The Toronto Raptors' 4-3 start to the season, punctuated by a loss to the Denver Nuggets in which they were outscored by more than 20 points, illustrated more than just how important a puzzle piece Kawhi Leonard has become. Without a furious comeback win against the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto would be on a four-game losing streak.
Leonard's injury-related absence has not only created a huge hole in the team's short-term plans, but it also shows that many of the big problems this team has tried to work around over the last few years still persist today.
Unless Leonard comes back and instantly gets things back to how it was in the first few games of the season, these five problems may continue to haunt the Raptors this year.
5 2025 Toronto Raptors problems hurting the team in 2026
5. RJ Barrett's hot-and-cold style
Barrett has taken a leap as a Raptor, and he's largely been solid this year. However, when he is playing poorly, it's very obvious that he can bring the offensive flow to a halt. Barrett is shooting just 32% from 3-point range, and his assists per game are down from where they were one year ago.
Barrett is essential to turning this team around, but the team's offense has a hard cap when he is struggling to see his shot fall.
4. Scottie Barnes' shooting
Barnes is never going to be a dominant shooter, and the Raptors have accepted that. However, with Scottie taking a huge uptick in shots to make up for Leonard not being available, he can't be 15% from deep and shoot at the volume he has been (over three attempts per game) this season.
Barnes' aggression should be complemented, but this year is confirming his very limited shooting upside.
3. Jamal Shead's scoring
Shead does so many things well, namely by playing pesky defense and distributing the ball. 20 years ago, he would have been a robust starter. However, Shead's 36% field goal percentage is actually down from last year, showing minimal progress being made in that area.
Shead can make all the passes he wants, but being a complete offensive black hole on most nights can't happen on a team with limited scoring depth.
2. Immanuel Quickley's playmaking
The banged-up Quickley continues to remain half a point guard and half a shooting guard. While he can make some nice passes when playing with tempo, he can get stuck in ruts when he assumes a greater offensive load. While his shooting is solid, the overall scoring package hasn't evolved as much as fans would have hoped.
If Quickley plays a bad team, his talent will dice them up. Against any quality opponent, his limitations start to shine through.
1. Jakob Poeltl's decline
Poeltl had value to this team once upon a time. He defended the paint well, rebounded against many of the goliath centers in the East, and finished at a very effective clip. Poeltl has declined to the point where he doesn't look like an NBA player on either side of the ball.
The Raptors may need to take this contract on the chin and ship out a first-round pick, as it's getting to the point where Poeltl barely even looks like a player worthy of backup minutes. Where's Trayce Jackson-Davis when you need him?
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