TORONTO — It was a number one query, admittedly.
But it surely felt essential to ask Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes how he squared his willpower that the workforce end the season on a robust observe, versus the joy in some corners of the fan base (and never wholly unopposed by the group) that the workforce do all it could actually to complete an in any other case misplaced season with the very best draft lottery odds attainable.
“They are often excited (in regards to the draft lottery),” Barnes mentioned, after the Raptors practised prematurely of internet hosting the Miami Warmth on Friday, Toronto’s first begin for the reason that All-Star break. “I don’t actually give a rattling about it. I’m making an attempt to go on the market and win video games, attempt to presumably make one thing occur. So, they will attempt to be excited for that, however my mindset’s on a distinct place.”
You’ll count on Barnes — or any participant, truthfully — to really feel the identical approach.
But it surely felt prefer it wanted to be requested as a result of the underlying stress that has been effervescent barely beneath the floor of the Raptors’ season is prone to effervescent over because the workforce reconvenes after a nine-day break for a 27-game dash to the end line.
The Raptors have a 17-38 file, which might be good for fifth-best lottery odds if the season was over. However the best portion of the Raptors season is staring them proper within the face, offering a buffet of winnable video games and, maybe extra regarding, loads that shall be laborious to lose.
The Raptors’ remaining schedule is as gentle as a heated donut and the best within the league. In whole, they play the remainder of their video games towards groups with a cumulative successful proportion of .398, but it surely falls off the desk within the final 20 video games, as these opponents have a cumulative successful proportion of .308.
Which might be an issue.
Ever since workforce president Masai Ujiri declared the 2023-24 season a rebuilding one with a watch on positioning for the 2025 draft as a supply so as to add some much-needed and hard-to-acquire star expertise, the query has all the time lingered: Was this workforce too good to be unhealthy sufficient to do it?
At instances, the reply has been definitively not. When the Raptors misplaced 11 straight and 16 out of 17 video games from Dec. 5 to Jan. 11, they gave each look of a workforce giving itself the very best odds attainable to get the No. 1 decide on the NBA draft this coming June.
By the point that nightmare stretch was over, the Raptors had an 8-31 file and have been tied for the second-worst file within the league.
Their reward, had that development continued, would have been a 14 per cent likelihood of choosing first total and a assure of choosing within the high six.
Raptors Delight documentary on Sportsnet
Raptors Delight: Half 3 focuses on the re-birth of the Toronto Raptors, from Chris Bosh’s transfer to South Seaside to the We The North period with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, as informed by the lens of these concerned. Take a look at the third episode of the documentary, airing Feb. 23.
Broadcast schedule
However the Raptors by no means appeared precisely that unhealthy. They performed laborious. They handed the ball. They remained — other than an sickness, damage, journey and holiday-infused low-point in late December and into the brand new 12 months, when the Raptors misplaced 4 video games by a mean of 32 factors — largely engaged.
That the Raptors discovered themselves wallowing on the backside of the standings appeared largely attributable to circumstance.
Heading into the common season, the Raptors have been projected to land someplace round 29 wins. Nothing spectacular, however too many wins to get into the highest three of the draft lottery odds, sometimes.
However accidents hit laborious — the Raptors have had their core of Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl totally obtainable for under six video games — and so they had probably the most tough schedule within the league earlier than the All-Star break.
So, even because the losses have been mounting and the wins have been few and much between, you might nonetheless persuade your self that this group was extra aggressive than its file.
Barnes definitely believes that. It was simply earlier than the break that the fourth-year wing performed one in every of his finest video games of the season, if not in his profession, as he put up 33 factors and grabbed 10 rebounds and added three assists, two blocks and a steal whereas setting profession marks without cost throws made (12) and tried (15) as he bullied the Philadelphia 76ers on the highway.
