't tend to make any drops to injured players. Both Randle and Clarke will be huge additions to this team if both are able to return and we are in a play in / play-off position. As demonstrated this week with Randle in the lineup blowing out teams with an average win margin of 21 points.
Meanwhile we look to steady the ship behind rookie phenom Chet Holmgren averaging 20ppg, 10rpg, 1.1spg and 3.5bpg on 58/48/91 splits who has become a genuine threat to dethrone the pre-season favourite and tipped ROTY front runner Victor Wembanyama. Chet has been a huge inclusion to this team giving us hope of a generational talent in Toronto. Despite what most GMs in this league will attempt to argue (no I don't care if you have a hatred for NBA Trae, this is 2k where he's been a stud his entire career). I took a huge risk on in trading away an already established superstar Trae Young who is our leagues All Time assists leader and is 6th All Time in scoring (ahead of Luka, LeBron, Lillard, Harden) for a rookie that hadn't yet been seen in 2k or on an NBA floor. In hindsight this deal has obviously aged very well for me but there was a higher possibility I traded a superstar away for a kid who would never get there. Which thankfully it is looking likely he will be a 2k stud for majority of his career.
As for our other rookie who we took some heat on when we left Brandon Miller on the board to take Amen Thompson at pick 3. Amen, I don't need to go into his freakish athleticism and defensive instinct has looked every bit as advertised. Averaging here in the NSL as a starter 15ppg, 5rpg, 5apg and 1spg on 46% from 2. Recently Amen has taken the NBA by storm after Ime has finally trusted him with minutes has averaged as a starter 12.5ppg, 12rpg, 4.2apg and 1.8spg on 57% from 2. While we are still waiting for 2k to bump Amens rebounding and block rating as well as any badges (hello, 2k? which were given to his brother over a similar sample size lol). Once these come through, we expect an even more dangerous Amen who will be swatting smaller guards' shots for the rest of the year instead of them finishing 95% contested jumpers right in his face.
Right now Toronto is still in the play in picture and expect to be able to remain here. We are not looking to make any trades at the deadline and are just looking to remain as competitive as we can to hold onto a play in spot so our help can arrive.
Go Raps!
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