The Toronto Raptors have the misfortune of being stuck in the toughest division in the NBA. Unlike divisions where half the teams are trying to bottom out and secure the best odds at Victor Wembanyama, every team in the Atlantic Division is making a run for the playoffs.
Even with the Kevin Durant situation dominating the NBA discourse, the Brooklyn Nets remain a team to be concerned about. With the reigning Eastern champion Celtics and the always dangerous 76ers in the division, Toronto needs to be worried about their ability to repeat last year’s miracle playoff birth.
With the Knicks making some big free agent additions and remaining firmly in the Donovan Mitchell chase, no game in the division will be an easy time for the Raptors. Toronto is going to fight and claw to win 48 games again despite some of the new additions.
With the offseason frenzy starting to officially come to a close and the Raptors pivoting toward starting to get back in the swing of things, it’s time to take stock of the division. Which teams are destined for success, and which teams will be stuck at the bottom of the standings?
NBA Atlantic Power Rankings: Where are the Toronto Raptors?
5. New York Knicks
Even if the Knicks don’t get Mitchell, the additions of Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein to a team that already had RJ Barrett on the roster will make New York much stronger than last year. However, this team still has holes that could come back to bite them against Toronto.
Julius Randle is still the leading scorer, which will be problematic for a team with eyes on the postseason. With some aging veterans occupying pivotal roles in the rotation and an emphasis on young role players stepping up, New York could either be a smashing success or bottom out once again.
The Toronto Raptors are better than the Brooklyn Nets.
4. Brooklyn Nets
While Durant has not been traded just yet, these rankings are operating under the assumption that the Nets are not going to have him back. Even with a deep roster featuring Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and Seth Curry, Steve Nash’s system makes little sense.
With a lack of attention paid to defense and a squad full of both ring-chasing veterans declining in value or young players that have not lived up to their full potential quite yet, Brooklyn is going to be in for a bumpy ride without Durant. The Raptors should take advantage.
3. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were just a few wins away from being on the same plane as the 76ers and Celtics. This comes despite playing most of the year without a reliable bench, backup point guard, or true rim protector. They should be a bit better this year after making some upgrades.
The Raptors know they’re not a title contender just yet, but last season crystallized the fact that they would be selling themselves short if they are aiming for the play-in. A strong second season from Scottie Barnes and the recently signed role players doing their job could push them into the top four seeds.
The Toronto Raptors should compete with the Philadelphia 76ers.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are not short on star power, as Joel Embiid and James Harden are a good enough trio to give even teams like Toronto some major issues. Those two will make Philly a contender, but the gap between them and the Raptors is not as wide as many may assume.
Toronto gave them everything they could handle in their playoff series, and acquisitions like PJ Tucker don’t make up for a general lack of bench depth. If Harden continues to show signs of regression, like he did last year, the Raptors equalling Philly’s win total might not be that absurd.
1. Boston Celtics
The Celtics made one of the best trades of the entire offseason when they acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers for a bunch of scraps. With arguably the league’s best defense and the 1-2 punch of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Ime Udoka’s squad will be out for blood.
The Celtics getting thrown in the Kevin Durant mix will only make things more difficult for the Raptors. Even without such a seismic move, even the staunchest Toronto fan must concede that Boston will arrive as the top team in the conference to start the season.
The Toronto Raptors are behind the Boston Celtics.
The Raptors were able to beat Boston down in their building early in the season, but that was before they had perfect Udoka’s defense and made a flurry of moves at the deadline. As it stands right now, the Celtics are a tier or two above Toronto.
That could change in the near future if the Raptors continue to make positive strides. It will take names like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam going beyond the lofty standards they set for themselves last year, but that’s simply the price it will take to compete with Boston.