Raptors completely disrespected in latest NBA Power Rankings

Toronto Raptors fans didn’t enjoy looking at NBA power rankings early in the season, as their disappointing 2-8 start had them rooted right to the bottom of most hypothetical rankings. Luckily for Nick Nurse and company, their hot stretch against some of the best teams in the league has finally helped them claw over the .500 mark.

Despite losing Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby due to injury and completely changing their rotation, the Raptors took down the Milwaukee Bucks twice and managed to stop Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite the fact that the middle of the Eastern Conference standings are a complete logjam right now, Toronto has managed to earn the fourth seed in the conference, behind Philadelphia, the Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee. Despite their success, ESPN doesn’t seem to think that what the Raptors are doing is that impressive.

ESPN’s latest power rankings had the Raptors in 14th place. 14th! That’s below a Golden State Warriors team fighting to even make it into the postseason and two teams that are below them in the Eastern standings in the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.

The Raptors are better than14th in the NBA Power Rankings

CBS and Bleacher Report were a bit more complimentary of the Raptors following their hot streak. B/R ranked Nurse’s squad as the 10th best team in the league, while CBS put them seventh. The Raptors jumped up eight spots in a week, making them CBS’s highest riser as they won three games against Milwaukee and Philadelphia last week.

Toronto might not be the flashiest team in the league, but they have beaten every team that would be in line for a playoff spot if the season ended today. Thanks to their dynamic inside-outside duo of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, Toronto is a team that absolutely no one wants to face right now.

The Raptors have one more game against Philadelphia in the first half of the season, and they will also take on a few Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls in the Celtics and Chicago Bulls. If they sustain their hot stretch and end up playing well into early March, that should be enough to alert ESPN to the fact that this is a truly elite team.

The Raptors still have a lot of work to do if they want to end up as a championship contender. However, referring to Toronto as a middle-of-the-road team after going 14-6 in their last 20 games is simply puzzling.