The Toronto Raptors currently hold the longest active losing streak in the NBA with eight consecutive losses and one win across their last eleven games.
Boasting 23 wins and 46 losses with only 14 games remaining in the season, Raptors players will most likely be watching the NBA playoffs from home.
But playoffs weren’t the goal this season anyway.
A new coach, major in-season trades and a young core of players shows the Raptors are willing to look past this season and focus on the years to come.
Toronto is in a rebuild.
Head coach Darko Rajaković replaced Nick Nurse this year and has a completely new team to work with.
The Raptors traded away a majority of its core roster and most notable players, gaining a young squad in return.
In a press conference after the NBA All-Star weekend, Rajaković said this team has “a lot of potential and [we] are just scratching the surface,” and “for development of this group, practice is even more important than the game.”
All-Star forward Scottie Barnes and newcomers RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have shown a lot of potential in the early years of their careers, and these are the players the Raptors will have to lean on for future success.
Barnes was having the best season of his career before being sidelined with a season-ending injury, averaging 19.9 points, 6.1 assists and 8.2 rebounds per contest. He no doubt has the talent to be one of the best in the league, but his struggles come in the form of on-court frustration.
In a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 12, Barnes left the Raptors bench before the buzzer sounded, which is frowned upon in basketball.
Barnes acknowledged his fault the next day in a press conference where he said, “It’s a bad look, so it was a mistake on my part.”
Playing with high emotions is great, but not when it brings a bad look to the team. This is an example of how the team needs to mature.
Raptors rookie, Gradey Dick, struggled in his transition into the NBA, yet has bounced back since doing a stint in the NBA G League.
Appearing in the starting lineup for the now injury-ridden Raptors, Dick has put on a great performance, but he still has a lot to learn about playing in the NBA.
“The biggest thing with his learning experience here is learning how to start, first of all, because he’s been starting for a couple of games now,” Rajaković said. “Second thing is how to play starters minutes.”
Allowing players to make mistakes and learn from them has been Rajaković’s strategy and has been allowing this team to mature quickly.
Toronto played the Denver Nuggets on March 14, outclassing the reigning NBA champions for the first two quarters before ultimately losing 123-119.
Although it was marked as a loss, this was a great game for the shorthanded Raptors, with RJ Barret being the only full-time starter in the lineup.
Games like this showcase the potential for the Raptors’ future.
The Raptors have a young and athletic core who are just starting their NBA careers and are willing to put in the effort.
Any player in the starting lineup is capable of leading the team. If this team can stay and grow together, Toronto basketball will surely have a bright future.