How concerning is the Toronto Raptors record against top-end opponents?

The Toronto Raptors have a poor record against top-end opponents this season. Should we be concerned by their struggles?

When all is said and done in the NBA, it comes down to the best team from each conference – the East and the West – battling it out for supremacy and the right to call themselves the NBA champions. It’s a long and arduous process, and along the way, each team will match up against the best of the best. Last year, the Toronto Raptors were the best of the best.

This season, they’re still competing with the best, but the results aren’t necessarily in their favour. Sure, the Raptors are fourth in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 25-14, but their record against top opponents has been, shall we say, particularly lackluster.

As we all know, the season comes down to the playoffs, and that means taking on the best that the NBA has to offer. If the Raptors can’t compete with their contemporaries then you can bet that they’ll be walking out of the first round of the playoffs with their heads held in their hands.

Of their 13 losses so far this year, 12 of them have come against teams with winning records. Their two losses against teams under .500 was a 101-99 defeat against the Portland Trail Blazers, in reality, a game the Raptors should never have lost and the San Antonio Spurs. Again, a game that the Raptors should have comfortably won.

Their average deficit in the games against teams with winning records stands at an average of 9.25 points. Not necessarily blowouts, but the Raptors have been convincingly beaten in some of those games.

Now, the disclaimer that comes with it is the fact that, more often than not this season, the Raptors have been anything close to full health. Terence Davis is the only player to feature in every Raptors game this year, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, and Marc Gasol, among literally every other player, missing a significant amount of time.

As expected, that catches up with you. Despite the lack of health, the Raptors are still good for the sixth-best net rating in the NBA, though their offensive rating has plunged over the last five games to 24th in the league.

We’ve watched the Raptors in slugfests against the Miami Heat, be humbled by the LA Clippers, and go the distance in overtime against the Indiana Pacers; all while struggling to fling together a full NBA rotation.

Though at times, it’s been difficult to watch, Nick Nurse’s men endured, and because of it, now have a group of players who have carved out roles for themselves on a team hankering for the opportunity to retain their crown.

On paper, maybe, that record against top-end opponents is a reason to ponder whether or not the Raptors have the gritty attitude that allows them to gut it out in tight playoff games. But, as you are all well aware, the game of basketball is played on the hardwood, not on paper.

It’s your prerogative whether or not you feel you should be worried. But there’s enough data to tell us that there isn’t much in those losses, and if the team were fully healthy, they would no doubt be looking at a significantly better record.

But that’s all hypothetical. The Raptors have been injured and played with the cards that they have been dealt. The Eastern Conference is full of quality teams who have all suffered injuries of their own – just not to the extent of this Raptors roster.

It’s easy to understand why one would be worried about their record. But the Raptors have those impressive wins against the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and the greatest comeback in franchise history on their side. There’s a long way to go, but we shouldn’t consider panicking yet.