"At the time of my last edition of the Fulcrum, the Raptors were 1-4 and looking lost on defense. Fast-forward to today, and the Raptors are 7-5 and have taken a huge step forward defensively. After their rocky five-game start, the Raptors were near the bottom of the league in points against, but are now middle of the pack, ranked 15th. The last seven games have included wins against some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference (Bucks, Hawks, and the Cavaliers twice)."
"Scottie Barnes is an All-Star and should be in line for an All-Defensive Team Raptors fans have long known Barnes has the potential to be a dominant two-way force. Until now, his defensive impact has been more middling than game-changing. That looks different this season. Barnes leads the team in steals, blocks, and defensive plus-minus, which estimates how many points per 100 possessions a player saves his team on defense compared to an average defender. Beyond the box score, it's clear that Barnes has worked on his defense and everything is starting to click for him on that end."
"But it would be a disservice to only talk about his defense. He is looking aggressive on offense, and that is helping him score more efficiently than he ever has before. I love that Barnes has the ability to be the team's lead playmaker if necessary, but I think he is at his best when the team asks him to be aggressive first and the playmaking naturally comes off of this aggressiveness. He has found that balance early in the season."
"IQ is quickly turning his season around The Raptors have committed a lot to Immanuel Quickley as the lead guard of this team. His season got off to an underwhelming start. Through seven games he was averaging 12.7 points and 6.3 assists, shooting 39.2% from the field and 27.8% from deep. His last five games have told a different story: 20.8 points and 6.0 assists on 52.8% shooting from the field and 47.4% from three. In those first seven games, the Raptors were outscored by 25 poin"
The Raptors improved from a 1-4 start to 7-5 while defense moved from near the league bottom in points allowed to 15th overall. The past seven games included wins over the Bucks, Hawks, and the Cavaliers twice. Scottie Barnes became an All-Star and leads the team in steals, blocks, and defensive plus-minus, reflecting significant defensive growth and more efficient offense through aggressive play and developing playmaking. Immanuel Quickley recovered from a slow start (12.7 points, 6.3 assists, 39.2% FG, 27.8% 3PT through seven games) to a recent surge (20.8 points, 6.0 assists, 52.8% FG, 47.4% 3PT).
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