The power rankings came out yesterday and the Raptors have fallen a bit since the last time but thanks to the weak East remain top four in the conference.
These rankings don’t take into account Monday night’s games, which include the Raptors win over the Bucks.
| Publication | Overall Rank | Eastern Rank | Overall Change | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA.com | 13 | 4 | Down 3 | DeMar DeRozan’s return hasn’t stopped the bleeding, and the Raptors have lost seven of their last nine games, playing pretty poorly on both ends of the floor. With the anniversary of his 51-point performance coming on Sunday, the struggling Terrence Ross should note that he had more free throw attempts in that game (10) than he’s had in his last 16 (eight). |
| ESPN | 8 | 2 | Up 1 | When DeMar DeRozan makes it back from that groin tear, he’ll return to find that Kyle Lowry has grown in stature. The latest illustrations: Lowry’s recent 39-point eruption in Utah, his robust PER of 23.22 and all the Chauncey Billups comparisons he’s been sparking as a Billups-esque late bloomer. |
| Hollinger | 11 | 3 | Down 1 | RAT 105.078, SOS .460, +1.10 |
| USA Today | 10 | 3 | Down 2 | Kyle Lowry can’t do it all, even though he did for a while. DeMar DeRozan needs to find his rhythm quickly. |
| CBS Sports | 11 | 4 | Down 4 | The team with the third best record in the East needed a players only meeting to get their heads right this week after Friday?s loss to the Hawks, then went out and lost the next game to the shorthanded Pelicans. There is no easy fix to their defense and they need role players to be stars game by game. They need to find their mojo from earlier in the year. |
