Alright, maybe we've been giving the Raptors a bit too hard a time for their rough 1-4 start, especially since we still have the whole season ahead of us. But you can't deny that, no matter how big of a Raptors fan you are, it's worth noting that Toronto's defensive foundation and the small sample size we've seen so far haven't looked particularly impressive. Things could start to look up, but at the same time, things could also continue to get very ugly in Toronto. There are a lot of factors at play right now, especially with this critical turning point in a new era — considering Bobby Webster's new leadership and the Brandon Ingram venture.
Tensions are definitely running high right now, and it's unclear what the future holds as the season goes on.
Since today is Halloween, I thought it would be fitting to take a look at some hypothetical season outcomes that could ravage the Raptors' 2025-26 year. What could've been a spooky season for the rest of the Eastern Conference and the NBA, thanks to a potential Toronto uprising, could turn into a nightmare for Raptors fans if they don’t figure things out.
Losing Brandon Ingram for an extended period
While the overall vibe in Raptors Nation right now isn't exactly full of optimism and hype, it's been nice to see that, on an individual level, Toronto's' star duo, Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, have been playing really well and doing their thing. Sure, it's not really translating to many wins right now (something I just highlighted), but when it comes to your top players, a lot of the Raptors' success is still tied to these two men leading the team forward. Though, of course, that’s only going to happen once the team’s overall chemistry has developed enough to get to a good place.
We've heard it many times before. Before BI came to town, one of the biggest questions people had going into this year was whether the notoriously injury-prone star could stay healthy for a majority of the season. Toronto raised the bar to try and compete in the interim by acquiring Brandon Ingram, and he definitely boosts their offensive potential. But what if BI can't stay healthy? Their defense, which is already shaky as is, could be equally matched by a weak offense, since they’d be losing a player who regularly scores in the mid-20s each night.
And if Ingram is out of the mix, then you're mostly left with last year's roster. While it's talented and full of potential, last year already showed that it's not enough to make any noise in the East.
The Immanuel Quickley experiment proves entirely broken
Oh, Immanuel Quickley. I really want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the Raptors discourse is quickly turning against the 26-year-old. People have raised concerns about IQ’s expensive extension and how he hasn’t really lived up to that big contract. As the starting point guard, it seems like he might not be the right fit for that role. However, Toronto has invested so much in this experiment that it could be too late or even impossible to explore other options now.
While Immanuel Quickley definitely has a burst in his step, being able to get to the basket and capable of dishing out a fair amount of assists, the reality is that IQ might be in that tier of spark plug, score-first archetypes like Jordan Poole, Jordan Clarkson, or Cam Thomas. Toronto has committed $32.5 million annually to IQ, expecting him to be the floor general and also to shoot at will, which he emphasized on Media Day.
But IQ simply isn’t that kind of maestro, and his shot is all over the place right now. At worst, the Raptors might have to just eat his bad contract and look for cheaper/stronger alternatives at the starting point guard spot. I still believe IQ could thrive coming off the bench or in an off-ball role, but it’s hard to ignore how bad it looks to pay a backup over $30 million, especially when there are other players of similar skill level who are making a fraction of that price.
The Jakob Poeltl regression is real
From one nightmare scenario to another: enter Jakob Poeltl. Here’s another case where money is a big part of the story. Over the summer, the Raptors gave the now 30-year-old a contract extension that bumps his total earnings to $104 million over four years. There were critics who responded right after the news of this extension broke, and not everyone was sold on the deal — even some other writers here on Raptors Rapture. But for me, I was definitely one of those who saw it as a 'necessary evil' that the Raptors had to go through to make things work.
But this early part of the year might be making me eat my words because Jakob Poeltl has looked distressing in the five games he's played for Toronto so far. That said, a lot of the blame could probably be put on the injuries he's likely forcing himself to play through.
Be that as it may, it's still a valid reason to be concerned. If the big fella can't stay healthy moving forward, it is a serious problem... point-blank period. Perhaps he played at a career-high level to secure a big payday, but now his production is dropping off sharply — creating another financial headache for the Raptors. I could see a team taking a chance on Immanuel Quickley since he's still relatively young and has shown he's a solid shooter when he's at his best, but I can't think of many teams willing to take on an aging big who’s clearly being held back by injuries.