Raptors Roundup: Which identity is the real Raptors?

Welcome to Raptors Roundup! A weekly recap of everything going on in the world of the Toronto Raptors.

Did anyone else feel like this week was twice as long as any other week this season? I can’t believe that in the same week this team lost back-to-back against the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans and then had two statement wins over the Phoenix Suns and the East-leading Detroit Pistons.

At one point it looked like the Raptors season was crumbling to pieces, and next thing you know they’re beating the 3rd best team by record with a convincing, tough performance. The week displayed the ebbs and flows of the NBA season in a very short period of time, and why any one game shouldn’t be taken at face value.

After the loss to the Pelicans, the Raptors identity was set. They were soft. The offense was stagnant. They didn’t fight back when Dejounte Murray dogged the beloved Jamal Shead. The pessimists came out in droves. “Trade everyone” they said. “May as well miss the playoffs and take a 1% chance at winning the lottery.” they proclaimed. I was down on the team too. It was a disappointing showing. Up to and including that game, the Raptors had shown an inability to hit higher gears when they needed to. The team had maxed out.

And then they beat the Suns, they got chippy and scrappy, they revamped their late game offense and they showed a level of toughness that we hadn’t seen from them for a long time. It was promising, but it still proved nothing about their ability against the top ten teams in the league. Then on Sunday afternoon, in a back-and-forth affair that featured 19 lead changes, the Raptors finally showcased the grit and determination we’ve been waiting all year to see. It was the best game of the season. The offense flowed smoothly, Brandon Ingram scored 34, Jakob Poeltl was the best big in a game that featured 2026 NBA All-Star Jalen Duren, Scottie Barnes nearly had a triple-double, and RJ Barrett continued his high-level play with 27 points. They showed us that they can turn it up, and that they can compete with the best in the conference.

Ultimately, who knows if the Raptors will make the playoffs, and if they do there’s a chance they’ll get swept in the first round. Though I would far rather see them try, then fall into the lottery for a miniscule chance at a top pick. At this point in the season we know what the skillset limitations are of this squad. I want to see them push the mental limitations. A playoff environment is the only place where you can evaluate which players will step up, and who will wither under the bright lights. We need to know what the real identity of this team is. This offseason is in many ways going to define this iteration of the Toronto Raptors and I want Bobby Webster to have as many data points as possible when it comes time to make franchise-altering decisions.

Game Recaps

The Raptors continue to be exactly what we expect, lose to Rockets | Final: 99-113

Barnes played well. He hit his mid-rangers, found some triples, dunked a bunch. Outside of Barrett, no other starter joined him. Ingram was off all night. In the fourth he contested a layup, fouled on the make, and got a technical called on him as he threw the ball off the stanchion. Toronto’s wheels fell off late, which happens. It’s hard to play well, if not quite well enough, for 48 minutes. It’s hard to play the foil and keep a brave face. Usually the wheels will fall off, at some point.

Would the game have been different had Poeltl been healthy, if Murray-Boyles had been available? Maybe. There’s always an excuse, always a reason for inferiority. This is who the Raptors are. They lose games if there’s any legitimate reason to lose. They usually put up a good fight, but they always play the good soldier and fall in the end. Asteropaios would be proud of them. 

And so the season marches on. There’s little left for the Raptors to learn. If they are the favourite, they will win. If they are the underdog, they will lose. Soon the playoffs will come. Perhaps something will change then.

• Louis Zatzman

Top Performers:

1. RJ Barrett – 25 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 10-18 FG, 2-6 3FG, 3-4 FT -3 +/-
2. Scottie Barnes – 24 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 8-16 FG, 2-6 3FG, 6-6 FT -11 +/-

 At least the Raptors aren’t boring … as they lose to bottom-dweller Pelicans | Final: 111-122

At least the Raptors surprised us against the Pelicans? We know they are going to lose to better teams. Perhaps they’ll lose to worse teams, too? It’s hard to blame a single Raptor. None played well enough.

The Raptors are now positioned to try to reach the playoffs through the play-in tournament. They are falling in the standings. They have also been, compared to most other teams, quite healthy, so it’s not like they have an enormous influx of talent waiting on the horizon. Their schedule remains dastardly going forward. Things look bleak.

Murray hit a dagger over Shead after crossing him to the ground, then walked over and screamed in his face. Quickley walked over to say something calmly, but in truth no Raptor bothered to defend one of the team’s off-court leaders.

• Louis Zatzman

Top Performers:

1. Immanuel Quickley – 25 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 8-14 FG, 3-7, 3FG, 6-6 FT -27 +/-
2. Brandon Ingram – 22 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 4 STL, 8-19 FG, 2-7 3FG, 4-4 FT, -25 +/-
3. RJ Barrett – 16 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 5-13 FG, 1-6 3FG, 5-8 FT -9 +/-

Raptors cruise to much needed comfortable win at home | Final: 122-115

Barnes, who had been fighting an illness all game, hobbled back like Willis Reed and had the defensive play of the night. A massive come-from-behind block on Jalen Green, the Suns’ leading scorer with 34 points (Booker had 31). Green wilted on the baseline, and the 5-on-4 Raptors’ advantage resulted in Barrett dunking the ball.  

