Raptors Roundup: East Echelons, Scottie All-Star, Ingram Snubbed?

Welcome to Raptors Roundup! A weekly recap of everything going on in the world of the Toronto Raptors.

At this point it seems evident that the Raptors will be participating in the post-season. Though in what capacity is yet to be determined. Currently they’re tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the four seed, but sit just two games behind the two seeded New York Knicks and just three games over the play-in bound Miami Heat. While there will still be plenty of movement, we have a decent idea of potential playoff matchups for the Raptors. In this edition of Raptors Roundup I wanted to take a quick look at potential opponents and rank them based on how likely it is that Toronto could win a playoff series.

In addition I’ll give some quick thoughts on the games from the past week before introducing a new segment called Quick Reaction Roundup. Within that segment I’ve tallied each player’s Quick Reaction grades from the week and given them an average for the week. Just something so we can have a short discussion on each player every week. Finally we name this week’s Raptor of the Week before we get out of here.

Tiers of playoff opponents

For this segment I’ve divided the possible East playoff teams into tiers, starting with the teams I think the Raptors will struggle the most with in a playoff series.

Don’t see it happening:

1. New York Knicks: Outside of the first half of this past week’s matchup, the Raptors have shown no indication of being able to stop this team. Even when Scottie Barnes was locking up Jalen Brunson, they were demolished by Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby. There are just too many points of attack for the Knicks and unfortunately Barnes can’t guard them all.

2. Boston Celtics: Another team that the Raptors haven’t had the answer for. While I think it’s more likely that they could beat the Celtics than the Knicks I still don’t have high expectations. Whether it’s Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, or Jaylen Brown, the Raptors don’t have the perimeter defense needed to stop them from getting to the rim. If Jayson Tatum comes back, forget about it…

If everything goes the right way:

3. Philadelphia 76ers: This is tough, the season series sits at 2-2 but with Joel Embiid getting healthier by the day (for now), winning a series would be really tough. I may feel differently depending on how the trade deadline goes or if Jakob Poeltl is healthy, but as of now I struggle to see pathways to stopping both Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Maybe should be more scared… but I’m not.

4. Detroit Pistons: Obviously the Raptors haven’t played the Pistons yet so my feelings may change after their February 11th matchup, but something about this Pistons team doesn’t strike the same fear in me as Boston or New York. I think Barnes will likely draw the Cade Cunningham matchup and turn him into a passer, which bodes well for Toronto. The biggest fear at that point will be the shooting variance of the Pistons role guys and the dominance of their frontcourt.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Raptors swept the Cavaliers in the season series but since that time Cleveland has been surging in the standings. Still, they just don’t scare me. Barnes has proven himself against Evan Mobley every time they matchup and I don’t think Cleveland’s defense stands up to against the Raptors. Obviously this could all be a moot point, Cleveland has executed one trade already and appear to be on the verge of acquiring James Harden as well.

6. Orlando Magic: This past week’s matchup is what got me thinking about these playoff tiers, and while the matchup with Orlando didn’t go well, I still have confidence. Neither team is a good three-point shooting team, and so I do think if one team gets hot throughout the course of a series it could determine the winner. Still, I like Toronto’s chances.

Raptors are easily the favourites:

6. Miami Heat: Miami’s offense is bad, and they don’t have wing defense to stop both Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Then on the other end I seriously don’t see how they muster up the offense to beat the Raptors four times out of seven.

7. Chicago Bulls: This team may not even be in the play-in when it’s all said and done. They appear as if they may (finally) sell some assets and fall out of the playoff race as the Charlotte Hornets surge up the standings.

8. Atlanta Hawks: LOL… I’ve previously said this would be a dream matchup for Toronto. Again they may fall out of the play-in but if somehow this becomes a reality, I’m predicting a sweep.

WTF?!?

