"The first half of the year has been quite the roller-coaster of emotions for the Toronto Raptors. First the 1-4 start to the season had everyone in a panic, and then the 13-1 stretch where the team peaked as high the 2nd seed had people crowning them champions. And then, RJ Barrett went down with his knee injury and the team seemed incapable of generating offense."
"Now, with their eyes set on the playoffs, the Raptors have an uphill battle in clinching a top-six seed. The Raptors have the hardest strength of schedule in the Eastern Conference the rest of the season. While I still think they can clinch a spot, this team loves to lose 'easy' games, so they have to be far more consistent on a night-to-night basis to do so."
"Before the season began, if you told any Raptors fan that after 34 games, the team would be that high in the standings they would be ecstatic! If you told them they did that with Barrett missing 16 games and Jakob Poeltl missing 13, they would be bewildered. All that to say that I think the team, and the fanbase should be quite happy with where they've ended up heading into the new year, even if there have been some low points along the way."
The Toronto Raptors endured a roller-coaster first half, starting 1-4, then running 13-1 before injuries disrupted their offense. RJ Barrett missed 16 games and Jakob Poeltl missed 13, yet the Raptors still hold a 20-14 record and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference. Recent wins have improved momentum heading into the new year. The team faces an uphill battle to clinch a top-six seed because of the hardest remaining strength of schedule in the East. Consistency on a night-to-night basis will be necessary to secure a playoff spot. Upcoming matchups against Boston and Oklahoma City will influence standings and test the team's competitiveness.
Read at Raptors Republic
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