Just over halfway through the NBA season, the Toronto Raptors have been exceeding expectations.
They currently sit at 27-19, fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Most sportsbooks projected Toronto to finish just below 40 wins entering the season, yet the Raptors are now on pace for 48 victories.
Here are the key numbers driving their success so far.
Six vital stats that highlight the Raptors' season thus far
19.3 – The Raptors lead the league in fastbreak points per game at 19.3. What makes this even more impressive is that Toronto’s leader in fastbreak scoring is RJ Barrett (4.0 per game, eighth in the NBA), who has missed 23 of the team’s 46 games this season. Toronto’s ability to remain the league’s best transition offense without one of its most dangerous open-court players speaks to how committed the entire roster is to its pace and offensive identity.
12.7 – Toronto also allows the second-fewest fastbreak points per game at just 12.7. Transition opportunities generate the easiest buckets in the NBA, and head coach Darko Rajaković clearly understands that reality. He has built offensive and defensive systems designed to maximize Toronto’s transition scoring while aggressively limiting opponents’ transition opportunities. With a league-best +6.6 advantage in fastbreak points per game, it is fair to call the Raptors the NBA’s best transition team.
2.15 – This is Toronto’s assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks second in the league. The Raptors have been criticized for lacking a truly elite, go-to scorer, but they compensate by consistently creating high-quality looks and limiting mistakes. Ensuring nearly every possession ends in a shot attempt and prioritizing ball movement has allowed Toronto to succeed against even the league’s toughest defenses.
52 – This is the total number of games Toronto’s starters have missed due to injury this season. Jakob Poeltl leads the way with 25 games missed, with RJ Barrett close behind at 23 games. The remaining starters, Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, and Brandon Ingram, have avoided extended absences but have each missed time with minor injuries. When fully healthy, this group has the potential to be one of the league’s best starting fives. The fact that Toronto has reached this level of success despite recurring lineup instability only makes the season more impressive.
4.11 – This is Jamal Shead’s remarkable assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks ninth in the NBA. Shead has been critical not only to bench units, but to Toronto’s overall stability. Despite being just 23 years old and in his second NBA season, he plays with the poise of a veteran. His low scoring totals and lack of flashy plays may cause him to be overlooked, but his ability to control the game and make quick decisions has been invaluable to the Raptors’ success.
2.5 – Scottie Barnes ranks third in the NBA in defensive win shares with 2.5, a metric estimating how many wins a player contributes on the defensive end. Anyone watching Toronto closely this season has seen Barnes’ defensive impact night after night. He also ranks seventh in the league in stocks (steals plus blocks) at 2.67. Barnes has always been a strong defender, but this season he has elevated his play to truly elite. Toronto allows the sixth-fewest points per game in the NBA, and Barnes is the single biggest reason why.