Last season was a massive success for the Raptors, all things considered. After finishing the 2024-25 campaign as an 11th seed with a 30-52 record, the Raps quickly turned things around. They improved dramatically to finish 46-36, securing the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and earning a playoff spot for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
The Raptors had some strong stretches, most notably their November to remember run, which caught the league’s attention with a surging 12-3 record. But as the season went on, Toronto largely came back down to earth. They maintained a decent record, sure, but never quite recaptured that peak month’s magic.
Despite their largely winning ways and impressive turnaround, there were still some concerning trends in the Raptors’ 2025-26 season that stood out. Roster depth issues are one thing (something that’s already been discussed at great lengths here on Raptors Rapture), but perhaps even more troubling was Toronto’s record and performance against the league’s top teams.
They went just 1-12 against the top four teams in the Eastern Conference, and 1-11 against the top six teams in the West. Sure, the Raptors could string some wins together and sit comfortably around the middle of the East, but these numbers definitely raised eyebrows about how much of a real threat they posed to the league’s elite.
Now, to give the Raptors a little bit of grace here, you have to consider the samples where they were missing key depth pieces. Operating without Collin Murray-Boyles and, to a lesser degree but still significant, their only true big man over 7 feet, Jakob Poeltl, for stretches. But that doesn't overshadow the eye test samples where Toronto simply couldn’t figure out how to close out late-game situations. Their crunch time defense could look weak, fatigue would start to set in, and the struggle to find a reliable closer in high-pressure moments was very apparent.
And with all due respect to Brandon Ingram, who did have some clutch moments this past season, he just isn’t that go-to guy you want when the game’s on the line. Elsewhere, the pressure could sometimes prove a little too bright for guys like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and even Scottie Barnes.
But next season, the Raptors have a guy who, even just at face value, looks like a massive game-changer to reverse this trend: Kawhi Leonard. The Klaw is, by leaps and bounds, a proven closer and clutch player to rely on when facing elite competition. That worked out for Toronto back when he first joined the fray in 2018-19, and he's shaping up to be considered in the same regard into the 2026-27 season and beyond.
Kawhi Leonard will be a key swing factor to reversing the Raptors' struggles against top teams
Toronto is putting serious faith in Leonard to help them get over the hump against the league’s toughest teams. However much he can contribute in the regular season, and most definitely in the playoffs, where he’s made a name for himself as a postseason riser. That’s why, for the most part, the Kawhi Leonard factor or effect has been seen as such a huge ceiling-raiser. Kawhi replaces the Brandon Ingram spot from last year, but he's an all-time defender and a lock to get you buckets when it counts, while Ingram is far from certain in that category.
As always with Kawhi, you run the risk of not seeing him for long stretches during the regular season due to injury concerns and load management. Others in the basketball sphere have pointed out too, just having Leonard available for 40, 45, or 50-ish games (some have even said 30 or 35-ish games, but that might be a little too low for my liking) significantly raises the Raptors’ ceiling compared to what they had before.
I do think a small part of me is fearful of setting ourselves up for disappointment by putting too much faith and expectation on Kawhi’s shoulders. But then again, our motivation to do so comes from the proven success he’s shown throughout his career and the hopeful leaps expected from the rest of the roster. Come the 2026-27 season, you can bet the Raptors with Kawhi will be doing everything in their power to hang with the league’s top teams and live up to these high expectations.
Last year was just a byproduct of a team still retooling and trying to get back to that competitive stage… but going forward, the room for error won’t be as forgiving.
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