He’s obtained all of the motivation on this planet. If Barnes can end the season on a tear, assist the Raptors compete for a play-in spot, there’s an outdoor likelihood that Barnes may earn all-NBA honours, which may bump his $225-million contract extension nearer to the $269-million Supermax, relying on the main points of his contract and which all-NBA workforce he qualifies for. It’s an extended shot, but it surely may occur. Extra related, for tanking functions, it additionally makes sitting Barnes for lengthy stretches unlikely, as he must play 23 of the Raptors’ remaining 27 video games to get the 65 video games he must qualify for any acceptable post-season awards.
Regardless of the state of affairs, after warming his bones at an undisclosed location over the break, he’s prepared to choose up the place he left off.
“I have a look at the standings day by day. We’re nonetheless in that combat. We nonetheless may make one thing occur. That’s my motivation,” mentioned Barnes. “Once I have a look at it, I see that we nonetheless have an opportunity. The workforce, we really feel like we nonetheless wish to win. We really feel nice going into each single sport with the mindset and focus of making an attempt to get higher and making an attempt to attain that objective of successful.”
The loopy factor is Barnes isn’t completely fallacious.
The Raptors are simply 5 video games behind the Chicago Bulls for tenth place within the Japanese Convention and the ultimate spot within the play-in match. Usually, you’d determine that’s an excessive amount of floor for a foul workforce to make up within the area of 27 video games, however this isn’t a standard scenario.
The Bulls have misplaced 4 straight and traded their finest participant, Zach Lavine, on the deadline. They’re possible going to be jockeying for lottery place. Mendacity between the Raptors and the play-in are the Brooklyn Nets, who’ve had their eye on the draft lottery since buying and selling with Phoenix to get management of their very own draft decide again earlier than the season, and the hapless, lifeless, injury-plagued 76ers. Philadelphia isn’t the Finals contender many pegged it for earlier than the season started (duh) and in some unspecified time in the future it’s important to surprise if it doesn’t pull the plug and attempt to dangle on to its draft decide, which it should in any other case owe to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder if it falls outdoors the highest six of the draft.
And like we mentioned, the Raptors aren’t horrible. Since hitting their low level final month, the Raptors are 9-7 and are sixth within the NBA in defensive score, after being final by 39 video games.
Veterans Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown and Davion Mitchell — all since traded on the deadline earlier this month — had a task within the Raptors’ resurgence, to make sure, however the indicators of Quickley returning to type, Barnes getting on his horse, continued robust play from Barrett and good well being from Poeltl may offset these losses. The continued enchancment of the Raptors’ pool of rookies may assist, too.
However by far, the biggest issue is the Raptors’ schedule. There are nonetheless some hurdles to beat — the Raptors host Boston and are on the highway towards Indiana and have two video games towards Orlando, which presumably must be discovering its early season type now that it is again a full energy — however the final 20 video games of the schedule may see the Raptors win on the ground however lose badly relating to lottery place.
Regardless of the reverse of homicide row is, the Raptors shall be dealing with it. Someway, Toronto will nonetheless have three video games remaining towards the Wizards (9-45), two towards Utah (13-47) and two towards Charlotte (14-39). One of the best workforce the Raptors have left on their schedule after March is Dallas, and it simply traded Luka Doncic and has all three of its large males — together with newly acquired Anthony Davis — out with accidents. They play the San Antonio Spurs twice, and it was introduced Thursday that rising famous person Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the season attributable to a blood clot in his proper shoulder.
Dropping sufficient video games towards that degree of competitors will take a sure degree of dedication.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic seems like he’s planning to provide his rookies large minutes as an funding of their future, so which may assist. An “damage” to Poeltl, the workforce’s solely skilled NBA centre, would assist much more.
It won’t be what Barnes is gunning for, however including some important expertise on the upcoming draft — perhaps even presumed No. 1 decide Cooper Flagg — would do extra for his possibilities of successful sooner or later than any run on the play-in match this 12 months conceivably may.
The Raptors’ rebuilding season has gone effectively thus far, beneficial lottery odds are inside their grasp, however now comes the straightforward half.
