The Toronto Raptors have won 27 games by double-digits this season, which is tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference. Pretty good! They have also lost 20 games by double-digits, which is more than any other East team currently in postseason position. Not as good!
Every team gets blown out on occasion. In an 82-game season, there will be some down nights. But this has become far too frequent a problem to ignore for Raptors fans. In March alone, the Raptors have lost six games and five of them have been by double-figures. When the Raps lose, it's like they never give themselves a chance, and you can feel which version of the team has shown up long before the final whistle.
Is there a fix for this? Because we all know the Raptors have some problems — but their propensity to not even be competitive some nights may be the biggest one. Teams only get four losses before they're sent packing, and it feels like the Raptors are destined to throw a couple playoff games away in this manner, which they really can't afford to do.
Raptors need to give themself a chance in games
Is there a way to fix this? Or are the Raptors (and Raptors fans) doomed to a life of being blown out an inordinate amount?
I'm actually asking — because if this issue isn't getting any better as we leave March and head into the season's home stretch, it's hard to imagine it getting better in the postseason. Plus, the Raps' 19-27 record against teams .500 or better already puts them in a hole in the postseason.
Things get weird in the postseason, and the Raptors do have enough talent to win at least one series. But in order for the chaos to happen, Darko Rajaković's team needs to stay competitive every time out there. Is it effort early in games? Is it poor gameplanning? Is it something more nefarious?
Recently, the Raptors have been better in the fourth quarter. Still not great (No. 18 in net rating over the past 10 games) but not the absolute gutter, which is where they occupied not long ago. Now, the problem has become actually making sure the game is competitive by the fourth quarter. Last night against the Clippers, it wasn't. On Sunday against the Suns, it wasn't.
Fans know the Raptors are still a piece or two away from being NBA Finals contenders. That's not their ceiling this year. But an Eastern Conference Finals run isn't really crazy... If they can get out of their own way, which they're struggling to do right now.