The Raptors just keep on rolling. Since the last Fulcrum, they have gone a perfect 4–0, outscoring opponents by 59 points, including a 30-point beat down of the Wizards. With a balanced offense and solid defense, Toronto now sits second in the Eastern Conference.
A balanced attack helps the Raptors take care of business
The regular season is a marathon, and right now the Raptors are in a softer part of the schedule. Three of their four opponents this week were among the worst teams in the conference. It is easy to shrug at wins like that, but the best teams separate themselves by consistently taking care of these lower-tier opponents.
Over these four games, the Raptors have six players averaging more than 10 points per game: Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. They are also the team’s six leading scorers on the season.
More importantly, all six shot better than 50 percent from the field during this stretch. When that many players are scoring efficiently, it becomes much more difficult for the opposing defense to keep up.
Another bench player steps up: Ja’Kobe Walter
The Raptors bench might lack a flashy shot-maker, but this bench is deep and filled with impactful players. On the season, Toronto’s leaders in net rating (how much the team outscores opponents per 100 possessions with a player on the floor) are Jamison Battle, Gradey Dick, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Jamal Shead. Bench players are naturally more subject to small sample size, but there is a clear trend: when the bench checks in, the Raptors usually win those minutes.
The last week tells us a similar story, but with a new face. Over the last four games, Ja’Kobe Walter leads the team in net rating, with Toronto outscoring opponents by 30.1 points per 100 possessions while he is on the floor. That number is inflated by the Wizards blowout, but Walter also had his first double-digit scoring game against the 76ers.
His offensive growth is encouraging, yet his calling card will always be defense. If he can produce just enough on offense and play his physical point-of-attack style on the perimeter, this bench becomes even more dangerous.
This strong surge should continue
EDITOR'S NOTE: Since beating the Wizards on November 21, the Raptors have gone out and disposed of two more teams in that span, and on a back-to-back no less. Toronto secured wins over the Brooklyn Nets on November 23 and a tough Cleveland Cavaliers squad on November 24, to extend their winning streak to an impressive eight-straight games, not seen in Raptors Nation since 2022.
Two familiar faces await this week in the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets, as the Raptors have their number in two recent matchups. Closing out November with a bang, the Raptors will welcome a head-to-head showdown with the New York Knicks, one of their more high-caliber contemporaries in quite some time.
If this young group stays locked in on each night’s matchup and tunes out the noise that comes with their first real run of success, the Raptors’ surge up the standings will likely continue. It's clear they have no intention of letting this wave of momentum settle, with hunger and drive fueling a spark among both the Raptors' starters and their rising bench unit.
*All stats courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise