Toronto Raptors
The 2024-25 Toronto Raptors can be defined as mediocre and injured for the first full season of the Raptors brand new look.
What did we learn?
It was the first full year without any of Siakam, Anunoby and VanVleet.
The Raptors did win five more games than last year, but at 30-52, the rebuild will take some more time and health.
That’s probably expected by most, but this roster ain’t exactly cheap...
From Dec. 5 to Jan. 11, the Raptors won one game. ONE. A record of 1-16 over that five-week stretch with a couple of absolute ransackings to close out 2024.
12/26/24 Grizzlies 155, Raptors 126
12/29/24 Hawks 136, Raptors 107
12/31/24 Celtics 125, Raptors 71
The Raptors did have a post All-Star resurgence.
When you first glance at Toronto’s March numbers, it’s alarming. The No. 1 defense!?
But when you look under the hood, you see the schedule included the Wizards three times, Jazz twice, Sixers, Spurs, Nets and Hornets.
Even so, you can only play the teams in front of you and the Raptors took care of business against the rest of the lower class of the league.
But that didn’t help their lottery chances where they ended up with the No. 9 pick.
We have yet to see Ingram with this group (acquired at the deadline), but there is a young core here that has fun and exciting potential, however, as mentioned earlier, it’s rather pricey:
Scottie Barnes: 65 games this season, 60 games last season ($38 mil next year)
RJ Barrett: 58 games this season, 58 games last season ($27 mil next year)
Immanuel Quickley: 33 games played this season ($32 mil next year)
Brandon Ingram: 0 games in a Toronto uniform ($38 mil next year)
We’re talking $135 million for four guys who have had trouble staying consistently on the court.
In theory a team with an exciting offense but suspect defense.
But if there one thing we know about the Eastern Conference, that could be enough.
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Additional Notes
There was a beginning-of-the-season stretch where Jakob Poeltl had a Wilt Chamberlain switch. Poeltl clocked in back-to-back 30-point double-doubles (!!). One month in, he already had three games of 18+ rebounds and six 20-point double-doubles. (But then he would score just 2 points against the Pelicans.)
Flowers are deserved for the defensive prowess of Ochai Agbaji. Per Bobby Marks at ESPN: “Agbaji ranks in the top 10 in effective field goal percentage allowed vs. 2025 All-Stars, per Second Spectrum.”
The Raptors bench gang at the start of the season with Bruce Brown was fantastic. Not since the 2019-20 Detroit Pistons have we enjoyed an injured bench gang as thoroughly as this one.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
Liked what we saw in the preseason but aren’t letting that sway us. Under 29.5 wins.
Raptors 2024-25 record: (30-52)
Hooked by the end-of-season cupcake schedule.
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What’s Next?
The No. 9 overall pick in the draft. This could go any number of directions.
See how the young core of Barnes, Quickley, Barrett and Ingram actually looks together on the court. At least they seem to already have off-court chemistry!
Chris Boucher is a free agent, the last man standing from the somehow not yet extinct 2018-19 Champs.
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Favorite Raptors Highlight of the 2024-25 Season:
11/12/24 Bruno Fernando — LEVEL 4
12/12/24 Ochai Agbaji — Surprised to See Ya!
(And surprised to see ya putting your own teammate on a poster!)
THE RETURN OF POWER DUNK CITY: COMING SOON??
