"But now, for the first time in a long time, there's some surety about who the Raptors are as that Feb. 5 date approaches. More than halfway through the season, they've won the tied-fifth most games in the NBA - with the tied-11th-best win percentage - and have boasted a mostly top-five defence along the way (currently eighth after getting romped by the New York Knicks)."
"They scrap, they claw, and usually find ways to win. An identity is being established in real-time. Again, far removed from recent iterations heading into the deadline. The 2025-26 squad's 29-20 record to this point outranks each of the last four seasons, the last three of which saw them bottom 10 in the league for wins and win percentage, while sitting outside the top 10 on both ends of the floor."
"This year's Raptors are even on track to outpace the 2021-22 squad (31-23 at the deadline) that went on to make the post-season - the team's last playoff appearance. But unlike that group, which was ninth on offence and 13th on defence, the 2025-26 Raptors are a bit more one-sided. An elite defence to be sure, but currently ranked 21st on the other end, with glaring areas for improvement."
The Toronto Raptors have progressed from several seasons of uncertainty into a clearer identity, sitting 29-20 and tied for fifth-most wins and tied-11th-best winning percentage. The team has relied on an elite defense—mostly top-five, currently eighth—to compensate for a lagging offence ranked 21st, creating a one-sided profile with noticeable offensive needs. The current record outpaces recent seasons and rivals the 2021-22 team that reached the playoffs. With the Eastern Conference open and the Raptors one game behind the No. 2 seed, the most logical posture heading into the Feb. 5 trade deadline is to pursue upgrades and buy pieces to bolster scoring.
Read at Raptors Republic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]