The concerning gap that fans can't ignore in Raptors' quest for greatness

"Before I dive right in, I want to commend the gritty effort that this Raptors squad has put in to reach this point in the season. Honestly, few - maybe only the true die-hard Raptors faithful - expected them to be a top-five team in the East at this stage, with a strong 32-23 record to date. They've already surpassed their modest 30-52 record from last season. Even the man in charge, head coach Darko Rajakovic, has echoed this sentiment before."

"Speaking of the All-Star break, the Raptors head into it with a 3-2 record so far in February, having lost their most recent game to the Detroit Pistons on February 11, 113-95. It was a disappointing loss for the Raptors. On the Pistons' side, considering their recent scuffle with the Charlotte Hornets, they were going into the game without their bigs, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, who had been suspended afterward. Meanwhile, Toronto finally welcomed Jakob Poeltl back after nearly two months on the sidelines,"

"Unfortunately, this long-awaited return wasn't enough to help Toronto overcome the Pistons' hump. Big man reserve Paul Reed stepped up in a huge role as a starter and dropped an impressive 22 points on 10-for-17 shooting, making things extremely difficult for the Raptors to contain. Cade Cunningham also had a lights-out shooting night, going 6-for-11 from deep, which only added to the Raptors' burden."

The Toronto Raptors sit 32-23, a major improvement over last season's 30-52, and occupy a top-five position in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Darko Rajakovic has acknowledged the team's progress. The Raptors enter the All-Star break with a 3-2 February record. On February 11 they lost to the Detroit Pistons, 113-95. Jakob Poeltl returned after nearly two months but faced a minutes restriction. Paul Reed started and scored 22 points on 10-for-17 shooting. Cade Cunningham made six of eleven three-pointers. The Pistons hold the Eastern Conference's top seed, making the defeat somewhat understandable yet still concerning.

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