The Toronto Raptors suffered their first loss of the season, falling 117-94 to the undefeated Minnesota Timberwolves. Seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard had his first DNP of the year due to left knee swelling, and the Raptors' offense looked abysmal without him. Franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes scored zero points on 0-for-12 shooting, marking the second time in his career in which he was held scoreless (via StatMuse).  

It would be easy for fans who didn’t watch the game to look at the stats and say the Timberwolves were superhuman at home against Toronto. Realistically, they did exactly what they have shown to do well so far this season: shoot and make a ton of threes and grab as many rebounds as possible. Statistics only go so far one week into the season, but Minnesota currently ranks No. 1 in three-point percentage (42.4%), threes made per game (16.7), and rebounds (54). 

While the Raptors are known for their stellar defense, these two categories are two of their worst. The frontcourt depth has been a glaring issue, although Jakob Poeltl is looking much healthier than last season. Rebounding and interior defense haven’t been strong suits against teams that either gang rebound or have dominant, physical centers, like Rudy Gobert, who had 13 rebounds in the contest. 

More importantly, Toronto has been and continues to be one of the worst shooting teams in the league. Last season, the Raptors ranked 21st in three-point percentage (35.4%), and  26th in both threes made (11.4) and threes attempted (32.1). Through three games this season, they rank 29th in three-point percentage (26.2%) and threes made (9.0), but 22nd in threes attempted (34.3). For some reason, head coach Darko Rajakovic is giving the team the green light to shoot even more, and it simply isn’t working. 

After being exposed by nearly every playoff team in the NBA last season, nearly nothing changed over the offseason. General manager Bobby Webster didn’t make any notable additions to the roster who could make a difference in the team’s shooting woes, yet somehow the team expects to contend for a championship in a modern NBA that is completely centered around the highest-percentage shot according to the analytics. Leonard will certainly help with the gravity he presents, creating more open looks from distance. The problem is that, through three games, Toronto is shooting 22.8% on “wide-open” (no defender within six+ feet) looks from three (via NBA stats). 

As of now, the only efficient three-point shooters on the Raptors are the usual suspects, Ja’Kobe Walter (40%) and Jamison Battle (44.4%). Barnes, despite the zero-point game, has looked much improved in the preseason and first two games in his overall offensive prowess, but the long-range shooting continues to be an issue. Quickley has looked good in two games (7-for-17 combined against Chicago and Minnesota), but his averages are clouded by a 0-for-6 contest against Washington. Leonard projects to be an elite shooter by volume and efficiency once he is fully conditioned and in rhythm, but still, the Raptors have a significant shooting issue, and it may be what prevents them from being contenders this season.