The Toronto Raptors have won three consecutive games against postseason-caliber teams and now sit at .500. With this in mind, the NBA should be buzzing about the potential of an unorthodox unit that seems to have the tools to exceed expectations.
Unfortunately, ESPN isn't ready to believe in the Raptors. Instead, their recent power rankings revealed that Toronto is still viewed as a below-average team.
Toronto is 4-4 through eight games despite playing three without starting center Jakob Poeltl and two without promising rookie Collin Murray-Boyles. It's defeated four teams with realistic postseason dreams and suffered two losses by 10 points or less.
Unfortunately, ESPN ranked Toronto as the No. 20 team in its latest batch of power rankings—below the 3-5 Orlando Magic, 3-5 Boston Celtics, and 4-4 Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks are mentioned, of course, because Toronto defeated Atlanta in the season opener. The Raptors also defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks during their recent three-game winning streak. Both teams cracked ESPN's top 10 in the power rankings.
Despite the snub by ESPN, the Raptors are proving that their risky strategy has the potential to pay off with a postseason appearance in 2025-26.
Raptors ranked No. 20 in ESPN power rankings despite winning streak
Toronto responded to a 1-4 start by going to and defeating Cleveland 112-101, with RJ Barrett, Jamison Battle, and Brandon Ingram all exceeding 20 points. It then rallied behind 27 points from Barrett, 26 from Brandon Ingram, and 19 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and five blocks from Scottie Barnes to topple the Memphis Grizzlies 117-104.
In its most recent outing, both Barnes and Barrett scored 23 points, and six Raptors finished in double figures as Toronto blew Milwaukee out 128-100.
Unfortunately, Toronto moved up just two spots from No. 22 to No. 20 in ESPN's power rankings despite the team's success. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it shouldn't deter the players and coaching staff from believing they're on the right track.
It's still early, but the Raptors' maligned roster structure hasn't prevented the team from ranking No. 7 in offensive rating and No. 14 in net rating in 2025-26.
Critics of the Raptors' approach to team building have cited the surplus of players with similar skill sets. Barnes, Barrett, and Ingram, for instance, are unselfish players, but they're mostly known as wings who are at their best with the ball in their hands.
Toronto has scoffed at the notion that its players can't coexist, however, by ranking No. 1 in the NBA in assists per game and No. 6 in passes made.
With the ball in constant motion and the ball-dominant players proving unselfish, the Raptors are firing on all cylinders. There are still learning curves that the team will need to overcome, but the talent in place is proving more than up to the task of adapting as they go.
Whether ESPN believes that the Raptors are the 20th-best team in the NBA or that they belong somewhere higher, Toronto is proving that it's ready to make noise.