3 preseason contenders the Raptors have outperformed in 2022
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors have been as average as possible through the first six games of the season, as they have salvaged a 3-3 record despite getting stuck with a very hard schedule. Beating the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers (who are 5-1) is not to be taken lightly.
The Raptors have to look at the standings with some degree of confusion. Multiple teams thought to be the leaders of the pack in the Victor Wembanyama tank have winning records, while presumed contenders have been pushed down to the bottom of the barrel.
While the Raptors themselves don’t look like a team that will do much of anything in the later rounds of the playoffs right now due to their inconsistent finishing and poor bench, there have been plenty of positive takeaways. Fans should be feeling good about this start, and not every fanbase can say that.
These three contenders have gotten off to some very sluggish starts, while the Raptors have positioned themselves in a slightly better position. It might seem unlikely that all three of these teams will finish below Toronto, but we’ve certainly seen stranger things in the NBA.
3 contenders the Toronto Raptors are outplaying.
3. Golden State Warriors
The loss of Otto Porter Jr. appears to have torn this team apart (gushing with sarcasm), as the Warriors have stumbled out of the gate. Golden State is 3-4 on the season, with 66% of those victories coming against division rivals in the Lakers and Kings, who have a whole two wins between them.
A loss to the Pistons on Sunday underscored Golden State’s issues. The champs are trying to repeat, leaning on veterans like Steph Curry and Draymond Green, while also trying to develop young prospects like James Wiseman and Moses Moody. Wiseman and Moody have looked OK, but Jonathan Kuminga has fallen off the face of the earth.
The Toronto Raptors have a better record than the Warriors.
On top of that, Klay Thompson has taken a severe step back, as age and his injury history appear to be sapping away some of his skills. The team came into their game against the Pistons as a top scoring offense, but they left it ranked 23rd in defensive rating.
The difference in those two areas could kneecap Golden State this year.
The Raptors will likely not be as good as Golden State when the 82nd game is played, as it’s tough to keep a team with a healthy and effective Curry down for too long. However, the Raptors have clearly been more effective on defense early despite being less deep offensively.