Charlotte Hornets: This team terrifies me… They are currently the 11th seed but have won seven in a row and seem poised to steal a spot in the play-in. Every matchup between these two teams is guaranteed to have weird stuff happen. Maybe the Raptors win but either way it’s going to be roller-coaster ride the entire time…

Game Recaps

Raptors stray away from identity, collapse late vs. Knicks | Final: 92-119

It was a tale of two halves for the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, and unfortunately for the home team, the final 24 minutes did not go in their favour.

The Raptors were outscored 72-41 by the New York Knicks in the second half en route to a 119-92 loss that put an end to their four-game win streak.

Toronto led wire-to-wire until the 2:59 mark of the third quarter, allowing New York to climb out of a once 12-point deficit on a far too easy blow-by layup from OG Anunoby, who went on to finish with 26 points, five assists, six steals and two blocks.

He wasn’t the only Knick to do most of his damage in the third, however, as Mikal Bridges torched the Raptors for 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the frame as part of a game-high 30-point (12-of-15) outing that powered New York’s 11th consecutive win against Toronto.

• Zulfi Sheikh

Top Performers:

1. Brandon Ingram – 27 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 10-16 FG, 1-3 3FG, 6-6 FT, -14 +/-
2. Scottie Barnes – 17 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST, 6-13 FG, 1-3 3FG, 4-5 FT, -14 +/-
3. RJ Barrett – 14 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 3-13 FG, 1-4 3FG, 7-8 FT -10 +/-

Ingram & Barnes lead early, Raptors falter late in loss to Magic | Final: 120-130

In what was, maybe, a disastrous coaching error, Coach Darko left both of his stars on the bench to start the fourth quarter. Of course they would find their way back into the game in time, but the opening half of the fourth saw the Magic kick loose into a 21-5 run. A run that would put them up by 3. The Magic were able to close the rim and the paint off to the Raptors. The extra size and physicality began to shrink the floor, and the Raptors operated as if they were in a straight jacket…

…A sobering loss. Similar to the one against the Knicks. You can lose a couple of these throughout a season, but you don’t want these things stacking up. Work to be done.

• Samson Folk

Top Performers:

1. Brandon Ingram – 35 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 13-23 FG, 4-8 3FG, 5-7 FT, -13 +/-
2. Scottie Barnes – 19 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 4 BLK, 7-12 FG, 0-3 3FG, 5-7 FT, +6 +/-
3. Collin Murray-Boyles – 12 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 5-7 FG, 2-2 FT -19 +/-

Disjointed Raptors cobble together win over Jazz | Final: 107-100

Not all wins are created equally. Sure, they count the same in the standings, but as a believer in process over results, that’s irrelevant to me. The process that led to this Raptors’ win was ugly. Against any serious basketball team the Raptors would have been blown out. Unforced turnovers, defensive miscues, lack of offensive execution, this game had it all…

…The Raptors currently own a top-eight defense, but when it comes down to the clutch, they have the best defense in the league. They have a 96.0 defensive rating. That’s not just best in the league, but is equivalent to the 15th best defensive rating of all-time. Obviously it’s not that simple, we’re comparing a small sample of fourth quarters to full seasons, but given most of those records were set in the 1970s, it’s impressive.

That ability to lock in when it matters the most has driven Toronto’s winning this season, and it earned them the win last night too.

• Camden MacMillan (Me)

Top Performers:

1. Sandro Mamukelashvili – 20 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL, 6-9 FG, 4-7 3FG, 4-4 FT, +6 +/-
2. RJ Barrett – 21 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK, 6-12 FG, 2-6 3FG, 7-9 FT, +13 +/-
3. Immanuel Quickley – 17 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 4 STL, 6-12 FG, 3-6 3FG, 2-2 FT +8 +/-

Quick Reaction Roundup

In this section I just want to provide a brief overview of the grades each player got throughout this week’s Quick Reactions. This was not a great week for the Raptors, but still featured some strong individual performances.

