Can the Toronto Raptors have an elite defense in 2023-24? w/ Samson Folk

In Episode 1486, Sean Woodley is joined by Samson Folk (Raptors Republic) to discuss what to expect from the Toronto Raptors on the defensive side of the ball this upcoming NBA season with new head coach Darko Rajakovic taking the reins. Off the top, Sean and Samson discuss the changes they'd like to see, and the changes they'd expect to see as the team transitions out of the Nick Nurse era, and whether or not some of the changes we're likely to see this season already began to creep into the Raptors' defensive stylings after the Jakob Poeltl trade last season. Next, Sean and Samson chat about Scottie Barnes' role in the defense, where his overzealousness has let him down as a defender in the past, and what kind of role might be in store for him on the defensive end this season. Plus, is Gary Trent Jr. going to be a liability? Lastly, Sean and Samson chat about the relationship between the Raptors defense and offense. They likely won't be the steals merchants they've been in recent seasons under Nurse, but could a renewed focus on defensive rebounding and a commitment to running off misses give the Raptors enough transition juice to balance out what still figures to be a bottom-half half court offense?

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