The Darko Rajakovic era has been all about the 0.5 offense and sharing the basketball.
This unselfishness has given the Raptors offense a fresh new look.
The Raptors are second in the NBA in assists per game so far this season:
Raptors are averaging 28.8 assists through 16 games this season, 2nd most in the NBA.
They’re assisting on 68.0% of their made field goals, up from 57.1% last season. pic.twitter.com/0YBGiZhmkZ
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 25, 2023
The thing that stands out is that the Raptors have assists on 68 percent of their made field goals, which is up from 57.1 percent last season. Toronto’s offense can be stagnant at times, but we are seeing a theme. When the Raptors are sharing the rock effectively their offense looks sharp.
Some of the Raptors standout assist performances include Toronto having 32 assists on 44 made baskets in their win over the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 24. Also they had a franchise record 44 assists on 55 made baskets against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 19 which lead to 142 points.
Dennis Schroder is leading the Raptors with 6.6 assists per game. He’s done an excellent job as the team’s starting point guard taking over for Fred VanVleet. Scottie Barnes is right behind him averaging 5.8 assists per game. This is no surprise since Barnes has shared a lot of the ball handling duties this season. Pascal Siakam is behind Barnes at 5.3 assists per game.
Making the extra pass and finding the open teammate has been Toronto’s philosophy through the first 16 games. This is a team that has gone away from heavy iso and are getting more guys involved on offense.
As a result six Raptors players are averaging double-digits in points this season. If the Raptors continue to move the ball well, good things will happen.
Raptors take on Cavaliers
The Toronto Raptors are on the road for their next two games. They will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 26 who are fresh off a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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