Toronto has done quite well for themselves considering the low expectations many mainstream media outlets and analysts set for them going into the 2025-26 season. Now, unless you were checking in with the ultimate Raptors die-hard, I don't think anyone would have been bold enough to say this team was gunning closely for the Larry O-B.
At the very least, they could be a gutsy and gritty squad fighting their way into the playoffs. But even with that in mind, it was a thought that garnered very little confidence. I can recall seeing the Raptors viewed an end-of-the-standings play-in team (or barely at all), especially when looking back at those preseason ESPN predictions — not even good enough to surpass the Chicago Bulls.
But what did I just cover as the new year kicked off? The Raptors organization has a lot to be excited about heading into 2026, especially since their current record far surpasses the meager 8-26 they had going into 2025. As great as that sounds, the job is far from finished, though. Even as the fourth seed, the East competition is still very tight, and the standings can change at any moment, especially with the close race between the sixth, seventh, and eight seeds.
Although one of the key factors behind the Raptors' ability to produce winning success has been their defense. As of now, the Toronto Raptors rank fourth in the NBA in defense while sitting 19th in offense.
Raptors’ defense has largely been their main catalyst for success
There's definitely a lot of work to do to improve that offensive ranking, but they compensate for it with their hustle on defense. Many guys across the roster who go out there with active hands, playing physical, and embracing that intense, fast-paced, and high-energy brand of basketball that’s become the Raptors’ signature. It certainly helps when you have players like Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and, of course, Scottie Barnes driving the defensive charge.
On a recent episode of The Zach Lowe Show, the main topic was the Eastern Conference power rankings. Zach Lowe had the Raptors at eighth, while Fred Katz put them at seventh. As they shared their reasoning behind the rankings, Katz took a moment to praise the Raptors' winning skill, which has pretty much become their superpower — and it's definitely a trait that true Raptors connoisseurs can appreciate. Katz said (YouTube link here):
"Toronto is very, very good at bleeding teams late into the shot clock. And I think that's a really good skill. I really, really like that for them. That's why they're so good defensively. They force more shots late in the clock than any other team in the league and they force a ton of turnovers. And I think that's a really, really good combination. So I kind of think their defense is pretty real."Fred Katz on Raptors' defense
" ... they, I think are allowing the second or third-worst accuracy on three-pointers in the league right now. And you know, you look at that, and you're like "Okay, maybe that comes down?" But part of the reason why is because they're giving up so many shots late in the clock. And a lot of those are just rushed, grenades that end up flying out to someone and you just kind of have to put it up. They defend really hard. They force a lot of turnovers. They get out in transition. They're good in transition when they do it."Fred Katz contd.
It's great to see that, for a team unafraid to accelerate their rebuild, their defense has played a big role in early 2025-26 success. Hopefully, as the postseason approaches, they can keep that up and continue surpassing expectations, making sure everyone takes notice.