The main goal of the game is to outscore the opposing team by making more successful shots (baskets) into their hoop. A basket can either be worth 2 points (inside the three-point line), 3 points (outside the three-point line), or 1 point (from free throws).
Each team consists of 5 players on the court at a time. Traditionally, it is composed of the following:
Point Guard: Often the leader on the floor, handles the ball and sets up plays.
Shooting Guard: Strong shooter, often responsible for scoring points.
Small Foward: A versatile player who can score, defend, and rebound.
Power Foward: Plays near the basket, both scoring and rebounding.
Center: Usually the tallest player, responsible for rebounding and protecting the basket.
However, it does not mean that you play a specific position that you can not have skillsets from other positions. A position is simply a role, you do not have to follow it.
Traveling: A player moves without dribbling, taking more than two steps while holding the ball.
Double Dribble: A player dribbles, stops, and then begins dribbling again.
Carrying/Palming: When a player turns their hand too far under the ball while dribbling, it is considered carrying or palming the ball, and it results in a turnover.
Goaltending: If a player blocks a shot on its way down toward the basket or while it is on the rim, it's considered goaltending, and the shot is counted.
Foul: A player commits a foul when they make illegal physical contact with an opponent. For example, pushing, hitting, or blocking a player from behind.
The Toronto Raptors is a team currently retooling, meaning that they are fixing up their roster without necessarily clearing out their whole roster. The pieces that this team is building around now consists of their franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes, their recently acquired trade piece Brandon Ingram, the Toronto native RJ Barrett and the crafty shot creating Gradey Dick, just to name some of their key players. This squad is led by coach Darko Rajakovic, his 2nd year as the Raptors head coach.
Analysing their roster construction, first thing that pops out is that this team is young. The average age between everyone getting playing time is 24.7 years old with an average of 4 years of experience. Another key element that you would realize as soon as you watch their games is that they play with a fast pace, putting emphasis on playing with energy on defense and utilizing a LOT of movement on their half court offense. One key element of them being able to run a very complex offense is the personnel that can handle the ball and execute plays. Their superstar, Scottie Barnes, is elite when it comes to leading an offense and creating for others, since his playmaking abilities are extraordinary. In addition to their star player being a great passer, their other pieces are also capable of running the offense. For example, RJ Barrett can run an offense, because he had made strides as a playmaker. Another strength about this team is their coach. Darko Rajakovic is known as one of the best development coaches out there, while also being known for defending his players when needed to (refer to this video). This leads to having a squad that would buy in with whatever scheme you want to execute.
One of this team’s weaknesses is their defense. Although they do have some plus defenders such as Scottie Barnes and Ochai Agbaji, this team lacks personnel and size to become an, at the very least, average defense. This team ranks 26th in defensive rating, which means they are genuinely BAD on that end of the floor. Another weakness of this team is their inexperience. Since most of the players are young, they are more prone to make boneheaded plays and being lost on defense. This is easily solved by giving them more game experience. One final element that is glairing in this team is their injury luck. This team has had a fully healthy starting lineup in only 6 games out of 55 games played at the times this was written (2/20/2025). It speaks volumes to how unlucky this team is this year.
Although they are at the bottom of the NBA standings, this basically guarantees them one of the top prospects in the 2025 NBA draft, which is known for being a VERY stacked class. With the improvements that everybody is making, then adding a top draft pick, this team’s future is very bright, to the point where they might even make the playoffs as soon as next season.