The Toronto Raptors are off to a 3-0 start to the new year, defeating the shorthanded New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks to kick-off 2022.
New years often equate to new beginnings, and Sunday's win over the Knicks was just that for the Raptors, who were at full strength for the first time in the 2021-22 season. That it took 33 games for Toronto to have its full rotation available speaks to how impressive it is that the team is just one game under .500 at this juncture.
With everyone available, all eyes were on head coach Nick Nurse's decisions with respect to lineups and rotations.
To start against New York, Nurse opted to go with Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam, a "small-ball" unit that did not feature a traditional center. Ahead of the game, Nurse admitted that that five won't start in every game but acknowledged his hopes of their being the team's best defensive unit.
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As noted by Sportsnet's Blake Murphy, Nurse has historically had a set starting five that he reverts to after making situational lineup changes for specific games. The defensive versatility and potential of the five that started against the Knicks could result in that group ultimately being the set unit of five that starts most games together.
In the extremely small one-game sample size of under six minutes, the starters posted an offensive rating of 141.7 and a defensive rating of 61.5. Widen the lens to the 80 minutes they've played together this season, and the unit has posted a net rating of 6.5 with an offensive rating of 107.6 and a defensive rating of 101.2. If nothing else, the numbers are promising.
So, what about the rotation?
With players easing back into the lineup under minutes restrictions, it's fair to say that all rotational decisions aren't equal. It's still worth noting that Khem Birch was the first Raptor to come off of the bench on Sunday, subbing in for Barnes just four minutes into the game.
A true center, Birch gave Toronto a more traditional look in nearly all of his 19 minutes on the floor Sunday. The other 29 minutes were mostly about the non-traditional looks, which adds to the intrigue of what the Raptors can be at full strength as the season goes on.
If you came for the non-center starting lineup, you should stay for the non-point guard lineup of Siakam, Trent, Anunoby, Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa that shared the floor more than any other five on Sunday. While Siakam served as the primary playmaker of that five, Nurse also employed non-traditional looks in which Barnes served as the primary playmaker, doing so alongside Anunoby, Boucher, Achiuwa and Svi Mykhailiuk.
Nurse's experimentation speaks to the versatility of both Barnes and Siakam, the latter who has thrived as a playmaker as of late, averaging 6.8 assists in the four games since his return from the health and safety protocols.
Not only is the playmaking of Toronto's versatile forwards beneficial in non-traditional lineups, but it also has an effect in more traditional looks, as it allows VanVleet to play more off the ball as he became so accustomed to doing while sharing the backcourt with Kyle Lowry for five years.
MORE: VanVleet's All-Star case mounting
As the Raptors' primary ballhandler, VanVleet is having a career year worthy of All-Star consideration. That said, having the opportunity to play off of Barnes and Siakam in spots allows VanVleet to be even better than he already has been. He admitted as much after the game.
This season, VanVleet is connecting on 51.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts, which make up over half of his makes from beyond the arc.
To bring things full circle, not only does the five-man unit of VanVleet, Trent, Anunoby, Barnes and Siakam boast a terrifying defensive presence, each member of the five continues to grow offensively, which makes it difficult to put a cap on the unit's potential.
The way in which this Raptors roster is constructed means the same could be said for a number of different five-man looks.
With the team now at full strength, the fun part will now be watching the experimentation and how each lineup takes form.
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