The Toronto Raptors have officially entered the final stretch of the NBA calendar. At the time of writing, there are only 23 games left in the regular season. Since the last Fulcrum, the Raptors have gone 3-3, with the All-Star festivities taking place as well. Some familiar themes have emerged in these last six games.
Can the Raptors beat good teams?
In the last six games, Toronto’s three wins came against the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls. All three teams have lost more games than they have won, and their combined record is 65-113. Their three losses were against the Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs, the three top teams in the league. The theme of beating struggling teams while falling short against elite competition has been familiar all season.
On the year, Toronto is 20-7 against teams with losing records and just 15-18 against teams with winning records. Every team beats up on weaker competition, but Toronto’s split is extreme.
Raptors fans should be watching closely down the stretch to see how this team performs against stiffer competition. Toronto had legitimate chances to win in their recent losses to the Thunder and Spurs. They will need to learn how to convert those opportunities if they expect to find real success later this year.
Look out for Ja’Kobe Walter
Questions have been raised all year about the Raptors’ wing rotation. At the beginning of the season, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and Ja’Kobe Walter all had opportunities to grab more consistent minutes if they could prove themselves to Coach Rajakovic. No one capitalized.
Ja’Kobe Walter might be turning the corner.
Over the last seven games, Walter is fifth on the team in minutes, averaging 8.6 points while shooting 48.4 percent from deep. His defense is not always consistent, but he is without a doubt one of this team’s strongest point-of-attack defenders. On a team that lacks consistent shooting and has struggled to contain opposing ball handlers, Walter’s style of play fits exactly what this rotation needs around its core pieces.
Agbaji is no longer on the roster, and Dick has been slipping out of the rotation over the past few weeks. It appears Coach Rajakovic may have found what he was searching for earlier in the season.
Early March will provide some much-needed challenges
Toronto will end the month against the lowly Washington Wizards. After that, the first four games in March will provide a significant test. The Raptors face the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets.
The Knicks, Timberwolves, and Rockets all have better winning percentages than Toronto. Those games represent an opportunity. This team should look at them as challenges to prove it can win against quality opponents.
The Wizards and Mavericks both have losing records. Toronto should not take them lightly, but this group has consistently taken care of business against weaker opponents. The next step is proving they can do the same against winning teams.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Since the publication of this Fulcrum, the Toronto Raptors have successfully defeated the Washington Wizards with a final score of 134-125.