Title: Toronto Raptors’ Struggle for National TV Recognition Continues
The Toronto Raptors, despite boasting a storied history of success and championships, have faced ongoing challenges in securing national TV slots on larger networks such as TNT and ESPN. In recent years, the team has often been relegated to NBA TV games and limited prime dates against other contenders.
The lack of interest in the Raptors within the broader NBA landscape appears to have reached a new low point. This is reflected in their recent finish outside the postseason and the departure of star player Fred VanVleet. These developments have further contributed to the team’s struggle to secure national TV games.
For the upcoming season, the Raptors are set to have just a handful of national TV appearances in the United States. This includes one game on TNT and three games on NBA TV. This represents the lowest number of US national TV games for the team since Masai Ujiri took over as president a decade ago.
To improve their visibility and secure more national TV games, key players such as Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam will need to elevate their performance to an All-Star level. The team’s playing style, which was criticized for its unwatchable half-court offense last year, now raises a question mark under the leadership of new coach Darko Rajakovic.
Rajakovic could potentially utilize the lack of publicity as motivation for the team. By emphasizing the fact that few expect them to make a deep postseason run, he could inspire his players to exceed expectations on a nightly basis.
The Raptors are no strangers to being overlooked by the larger NBA media landscape due to their relatively small market size. However, unless the team can turn their fortunes around and alter the current narrative, it appears that the lack of national TV games will unfortunately persist for the Raptors in the upcoming 2023-24 season.
In conclusion, the Toronto Raptors’ struggle for national TV recognition continues, with a diminishing number of appearances on major networks. To change this situation, the team will need their players to perform at an elite level and new coach Rajakovic to bring fresh dynamics to their style of play. Otherwise, the lack of national TV games may continue to plague the team in the seasons to come.
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