NBA Power Rankings: Are the Toronto Raptors performing well?
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors currently stand at 9-8 on the 2022-23 NBA season, which is better than many expected after the Eastern Conference got much deeper and more robust than the Western Conference in the offseason. Throw in some laughable bad luck with injuries and you have a concoction that would sink most teams.
Very few teams have the structure to withstand so many big injuries to so many key players, in addition to some noteworthy names underperforming. Toronto has shown once again that Masai Ujiri and Nick Nurse are one of the best executive/coach combos in the league.
The Raptors rank as a slightly above-average team in most categories, though they could start to take things up a notch or two when they start to play some of the easier portions of their schedule. This team has been put through hell in the first few weeks.
How do the Raptors stack up against the best teams in the league following a somewhat wonky start? Considering the fact that some contenders are in the lottery right now, Toronto should feel pleased with itself.
NBA Power Rankings: Are the Toronto Raptors ranked high?
30. Detroit Pistons
29. Houston Rockets
28. Charlotte Hornets
27. San Antonio Spurs
26. Orlando Magic
25. Los Angeles Lakers
24. Miami Heat
23. Oklahoma City Thunder
22. Chicago Bulls
21. Golden State Warriors
The Pistons and Rockets are once again going to fight for the top pick, as both of them could end up landing Victor Wembanyama. LaMelo Ball returning to the floor has made Charlotte more exciting, but this team is very far away from becoming a contender in the East.
The Spurs have cooled off after a hot start, while the Magic are a fun team that is still struggling to translate all of their fun players into victories. Oklahoma City is better than many thought they would be, thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but the Thunder still are a few steps away from being a serious playoff team.
NBA Power Rankings: The Toronto Raptors are better than the Heat.
Many teams that were expected to make noise in the West, including the reigning champion Warriors, are struggling with some serious depth issues. While Anthony Davis and LA are turning things around slightly, the picture overall is still quite gloomy.
The Heat and Bulls are two teams who have been underperforming all season long, as neither of them has been fully healthy for very long. However, both of them will likely escape the lottery if they can get all their difference-makers back on a relatively efficient timeline.