This was Raptors basketball many of us have longed for.

…

Hope has killed the Raptors fanbase many times, and I was cautiously optimistic as this was all too reminiscent of the Houston Rockets game. But perpetual disappointment is a psychological condition that can be unlearned. The Raptors kept plugging away. They had the dog, the Dillon Brooks, in them as he watched from the sidelines with his shades and cast on.

The Raptors broke through last night behind a stellar performance from Ingram, Barrett and Barnes.

• Teru Ikeda

Top Performers:

1. Brandon Ingram – 36 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 13-20 FG, 5-6 3FG, 5-7 FT +17 +/-
2. RJ Barrett – 22 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 9-16 FG, 1-4 3FG, 3-4 FT, +9 +/-
3. Scottie Barnes – 14 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 6-12 FG, 2-2 FT +7 +/-

Quick Reaction Roundup

Take a peek at this week’s Quick Reaction grades throughout the week.

Raptor of the week: Brandon Ingram

Whew… The Raptor of the week race is heating up, with Ingram’s win this week he is just one ROTW award behind Scottie Barnes for the season lead. With the end of season rapidly approaching it’ll be a tight race to the end of the season.

This week Ingram had two of the worst games of his season but followed it up with two of his very best. While normally there’s a greater emphasis by our voters on week-long consistency, Ingram’s 70 points combined against Phoenix and Detroit was just too good to not reward him.

Even with a 9 point game against the Rockets, Ingram averaged 25.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 47.4% from the field, 44.4% from three and 77.3% from the charity stripe. His performance late in the week elevated the Raptors to two much needed wins after they fell into the play-in tournament on Wednesday. Focusing on the games later in the week, Ingram’s three-point shooting was elite and his shot making was generally more conducive to a flowing offense than it was against the Pelicans.

With the Raptors barely floating above the play-in tournament, they’ll need this notorious version of Ingram as they embark on a five-game road trip with tough matchups against the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.

Current Raptor of the Week standings:

1. Scottie Barnes – 5 times
2. Brandon Ingram – 4 times
3. Immanuel Quickley – 2 times
4. Ja’Kobe Walter – 2 times
5. Collin Murray-Boyles – 2 times
6. RJ Barrett – 1 time

Top pieces of the week

So, who should the Raptors pair Scottie Barnes with, anyway?

First he used platinum. It worked poorly. Later, fishing line. Hair, both human and coconut. Eventually, Thomas Edison settled on carbonized bamboo to use as the wire inside of his light bulb. He later said, (and I’m paraphrasing because I can’t find the exact quote, thanks AI): “I’ve not failed 1000 times in making a lightbulb. I’ve succeeded in proving 1000 ways not to make one.

The Toronto Raptors have something of a lightbulb situation on their hands. Teams don’t get 1000 chances to build rosters around one player. But they do get several. The Raptors have tried to pair Scottie Barnes with Pascal Siakam, with Immanuel Quickley, with Brandon Ingram. None has worked perfectly. Perhaps the Raptors have succeeded in proving several ways not to build around Barnes.

So how should they?

• Louis Zatzman

U Sports bigs could incentivize more to stay in Canada

There’s a reason why Bishop’s Gaiters big man Charles Robert was drafted by the eventual 2025 CEBL champions, Niagara River Lions, in last year’s draft. 

In last night’s U Sports championship game, Robert scored seven of his 14 points in the fourth quarter after being limited to seven through the first three quarters by the Carleton Ravens, the eventual champions.

Robert, who has helped turn the small Lennoxville school into a Canadian university basketball powerhouse, was desperate to complete a storybook ending...

• Teru Ikeda

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, March 18th – Raptors @ Bulls | 8:00pm ET on TSN

Friday, March 20th – Raptors @ Nuggets | 9:00pm ET on Sportsnet

Sunday, March 22nd – Raptors @ Suns | 9:00pm ET on Sportsnet

Record Prediction: 2-1, all season the Bulls have had no answer for the scoring prowess of Brandon Ingram, and I don’t see how they’ll find one now. After the matchup with Phoenix the other night I feel convinced they can take that one as well, as Phoenix also couldn’t slow Ingram’s scoring and I don’t see both Jalen Green and Devin Booker having such great games again. As for the Nuggets… The Raptors couldn’t even beat them when Nikola Jokic was injured, I really don’t see them having the answers for his elite playmaking, even if they can slow his scoring.

That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Raptors Roundup, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful week!

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