Will the Raptors trade their way out of trouble?

"Number two, the offense at times is far too predictable, and has easily been stalled by zone defenses. When the team is getting stops and running the floor things are fine. The defense has driven their hot starts against the Pacers and Clippers, but as both teams started making shots the Raptors had to face a set defense more and more with diminishing returns."

"Number three, I'm scared that Ingram's lackluster playmaking will be the team's downfall in the playoffs. In this game it was ugly. He took some awful shots over multiple defenders and had five turnovers. There was one play where he rose up over two defenders for a jump shot while Sandro Mamukelashvili sat wide open under the basket calling for the ball. Now, he did make the shot, but that's besides the point."

Raptors' offense frequently becomes predictable and is easily stalled by zone defenses, working best when defensive stops create transition chances. Early hot defensive starts gave momentum, but opponents' improved shooting forced the Raptors into set offense with diminishing returns. The return of RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, and Immanuel Quickley helps but does not fully address a broader inability to create and capitalize on advantages or run go-to actions for quality shots. Ingram's inconsistent playmaking—poor shot selection, turnovers, and slow reads against doubles—poses a serious playoff concern. Jamal Shead controlled the offense and defended excellently, but his efforts were not enough.

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