A look ahead to the second half of the season for the Toronto Raptors
Now that the All-Star game is in the books, Toronto are just a few days away from kicking off the second “half” of the season on Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls. I thought it might be a fun idea to preview the rest of the regular season games, trying to predict how they do and a few more predictions at the end for the postseason. How this is going to work is I’ll list the closest game, for example, the Bulls on Thursday and predict the rest of the series if they still have to play multiple times, and we move on according to the schedule in order.
Chicago Bulls
Matchups remaining: 2, both away
Dates: February 19, March 19
The Chicago Bulls were the most active team during the season’s trade deadline as they traded away a bunch of players, including Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter, to name a few. Although they are always in their usual spot, near the play-in picture, the front office finally decided to try to rebuild the franchise that has six NBA championships to its name, thanks to Michael Jordan and company. Toronto should win both these games, even if they are both on the road, and if they can do that sucsesfully Toronto will have swept the season series three-zero.
Milwaukee Bucks
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: February 22
Milwaukee is also in the start of a rebuild, just like the Chicago Bulls, but they weren’t nearly as active as Chicago at the trade deadline. Franchise player Giannis Antetokounmpo seems ready for a new chapter in his NBA career, as it looks like he doesn’t want to play for the Bucks anymore, and Milwaukee did try to trade the former MVP at the trade deadline but probably felt they were getting lowballed at the moment. The season series is two-one in favour of Toronto, as the Bucks won the very first matchup between the two early on in the season, and Toronto should also win this game, which would give them a three-zero record post All-Star break for now.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Matchups remaining: 1, home
Date: February 24
The defending champions in Toronto, can the Raptors get it done for a perfect four-zero record post All-Star? I don’t think so. It would tie the season series at one a piece if it were to unfold the way I see it, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is injured, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are champions for a reason, and they have so much depth that even without their best player, they can beat one of the top teams of the Eastern Conference.
San Antonio Spurs
Matchups remaining: 1, home
Date: February 25
A back-to-back in Toronto against the first seed in the Western Conference, followed by the second seed of the Western Conference. A tragic scene if you are a part of the Raptors organization or even a fan, as it opens the potential for two losses on back-to-back nights, and I can see this one also being a loss due to how dominant the Spurs were against the Raptors in the first matchup, plus Toronto’s struggles against elite teams in the NBA. If Victor Wembanyama were to get ruled out due to an injury, though, I think the Raptors could sneak out the win. But for now, we’ll say that’s a loss which puts us at three and two post All-Star break.
Washington Wizards
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: February 28
Toronto will be back in Washington after an embarrassing trip last time out when the Wizards completely blew them out of the fourth quarter in a 138-117 loss. Toronto and Washington are currently tied one-one in the season series, and this will decide who takes it. It should be Toronto comfortably, even though the Wizards acquired Trae Young and Anthony Davis, who have yet to debut for them, though, plus they’ve been a better team since the last meeting between the two, but if the Raptors are serious, this should be a win.
New York Knicks
Matchups remaining: 2, 1 away and 1 home
Dates: March 3, April 10
Toronto’s closest matchup against New York will be at home, followed by a road game on April 10 for their second-to-last game of the regular season. In the last matchup, Toronto held a ten-point lead for most of the first half before a big Knicks run to end the first half derailed all momentum and led to a 119-92 loss. I’m predicting that the Raptors get one win off the Knicks from the two games, at home, and that would give us a record of five wins and three losses.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: March 5
Another recent matchup, before the All-Star break, saw the Raptors blow a lead in the fourth quarter when the game appeared to be out of hand for the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards and company snatched the win late away from Toronto in a 128-126 loss at the Scotiabank Arena. I think the Raptors get revenge on the Timberwolves on the road to even out the season series one-one.
Dallas Mavericks
Matchups remaining: 1, home
Date: March 8
The Dallas Mavericks actually beat the Raptors way back when the season was just starting, but that was back when Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell were a part of the team, as they both contributed big time. Anyways, the Mavs don’t have either of them now, and Cooper Flagg is pretty much the only legitimate threat on this team, so Toronto should beat them to even up this series one to one, too.
Houston Rockets
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: March 10
People were losing their minds over the “Kevin Durant files” during All-Star weekend, and one wonders what he would’ve thought about Fred VanVleet had he been healthy this year, but anyways, Houston also has a one-zero season series advantage, and this game is away from home, so we’ll concede it to Kevin Durant and company which puts us at a record of seven and four now.
New Orleans Pelicans
Matchups remaining: 2, 1 away and 1 home
Dates: March 11, March 27
The New Orleans Pelicans are also another team in the midst of a rebuild, and it will be Toronto’s first look at the Pelicans in the 2025-26 season on March 11 on the road, followed by another matchup on March 27 at the Scotiabank Arena. Toronto should sweep both games as the Pelicans are probably going to rest Zion Williamson and potentially others, so it should be relatively easy games, but you never know with the Raptors.
Phoenix Suns
Matchups remaining: 2, 1 away and 1 home
Dates: March 13, March 22
A quick two-game trip against the Phoenix Suns that starts on March 13 and culminates just nine days later on March 22. The Phoenix Suns are looking good and exceeding expectations after losing Kevin Durant, as they own the same record as the Toronto Raptors currently, with both at 32 wins and 23 losses. I think it’ll be a split between both teams winning their home games, as both teams are in similar situations right now.
