Why The Toronto Raptors Do The Deal 

To be clear, the Raptors don’t have to abandon their experimental brand of basketball altogether after acquiring Turner. Doing so would simply give them optionality. 

They can absolutely run lineups that feature Siakam at the 5. Those groupings, with Scottie Barnes at the 4 and OG Anunoby at the 3, give the Raptors a lethal transition attack. Their combined length allows them to wreak havoc on opposing team’s passing lanes. 

With that said, lineups that bump Siakam and Barnes down a spot each should be harder to score on in half-court sets. If the Raptors feel particularly bold, they could even run Anunoby at the 2. For that matter, they could run Barnes at point and keep him at the 3. 

All of which illustrates the point here – landing one of the league’s few true 3-and-D big men unlocks new dimensions for the Raptors.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Indiana Pacers & Toronto Raptors Updates

They could go small, big or somewhere in between at their own discretion. What does this deal do for the Pacers?