Welcome to the Raptors 905 weekly preview!
This is a piece that will drop every week, previewing what is to come throughout the next seven days for the Raptors 905.
After a hot start to the regular season, which saw the team post the second-best mark through 15 games in its decade-long history (11-4), the 905 have faltered lately. Once atop the Eastern Conference standings, the junior Raps now find themselves in sixth place fighting for a playoff spot after losing four of their last five.
Their most recent loss, and the only game last week due to the all-star break, was a collapse. The 905 were up as much as 20 early in the third quarter against the Westchester Knicks before a veteran-filled Knicks squad would claw back and end the game on a 12-2 run, completing the comeback and winning 109-106.
As the Mississauga squad enters the final month of play, a playoff berth looks a lot less likely than it did just a couple of weeks ago.
Raptors 905 schedule for the week of Feb. 25 to Mar. 2:
| Date | Time | Opponent |
| Wed, Feb. 26 | 12:00 pm ET | @ Oklahoma City (Thunder) |
| Fri, Feb. 28 | 8:00 pm ET | @ Wisconsin (Bucks) |
| Sat, Mar. 1 | 8:00 pm ET | @ Wisconsin (Bucks) |
This week will feature the bulk of the 905’s five-game road trip, first making a stop in Oklahoma City before heading to Wisconsin for a pair of games.
The Blue sit in a similar spot to the 905 in their own conference out west, battling for a playoff spot. The pair of teams have matched up once before, a little over a month ago when the 905 took that one on the road 121-117. The victory was largely thanks to A.J. Lawson, who finished the game with 26 points, nine rebounds, and two assists, particularly dominating in transition, as he usually does.
The matchup will also feature a familiar face in Branden Carlson. Carlson began the season as a 905er but was picked up by the Thunder a couple of weeks into the G League’s Tip-Off Tournament. The seven-footer was given a couple of 10-day contracts before eventually signing a two-way contract with the NBA’s best team for the rest of the season.
The Herd, however, find themselves much lower in the standings, sitting 12th in the east at 9-12. They also feature two former members of the Raptors organization on their team, including Terence Davis and Justice Winslow.
The latter played 20 games for the 905 last season, including starting in 18. The former top-10 pick averaged 16.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks in Mississauga last season, but has only played in three games for Wisconsin this campaign.
Davis, however, has been a fixture in the Herd’s starting lineup all year. The 27-year-old played in 106 games as a Toronto Raptor between 2019 and 2021 and is averaging 14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals this season across 20 games. He’s also been lighting it up from three, hitting at a 37.6 percent clip on just over seven attempts per game.
Also of note, Quincy Guerrier is away from the team on international duty and big Lacey James has been signed to fill the vacancy.
Make sure to check back at Raptors Republic after every Raptors 905 game for the recap, and now every week for a preview.
