Panic or Patience on 3 concerning Raptors preseason trends

3. Losing big leads

While the NBA’s emphasis on 3-pointers has made it easier for teams to come back and pile up points in a hurry, the Raptors have been particularly vulnerable in this area over the last few games. It might be harmless in the preseason, but it won’t be in the playoffs.

The Raptors fell apart in the second quarter against the Rockets, and they saw an 11-point first-quarter lead against the Bulls wither away and amount to nothing. Toronto has similar issues last year, and it looks like they have made the transition to 2022-23.

The Toronto Raptors have struggled to stay ahead.

Raptors fans have every right to be volcanic when a lead like this is blown, but this is not something that is going to be an everyday occurrence for this team. With the rotation still not 100% healthy and the minutes doled out unevenly, the difference-makers weren’t always on the floor.

When the Raptors run their normal rotation, which features a good blend of youthful bigs that can get hot instantly and savvy veterans like Fred VanVleet that will refuse to allow such a huge capitulation, their second-half performance will improve. If this happens multiple times early in the season, then it might be panic time.

Verdict: Patience.