OG Anunoby's Development Will Set the Tone for the Next Era of Raptors Basketball
It couldn't have been very long after the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade was finalized this past summer that Masai Ujiri gathered the leaders on his roster for an important conversation.
For the better part of a decade, Lowry had been the leader for the Toronto Raptors both on and off the court. At first, he and DeMar DeRozan formed the bedrock of the organization, Lowry the vocal leader while DeRozan preferred to lead by example. The same dynamic held true when Kawhi Leonard arrived in 2018, the unflappable superstar whose quiet presence was emulated throughout the roster.
"These were the guys that we saw as our leaders and people that were gonna take us where we were supposed to go," Pascal Siakam said Monday.
But now the roles have been flipped. While Fred VanVleet has already grown accustomed to that leadership role, there are now two others joining him at the leadership head table: Siakam and OG Anunoby.
"You guys are the people that are here and we’re gonna go wherever you guys take us," Siakam recalled Ujiri saying.
It's a bit of a strange spot for the 24-year-old Anunoby to be in. On one hand, he's entering his fifth season with the organization and one of only three players with more than three years of experience with the team. On the other, he's just barely scratching the surface of his NBA potential, so young he hasn't even reached his prime yet.
"Old but young still," Anunoby tried to explain Tuesday. "So I'm in the middle, kind of, but still a leader."
For the first time in his young career, Anunoby is going to be thrust into the spotlight for the Raptors both on and off the court. He's being asked not only to take on more of a leadership role this season — something he says he's comfortable with — but his offensive development this year will be a tell-tale sign of how bright the Raptors' future is.
"Our message to him is continue to expand the offensive stuff, but keep the defense at an All-NBA level," Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said Monday. "He'll also get a chance here early with Pascal being out here early, so it will be a big chance for him to be in a bigger role."
All indications are Anunoby is ready to take on a bigger role. He had no trouble stepping into a bigger role following Norman Powell's departure at the 2021 trade deadline and, according to Raptors coach Nick Nurse, Anunoby has returned from the summer looking much improved.
"I think he’s put in a lot of work on it at both ends, I think there’s starting and ending drives, he’s gotten a little bit craftier starting to get free and I think he’s gotten stronger and more balanced at the end of them and a different array of ways to finish," Nurse said.
"But I also feel he’s developing a pretty good tempo of playing in between as well. Just being able to look at somebody and not necessarily go by him but make him move to get clearance for a shot as well."
Those are the things Anunoby said he's been working on over the summer. He's been trying to shoot off the dribble a little more, get into the lane, finish at the rim, and make the right kick-out passes when opportunities present themselves.
If he can do that, it'll set the tone for the next era of Raptors basketball. He doesn't have to be Lowry, DeRozan, or even Leonard, but his offensive growth and defensive determination should send a message to the younger players about how things are done in Toronto.
Further Reading
Raptors want to look at the big picture, not box score stats to judge Scottie Barnes this year
Pascal Siakam looks 'great' as he recovers from 'scary' offseason shoulder surgery
