Raptors stock talk: buying defence, and more

Welcome to Raptors Stock Talk, a new segment where we look at the team through a stock market lens. The idea here is not to investigate just what worked and what didn’t — although that’s a huge source of the material — but about what is improving or declining. Each week, I’ll pick out the players, lineups, and trends whose stock is rising, falling, or staying put.

Buy means I’m encouraged by what we are seeing. It has gotten better over the week, or played an outsized role in the Raptors’ performance, or in some other way increased in value. Sell means I’m losing confidence in something that is increasingly becoming a concern. Hold means it is too early to make a call, and I’ll be giving it more time. But it something to note. With Toronto Raptors’ first two games in the books, here is what I’m buying, selling and holding.

BUY: Raptors defence

The Raptors’ defence has been as good as advertised through the first two games. Toronto currently owns the NBA’s best defensive rating at 88.6 and has forced 30 turnovers. Even better, the Raptors have turned those turnovers into 57 points, showing how quickly their defence can create offence at the other end. And (spoiler here on another segment coming up), the Raptors have needed that transition offence badly.

Kawhi Leonard has led the way with seven steals, making an impact defensively even as he works to find his rhythm on offence. Collin Murray-Boyles has been perhaps Toronto’s best defender, and his ability to both contain across the positional spectrum and force turnovers and erase shot attempts, has been spectacular. Others like Ja’Kobe Walter have also shown defensive improvement and look to be foundational elements of a ferocious, aggressive defence.

It’s only two games, so there’s a long way to go. However, Toronto’s defensive pressure is already translating into points, and that is a promising sign for a team looking to build on last season’s success.

SELL: 3-point shooting

The defence has been impressive. The three-point shooting? Not so much. Through two games, Toronto is shooting just 26.2 percent from beyond the arc, ranking 28th in the NBA. The Raptors have made only 17 threes, the third-fewest in the league.

It is an early-season problem that looks awfully familiar. Toronto finished among the bottom five in both three-point percentage and total threes made last season, and the opening two games have not offered much evidence of improvement.

Of course, two games are a small sample, and the shots could start falling. Still, this is a team weakness worth keeping an eye on. If the Raptors want to take another step forward, they’ll need to get more out of their outside shooting. For now, that stock is trending in the wrong direction.

HOLD: Kawhi Leonard’s offence

It has been a rough shooting start for Leonard, but there is no need to panic just yet. Through two games, Leonard is shooting 32.4 percent from the field, going 12-for-37, and 28.6 percent from three, making four of his 14 attempts.

Those numbers are not pretty, but of course, context matters. Toronto’s pursuit of Leonard took time, meaning he did not get the benefit of a full training camp with the team. He is still adjusting, and his shooting rhythm has not quite come around. He always plays his way into seasons, and he should improve shortly.

The encouraging part? He is getting good looks, and his defence has already been impactful. Leonard has recorded seven steals and one block through two games, giving Toronto plenty of value on that end while his offence catches up. Toronto brought him in to in large part address its shooting woes, and he has been exactly that type of player for almost his whole career. There’s no reason yet to expect that won’t happen. The expectation is that the shots will start falling as he gets more comfortable. Until then, there is no reason to overreact to two games.