5 Bold Predictions For The 2013-2014 Season

Get your popcorn ready, folks. It’s that time of year again. The NBA regular season is less than two weeks away! As the 2013-2014 campaign inches closer and closer, it’s difficult not to anticipate what this season will bring for the NBA’s lone team north of the border. The question will answer itself in due time, but for now, speculations for the season will have to get spectators by until the real thing begins. Without further ado, here are five bold predictions for the Toronto Raptors this year.

First Prediction: Kyle Lowry will have a bounce back season.

Toronto’s starting point guard is in for a better season for a variety of reasons. The 2012-2013 campaign was an interesting one for Kyle Lowry. It contained moments of incredible play, instances where he hurt the team more than he helped, times where he seemed non-existent on the court, and periods when he could not take the court at all (due to injury).

This season’s story will be written in a different way. Lowry knows that his debut season with the Raptors was below par, and he appears to have a new sense of focus. As a result of his hard work in the summer, Lowry looks noticeably slimmer, and based on what he’s shown in the preseason so far (albeit in limited minutes), he seems a lot quicker. Simply put, this season will be about Kyle Lowry finding balance and consistency. He has the talent to make this happen.

Second Prediction: DeMar DeRozan will display improved three-point shooting.

No, DeMar DeRozan will not make a surprise appearance at the Foot Locker Three Point Shootout come February. I can only promise that in the 2013-2014 season, he will have the best three-point shooting year of his career thus far. DeRozan shot a career high 28% from long range during the 2012-2013 season, but this number will not end up being his ceiling. The Raptors shooting guard comes into this year promising a better shot from three, because of the time he put in during the off-season. I personally believe that the improvement DeRozan claims to have attained is real. Again, this is not to say that DeMar DeRozan has suddenly developed the shooting of Steve Novak, but rather that his shooting will garner more respect than in the past.

Regardless of this, he should avoid solely relying on his new deep jumpshot—at least for now, since his primary strengths are slashing and getting to the free throw line (he finished fifth among SGs in FT attempts per game last year). If he takes his looks in the flow of the offense, I expect DeRozan to shoot 31-33% from beyond the arc this season.

Third Prediction: Jonas Valanciunas will see a significant increase in playing time.

This year’s Las Vegas Summer League MVP needs to see more minutes this year, as his play will be instrumental in determining the success of Toronto’s team this season. Dwane Casey must allow Jonas Valanciunas to see the court for upwards of 30 minutes a night because of the lack of depth at the center position. No disrespect to Aaron Gray, but he will not be enough to fill the void that the Toronto Raptors have at this spot in the depth chart.

Though Tyler Hansbrough and Amir Johnson will have spot duty at center, look for number 17 to be out on the floor a lot more than he was last year. Valanciunas will have added minutes, as well as added responsibility as the team’s primary player at the 5-position. The playing time will be thrown his way, but it will be up to the young man in the middle to limit his fouls; otherwise, the Raptors will be playing more small-ball than planned.

Fourth Prediction: Rudy Gay will be an all-star.

This is the boldest of the predictions thus far, but in reality, it is not totally asinine. Rudy Gay comes into the 2013 NBA season with a ton to prove to a ton of critics and naysayers. With a full training camp with his teammates, approximately 20 pounds of added muscle, 20/20 vision, and an improved post game (thanks to Hakeem Olajuwon), I find it difficult to say that Gay does not view the upcoming season as a significant one.

It is without question that he is one of the most talented small forwards in the entire league. Will this be the year he puts it all together? I believe so. Of course, many spectators of the game may view LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and now Paul George as Gay’s superiors at his position in the Eastern Conference, but after the three aforementioned players, the contest for a spot on the all-star roster leans in Rudy Gay’s favor. Why? Gay’s situation provides him with a better opportunity to grab hold of an all-star nod, as he will be the clear number-one option on his team, unlike Luol Deng, Paul Pierce, and Joe Johnson. Gay will have to put his new skills on display early on in the season to earn the attention of his peers. I think that he will get the job done. Time to show and prove.

Fifth Prediction: The Toronto Raptors will make the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

What? Toronto? Raptors? Playoffs? Yes, yes, and yes. Do not adjust your screen. Had the Toronto Raptors played half-decent to begin last season, the prediction above would have to be altered. Since the addition of Rudy Gay to the team, the Raptors have played .500 basketball. In the Eastern Conference, .500 basketball punches a ticket to the postseason. With the top five seeds in the East all but locked up, the next three spots are open for the taking. If they stay healthy, the Toronto Raptors can take advantage of this predicament.

The Raptors did not get drastically better this summer, but they did make improvements, nonetheless— and some of the Eastern Conference’s second tier has gotten noticeably worse in preparation for next year’s draft. The addition by subtraction method used by the Raptors front office this summer was full of low-risk moves that should help improve the team in more than a few small ways. The subtle boosts made to the roster will assist in getting Toronto over the hump. This franchise’s return to relevance begins now.