Through four games, the Toronto Raptors have put together the NBA’s stingiest defense by the numbers, but that ranking comes with a big asterisk: they may still be nowhere near their ceiling.
Toronto owns a 97.9 defensive rating, which sits first in the league. The Minnesota Timberwolves are second at 102.5. That gap tells the story of a defense that has been suffocating so far, even if the full picture is still forming.
The schedule has helped. Toronto’s only loss came in a 117-94 defeat to Minnesota, and the rest of the slate has been manageable.
The Raptors beat a rebuilding Chicago Bulls team, handled a shorthanded Orlando Magic squad, and pulled away from the new-look Washington Wizards in a 10-point win. In those games, they kept the Magic and Bulls under 100 points and held Washington to 102 while keeping Anthony Davis in check for the first time in years.
Still, the Raptors have reached this point without much help from Kawhi Leonard. He has played only 52 minutes so far. Leonard logged limited run in the first two games while working his way back into conditioning, then missed the other two because of a knee injury that could sideline him for a few weeks.
He may not be the same defender he was a decade ago when he won back-to-back DPOY awards, but he remains a big, physical, switchable, disruptive presence. That gives Toronto another layer it has barely tapped into yet. And the Minnesota game itself didn’t exactly flatter the defense, which only strengthens the case that the current rating doesn’t tell the whole story.
Put it together, and the Raptors look like a team that is only scratching the surface of what this defense can become.
The next stretch will say a lot more. Toronto opens Emirates NBA Cup play with a rematch against Orlando tonight, then runs into Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After that comes Memphis and Boston, two teams currently ranked fifth and fourth in offensive rating. Denver is also on the schedule, and even with a slow start, Nikola Jokic is the kind of player you never dismiss.
And the test does not stop there. After the Grizzlies and Celtics, Toronto still has to deal with the 76ers and the Knicks twice over a four-game stretch that will really put both ends of the floor under the microscope. That’s especially true if Leonard is still unavailable when it arrives.
In Other News...
Raptors Have A Chance To Keep Rolling In A Familiar Matchup
A familiar matchup has lined up well for Toronto early this season, and the latest meeting with Orlando only reinforced it. The Raptors cruised past the Magic 129-99 in their most recent game, a result that continued a trend of success in the series and came with RJ Barrett leading the way with 25 points.
Toronto has opened 3-1 and remains undefeated at home, with four players averaging at least 16.5 points to give the offense a balanced look. Orlando, meanwhile, sits at 1-3 and will have to find a better answer if these teams cross paths again, especially with the Raptors showing they can score and defend at a level that makes this matchup look comfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Face Real Pressure After That Raptors Blowout
The Orlando Magic come back around to the Raptors in NBA Cup play carrying the memory of a 30-point loss the last time the teams met, and the circumstances look even trickier this time. Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs are out with injuries, leaving Orlando to keep reshuffling around Desmond Bane as it searches for more reliable shooting and a steadier offensive rhythm.
Sean Sweeney has already used three different starting lineups lately because of the injury churn, and another tweak could be coming. Tristan da Silva may get the nod alongside Franz Wagner, a move that would say plenty about how much the Magic are still trying to piece together a group that can handle Toronto better than it did the first time around. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Face A Real Test In Friday's Magic Rematch
Torontos fast start has given the Raptors some early breathing room, but the first week of the season has also clarified what this group will have to live with for a while. After opening 3-1 and rolling past Orlando 129-99, the Raptors have shown they can defend at a high level and get enough from Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl and Trayce Jackson-Davis to stay competitive while Kawhi Leonard is expected to be out for about a month.
Fridays rematch with the Magic is a cleaner read on where Toronto stands than that lopsided win ever could be. The Raptors have not shot the three well, which puts even more weight on Barnes expanded offensive load and the teams ability to keep winning with defense and physicality. Orlando will have every reason to make the second meeting less comfortable, and for Toronto it is the kind of early test that can say plenty about how sustainable this start really is. [Read more 🡒]