We're approaching the final stretch before the start of the 2025-26 regular season.
So far, in the exhibition games, the Toronto Raptors have looked relatively solid. Brandon Ingram, their big acquisition, has been performing as a scoring threat — hopefully even more than usual. Other newcomers like Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili are quickly making their presence felt. Meanwhile, for those uncertain reserves fighting for a consistent role, like Gradey Dick, he is working hard to establish himself in the ranks.
Talent is certainly not lacking on this Raptors team, but the big question throughout the offseason has been where they rank among their Eastern Conference contemporaries. Everyone has their own opinions about the Raptors' chances and how the team is built — some are hopeful, while others are more skeptical. However, on a recent episode of ESPN's The Hoop Collective with analysts Brian Windhorst, Tim MacMahon, and Tim Bontemps, Bontemps took the opportunity to give the Raptors some credit and shared optimism about their chances heading into the new year.
Bontemps would confidently tell his two co-hosts that he believes the Raptors will finish ahead of the Indiana Pacers in the standings. However, he seemed a bit hesitant when asked if Toronto would also surpass the Philadelphia 76ers. Given his bold stance on the Raptors, Brian Windhorst then asked him to share the supporting evidence or reasons behind his claims. Bontemps replied (YouTube link here):
Tim Bontemps gives practical prediction about Raptors' Eastern Conference chances
"... Like again, this is not some argument that Toronto [Raptors] is going to finish third. But, all of these teams, like what I would say is they're a high ceiling or a high floor/low ceiling team where I think they're going to win low-40s games — because they're going to be trying to win every night. They have a pretty good amount of depth and they're going to be pushing to win as much as possible. And a lot of the other teams around them are much thinner, have more injury questions, and are going to potentially be looking to drop down and be in the lottery."Tim Bontemps, Oct 13, 2025
Just because we're Raptors fans here, I don't think we're simply seeking confirmation bias or looking for people to tell us only what we want to hear. I appreciate when analysts or basketball commentators share their honest opinions about why they think the Raptors might not be a good team. Having a range of perspectives is always better. But hearing Bontemps' perspective, he clearly explains to his co-hosts and the audience why Toronto should not be overlooked as a threat in the Eastern Conference, providing solid reasoning behind his view.
And as fans of a franchise where the common thread in the community is that the mainstream media never quite gives credit where it's due, it’s refreshing to see an encouraging Raptors take, whether you care about that exposure or not.