	New York Knicks	Orlando Magic	Utah Jazz	Average grade
Immanuel Quickley	C-	D+	B-	C
RJ Barrett	C	C+	B	C+
Brandon Ingram	B	A	C+	B
Scottie Barnes	B+	B	B-	B
Collin Murray-Boyles	B	B-	C	B-
Jamal Shead	C-	C-	B-	C
Sandro Mamukelashvili	B-	C	A	B
Ja’Kobe Walter	D+	A	D+	C+
Gradey Dick	C	D	D-	D+
Darko Rajakovic	C+	C-	D+	C-

Raptor of the week: Brandon Ingram

He may not have made the All-Star team, but maybe he can settle for the Raptor of the Week consolation (actual) prize. Ingram’s week peaked against the Magic, where he scored 35 points and hit four threes. But throughout the entire week he’s been a consistent source of offense, and his defense has been much stronger of late. What’s impressed me the most as the season has gone on is Ingram’s become more efficient, and if he shoots the three ball at the rate he did this week then I would be very happy.

On the week Ingram averaged 27.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.4 stocks while shooting 51.7% from the field, 37.5% from three, and 88.2% from the free throw line. His three-point efficiency also came on the most attempts of any Raptor throughout the week, firing up 5.3 a game.

I’m hoping Ingram gets a chance at the All-Star game given they will be seeking an injury replacement for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that remains to be seen. Regardless, I made his case earlier this week:

In my mind there are three elements to any All-Star campaign: A winning impact, big moments, and a compelling story. You have to make a difference for your team. Yes statistically, but more importantly, in the win column. That’s step one. Step two is having memorable moments. The clutch shots, the big games, and the jaw-dropping highlights. You need to wow the world. And finally, you need a storyline that people latch onto. An underrated aspect of any All-Star campaign is an interesting story. People love a good story, whether it’s an underdog story or a comeback story. Make it compelling and people will be all over it. Brandon Ingram should have been an All-Star because he has all of these elements.

• Camden MacMillan (Me) – Brandon Ingram should have been an All Star for the Raptors

Current Raptor of the Week standings:

1. Scottie Barnes – 4 times
2. Brandon Ingram – 3 times
3. Collin Murray-Boyles – 2 times
4. Immanuel Quickley – 1 time
5. Ja’Kobe Walter – 1 time

Raptors News and Rumours

How Raptors’ Scottie Barnes earned his second career All-Star selection

And there we have it. Scottie Barnes is officially an All-Star for the second time in his career. It’s a well-deserved honour for the fifth-year forward (wing, centre, guard, etc) that has led the upstart Toronto Raptors from the Eastern Conference’s basement to a top-four seed with the trade deadline and All-Star break coming up over the next couple weeks.  

• Ian Finalyson

Darko Rajakovic to coach Team World at 2026 All-Star Game

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković has been named by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the head coach for team world for this years NBA All-Star game. Rajaković is one of the NBA’s prominent international coaches and he earned this honor by guiding Toronto to one of their best seasons in many years. Rajaković is the third coach in Toronto Raptors history to coach during the All-Star game, joining Dwayne Casey and Nick Nurse.

• Mikai Bruce

Rumour: Raptors willing to offer RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl for Domantas Sabonis

The rumours are picking up in intensity as Toronto has been linked to Domantas Sabonis for quite some time now, but there are leaks of potential trade offers now. It appears RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and Ochai Agbaji are being offered for the former All-Star, reported by Michael Scotto.

• Mete Makarnaci

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, February 4th – Timberwolves @ Raptors | 7:30pm ET on TSN

Thursday, February 5th – Bulls @ Raptors | 7:30pm ET on SN

Sunday, February 8th – Pacers @ Raptors | 3:00pm ET on Sportsnet

Record Prediction: 2-1, I don’t see many pathways to beating the immense pressure that Anthony Edwards will put on the defense while also containing Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid in the paint. Otherwise I feel good about beating the Bulls and Pacers.

That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Raptors Roundup, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful week!

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