The Raptors’ impressive win streak has officially ended.
RJ Barrett has now missed four straight games with what could be a significant injury. And in a very key recent matchup, Toronto was wiped off the floor by the New York Knicks, who they’ll face again in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on December 9th.
Is the sky falling? Should Raptors fans abandon all hope? Let’s discuss.
The streak is over, but Toronto is still a much improved team
Toronto’s nine-game winning streak became borderline historic. It was tied for the fourth-longest in team history and the longest since 2020. Winning streaks of that duration are hard to sustain, and eventually, they are bound to come to an end. But what this Raptors team proved throughout November is they have taken a legitimate step forward compared to recent seasons.
The addition of Brandon Ingram has not been perfect, but it has already exceeded many expectations. Scottie Barnes has taken a leap defensively and continues to show he can contribute everywhere on the floor. And for most of November, Toronto showcased a balanced, efficient scoring attack that felt repeatable. Sure, the team endured some recent ugly back-to-back losses, but do not forget the positives we’ve seen from this group to start the season.
RJ Barrett, get well soon
The last four games without RJ Barrett have been difficult for the Raptors. They’ve missed his ability to score in the half-court – but especially in transition. Before RJ Barrett’s injury, Toronto comfortably led the league in fastbreak scoring at 20.9 points per game, with Barrett leading the Raptors at 4.1 fastbreak points per game.
In the last four games, Toronto has had a harder time getting out and scoring in transition. They’ve averaged 17.3 fastbreak points per game — still good enough to rank eighth over a full season, but a noticeable step backward.
The Raptors are also struggling to redistribute Barrett’s shots. Their top four scorers on the season (Ingram, Barnes, Barrett, and Quickley) were all averaging between 11.9 and 15.4 field goal attempts per game, but in the last four games, Brandon Ingram has taken 22.5 shots per game.
With a key player out, you expect your other scorers to increase their workloads slightly, but too much is being put on Ingram’s shoulders. The key to Toronto’s early-season success on offense was a balanced attack where everyone was involved. It’s up to Darko Rajakovic to re-establish better ball movement while the team waits for Barrett to come back healthy.
A difficult path lies ahead
Good teams beat bad teams. The Raptors proved over the course of November that they are a good NBA team. They went 8-1 against teams currently below .500, and a very respectable 4-2 against teams above .500. December is shaping up to be a much more difficult month: Toronto will face eight teams with winning records, compared to only five with losing records.
From what I have seen from the Raptors to start this season, I believe they will be able to hold their own against tougher competition — but this month will reveal whether this team is becoming a serious threat in the Eastern Conference, or if they still need more development before people can take them seriously.