A lot of people have been saying the Raptors are the NBA's "best, worst team," and while that might sound a bit loaded or off-putting to some, it honestly describes Toronto perfectly to me.
The team might reveal many holes in experience and veteran leadership, as a good portion of the roster is made up of players age 25 or younger, but you can't overlook a group of hungry youngsters eager to shake up an Eastern Conference that will have its doors wide open for any surprise core to emerge.
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports recently covered the Raptors in The Kevin O'Connor Show, where he praised Toronto and acknowledged their past roadblocks while vividly highlighting their murky position in the NBA pecking order. Here are excerpts of KOC's comments from his August 26 episode titled "NBA Teams NOBODY Believes In + League Pass DARLINGS":
Raptors in evaluation year, but they can't afford to stay stagnant
"So, like there's so many ifs and question marks for this team. I have a hard time feeling optimistic. Um, at the same time, I do think this is the year where I'm going to figure out where exactly I am because they were really injured last year. They were the most injured teams in all of the NBA last season. A lot of guys missed time. There was no continuity. And so, I think for a young team, it's harder to feel positive progression when you don't have any continuity. But with that said though, I mean, a lot of this has been a trend for multiple years. It's not like it was just a a one-year thing. So to me, I think this is, this is a year of evaluation for the Raptors."Kevin O'Connor, Aug 26, 2025
"... With me, it's like I want to see Scottie Barnes take that step. I want to see if Collin Murray-Boyles can show some competency as a shooter. I want to see if Gradey Dick can find consistency. I want to see what Ja'Kobe Walter looks like, you know, entering his second season. So I I think this is an evaluation year with the Raptors. Um, but overall I'd lean pessimistic with the current mix. "Kevin O'Connor contd.
I think KOC knocked it out of the park with that analysis, and regardless of how you interpret the Raptors — whether that's your ride-or-die team or you're just an on-looker evaluating from a neutral perspective — there hasn't been much clarity on how effective the roster can be given injuries and Brandon Ingram yet to suit up for the team.
So yes, you need to bear that in mind when talking about the Raptors because without it, it doesn't tell the full story. When O'Connor mentions the lack of continuity last season, man, did that line hit home. Whether it was Toronto's weak start or their strong hot streak that emerged into the new year, it seemed like just as the Raptors either got the ground running or fell off fast, it was like a teeter-totter you could never predict where it would shift next.
O'Connor highlights some tremendous storylines that could define the Raptors season, and a couple of them I've already noted in previous pieces. Who doesn't want to see more from Scottie Barnes? Is Collin Murray-Boyles truly ready for the big time so early in his NBA journey? Is Gradey Dick riding on borrowed time? Ja'Kobe Walter might just be Toronto's dark horse waiting to be unleashed.
"Year of evaluation" it might be, but a breakthrough won't come from playing the waiting game forever; the guys in Toronto (whoever they may be) need to show they're ready to step up and take the throne.