Detroit Pistons
Matchups remaining: 2, 1 away and 1 home
Dates: March 15, March 31
Three back-to-back matchups with two games remaining in the season series, as we are finally back in the Eastern Conference with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Toronto’s most recent game prior to the All-Star break was against the Detroit Pistons, which saw Jakob Poeltl finally make his long-awaited return, but unfortunately, Detroit outclassed Toronto in a night where the Raptors were chasing all night long. I’m going to call another split here, as I truly believe Toronto can get one win off Detroit, and yet again, I’ll go with a home win over the road. That gives us 11 wins and 6 losses now.
Denver Nuggets
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: March 20
A showdown in Denver as the Raptors already played and wasted an opportunity to beat a Jokic-less Denver Nuggets side when Brandon Ingram’s game-tying three-pointer left his fingertips just milliseconds too late on New Year’s Eve. We’ll assume the Nuggets will have their starman, so it should be a loss in high Denver altitude.
Utah Jazz
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: March 23
Finally, a series in which Toronto has the upper hand, as it’s another Western Conference opponent, which means just a two-game series. Anyways, Toronto also played the Jazz kind of recently, and just squeezed a win, but Utah has no interest in competing and has been tanking with zero shame as they’ll just bench their starters in the fourth quarter for the whole quarter even if they’re winning. I would expect nothing less than another tank job from the Jazz, handing Toronto one more win.
Los Angeles Clippers
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: March 25
One final matchup against Kawhi “the one that got away” Leonard and the Clippers, as this game is going to culminate a five-game road trip for the Raptors in late March. Another game that got away from Toronto as the Raptors were beating the Clippers pretty comfortably all game long in their last matchup, but James Harden led a ferocious comeback with Kawhi Leonard watching on from the sidelines. That was around the time the Clippers started their upward trajectory, as they had a horrible start to the season but are now just two games under 500. I think Toronto can get revenge on the Clippers on the road to finish their road trip on a high note, which would put us at a record of 13 and 7 now.
Orlando Magic
Matchups remaining: 1, home
Date: March 29
The tiebreaker of a three-game series against the Orlando Magic will be decided on March 29, at home, as these two have had some solid matchups, with the first one being a comeback win in favour of the Toronto Raptors and then Orlando following up with a home win on their own when Toronto melted down in the fourth quarter once again. I think the home crowd is always an advantage, and since both these teams are evenly matched I’ll let that sway the vote in favour of a win.
Sacramento Kings
Matchups remaining: 1, home
Date: April 1
DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings will be coming to town as Toronto is up one zero on the season series. To keep this short and sweet, the Kings entered the year with a ton of big names but really failed to live up to the hype and surprisingly weren’t active at all in the trade deadline, which could’ve seen them kick start a much-needed rebuild. Anyways, Raptors complete the series sweep to now and head to 15 wins and 7 losses.
Memphis Grizzlies
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: April 3
Toronto’s last matchup against a Western Conference opponent comes on the road in Memphis against the Grizzlies, who they’ve already beaten before, and the Grizzlies are far away from the last play-in spot for the Western Conference, so it wouldn’t be a crazy idea to think that Ja Morant and a couple others might be rested in this game, so it should be another win for Toronto.
Boston Celtics
Matchups remaining: 1, away
Date: April 5
This will be the Raptors’ last chance of taking a game off the Boston Celtics, who have a three-game lead in the season series. I don’t want to live in a world where the Raptors are swept by the Celtics, plus two of the games they’ve played were very winnable, so we’ll give the Raptors one more win.
Miami Heat
Matchups remaining: 2, both home
Date: April 7, April 9
A two-game home stand with the Miami Heat, as Toronto has already won two against the Heat on the road. Miami is in its usual spot of a play-in seed, so they aren’t a terrible opponent, and I think Miami will finally get one game off the Raptors and split the two-game homestand. That makes the Raptors 18 and 8 post-All-Star break with one last unique opponent to go.
Brooklyn Nets
Matchups remaining: 1, home
Date: April 12
Toronto closes out its 2025-26 season at home against a rebuilding Brooklyn Nets. Raptors lead the series two to one and will make it three one on the final game of the regular season, unless a ton of players are being rested due to Toronto having nothing to play for. That gives us a record of 19 wins and 8 losses post-All-Star to finish out their campaign with a 51-win season, which should be good enough for a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto should finish off the season stronger now that Jakob Poeltl is back, and if he stays healthy, a 50+ win season isn’t something that’s far away from the squad. The playoffs will depend on matchups, but I think Toronto can make it past the first round if they were to play anyone outside of New York, Detroit, Cleveland and Boston. For personal accolades, look for Brandon Ingram to potentially sneak an All-NBA berth, most likely as a member of the third team, plus Scottie Barnes to potentially be a second team All-NBA member, along with an All-Defensive berth too. Collin Murray-Boyles should also be a part of one of the rookie teams, most likely on the first team and perhaps head coach Darko Rajakovic will be a Coach of the Year finalist after his first winning season as a head coach.
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