2. The Raptors may pull off another second-half surge.
If history means anything, the Raptors may be on the verge of improving their stock this season. What appeared to be a struggling team last season went on a 33-17 tear after when 2022 came around. It secured the Raptors the No. 5 seed in the East and a playoff series against Philadelphia.
Right now, the Raptors have broken a long losing streak before Christmas with a pair of wins against the Knicks and Cavaliers. In both pre-Christmas victories, the Raptors held their opponents under their season average of allowing opponents 110.9 points per game. During the six-game losing streak prior, opponents were scoring 116.1 per game.
Will the Toronto Raptors win games in the new year?
While the Raptors are by no means a contender right now, their roster is much better than what they looked like in two painful defeats at the hand of a young, inexperienced Orlando team. Now, it’s just a matter of sustaining the quality play during a very tough schedule.
Going into Tuesday’s game, Siakam was averaging 26.2 points and a career-high of 6.9 assists per game. If Spicy P can stay hot and get consistent help scoring from VanVleet and Barnes, the Raptors could be as challenging to beat in 2023 as they were to start 2022.