Time is ticking for the Toronto Raptors.
With 19 games remaining in their regular-season schedule, the Raptors don’t have significant runway left to prove they’re more than their reputation.
Toronto beats up on non-playoff teams. They struggle against teams destined to compete for a playoff spot.
That’s not a bad spot to be in for a team supposedly in year two of a rebuild. But for an organization that prioritized getting away from the luxury tax at the trade deadline, being stuck in the middle is a precarious
position.
Eleven of the Raptors’ remaining opponents are above .500, with seven teams currently holding onto playoff spots.
Toronto’s next opportunity to strengthen its resistance to criticism comes against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on TSN.
Houston, we have the same problems
The Raptors and the Rockets have more in common than they think. For starters, their respective population totals mirror each other. Toronto’s metropolitan numbers measure at 7.1 million, while the actual city clocks in at 2.7 million. Meanwhile, Houston has 7.8 million people in its metro area and a city population of 2.3 million.
Both cities are generally viewed as “the other” in sports media. For example, the NFL’s Houston Texans are treated like a side note during playoff broadcast scheduling. Like the Raptors, the Texans often deal with being put on a side channel or network in the early afternoon for the first round of the post-season.
Returning to NBA discourse, Houston is also facing fraud allegations. Like the Raptors, the Rockets have problems that go beyond the fit of their All-Star duo.
In their last ten games, five of six wins have come against teams below the .500 mark. Houston’s four losses have come against the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.
They’ve also struggled with second-half and fourth quarter meltdowns. The Rockets’ defence allowed 76 points in the second-half against the Spurs in their last game. New York also overcame an 18-point deficit with a 33-15 fourth quarter.
Similar to the Raptors’ situation, the Rockets are trying to manage their centre position on a day-by-day basis. Without Steven Adams, Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka has turned to an undersized group featuring Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith. They also get an added boost from rebound-friendly wings like Amen Thompson and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Listed at six-foot-10, Clint Capela is arguably their best defensive big man, but he has struggled to find consistent minutes.
The value in playing care-free
One of the best things that could have happened for the Raptors’ overall psyche was the passing of the trade deadline and All-Star game. Whatever agendas or insecurities that existed beforehand – for the players, coaching staff and front office – no longer have reason to exist.
Simply put, everyone on the roster can lock in on pushing this ship as far as it’ll go.
If the Raptors make considerable strides between now and the playoffs, it’ll be due to the impact of RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick.
Barrett’s 31-point game against the Dallas Mavericks was reminiscent of the type of performances regularly associated with his name before the early-season injuries. His role as an “innings-eater” type of reliever for an offence often plagued by droughts is invaluable.
While it was encouraging to see Dick get meaningful minutes against the Mavericks, he needs to rediscover his outside shooting. Dick is 3-for-16 in the last 11 games. Raptors fans have seen him be a hustle-type of scorer in the past, but that’s not what this particular roster needs.
