Raptors win 120-115. Usual trend of turnovers in the 1st Q then Raps assert themselves in 2nd & extend the lead in the third. Blazers don't quit and make it close in the 4th. Scottie, reigning EC Defensive Player of the Month goes full superstar mode and touches every facet of the game. Another W!!

Game day. POR tonight. Some intriguing parts but a team that doesn't shoot well from the field, turns the ball over at high rates & fails to get to the FT line. Oh and a 29th ranked offence over the past 2 weeks. Just what the Raptors need to return to the W column. BI Scottie bout to feast. Go Raps

Game day. @ MSG. Knicks in bottom third of the league at defending the shot but make up for it by being the best offensive rebounding team in the league. If there was ever a night that the Raps need to make shots, it's this one. The problem? TOR shooting 26% from distance last 3. Need IQ to pop off.

Raptors lose to the Hornets 118-111. The streak ends. TOR dominates through 3.5 quarters however outhustled in the final minutes and in OT. Roughly statistically equal except Hornets shot almost twice as many FT and dominated bench scoring. Disappointing loss ahead of a tough back to back.

Closing time.

How was that call missed by the baseline referee?????

Well deserved start for Ja'Kobe.

Game day! TOR @ CHA. Hornets score 115 ppg, give up 120. Frisky on the boards--top 5 in offensive rebounding. Rested Raptors catching them on the 2nd night of a B2B. Gotta grab W vs weaker teams. Our sched ramps up in difficulty Jan/Feb. Still basking in the glow of a hard fought W on Wed! Go Raps!

In post game availability, Eric Koreen asked BI Aabout his thought process on the last possession: "I knew he was in foul trouble. He was at my mercy." 💥💥💥

Raptors Nation lucky to have QUALITY content creators like @swarlayzers.bsky.social Like subscribe and repost! Support Asad!

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Raptors were 2-45 when trailing by 10 or more last season, the worst record in the NBA. They're 5-5 when going down by 10+ this season.

Raps 7-3 on the road so far. Last year, they won 14 games on the road all year.

Raptors win 97-95. Whew! In an age of pace and space, this was gritty brawl. Abysmal start, Raps couldn't buy a bucket. Explosive run at end of 2nd and start of 3rd but Indy answered. Toe to toe rest of the way. The standouts were BI, Ja'Kobe and Scottie. It was ugly but the Raps found a way to win.

We need a moment.

This piece is a must-read.

Game day. Pacers tonight, unfortunate with their cascade of significant injuries. Only bright spot for Indy might be Draft Night June 2026. Nonethless, the Raptors gotta play the team that shows up. Is TOR a top 5 team? In the ECF convo? Don't know but good teams win these kinds of games. Go Raps!

WHAT is going on in Philly? Andre Drummond shooting 3s...not end of clock 3s.

Some excellent Raptors film rooms out there and this one is brilliant!!!

Raptors 110 CLE 99. Cavs depleted but it's still a W. Troubling turnovers in the 1st Q. BI huge with 37. Scottie imposed his will late, anchored the D, finished with 18-11-6-1, rare night without a block. Jamal excellent, IQ with a couple of excellent D reads. Mamu = sparkplug. Jak solid. 8 in a row

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Also, NBA Power Rankings have the Raptors at 6th this week. Maybe a good time to remember that Masai Ujiri was the architect of this team. Bobby has the keys now. Will this group be a Cadillac or a Bugatti?

Game day. Cavs tonight, a few names on the injury report but with Garland back, Spida freed up to wreak havoc off ball--this is a much bigger test for the Raps. No doubt Cavs wanna make a statement at SBA. RJ's injury unfortunate--he's such a steady contributor. The diff this year? We have depth.

Raptors beat the Nets 119-109. TOR in control for the entire game but BKN never quit. Got interesting in the 3rd but Raptors able to close. Excellent shooting from 3 -- 50% but once again struggled at the rim. Nice 1-2 punch with Shead/IQ minutes. Shead's A/TO ratio pops! RJ injured. Cavs tom.

Game day. Nets in town, 3-12 but surprisingly 3-5 on the road. No Poeltl tonight and Claxton is a handful on the boards. Can't forget how fast MP jr can heat up. Let's keep the ball humming and the good vibes rolling. Raps in a nice groove right now but any team can win on any given night--incl BKN.

Game day. 1-9 WASH, giving up 129 ppg. Finally an extended run of home cooking for TOR, 8 of next 10 at home with no elite opponents (unless you count NYK). Emirates Cup match. Raps need to make hay while the sun shines. Likely opportunity to give bench extended run. Limit T/O, hit 3s, grab boards.

Wow. Today John Hollinger of the The Athletic describes the Raptors team as "a shoulder shrug roster." This after calling the Raptors depth "paper thin" two weeks ago.

Firing Masai Ujiri looks even dumber now than it did at the time.

Raptors win 121-112. A big one in development terms. A poised performance. Close game until the last 2 min. Ball movement ✅️ Defensive rotations/coverage ✅️ Balanced scoring ✅️. Again, these are the games/scenarios that the Raptors have been unable to win for the last 3 years. 10-5, five game W streak!

Game day. Rematch in PHI. Sixers have some injury issues, chiefly Embiid. Given they're facing the first night of a B2B, would Philly rather play him vs TOR or MiL? Betting it's MIL (not THAT kind of betting). Expect the Raptors to come in hot. Will need to focus on rebounding. Contain VJ OR Maxey?

Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett & Jakob Poeltl have played in 10 games together this season, more than they did all last season. Last season: 9 games, 3-6 record, 140 minutes, -11.2 net rating This season: 10 games, 7-3 record, 162 minutes, -0.8 net rating

Raptors win 110-108. This one goes in the W column but last minute heroics were necessary. TOR fails to dictate their game, allowed CHA to stay within reach. Lost the battle of the boards & uncharacteristically turned over the ball. BI, Scottie saved the day with timely blocks and big buckets. Whew.

Raptors are sixth in the NBA in offensive rating this season (!!). They're scoring 118.2 points per 100 possessions, up from 109.6 last season. That's 8.6 points per 100 more this year than last, the largest increase in the NBA this season.

Game day. Raptors back home after a 4-1 road trip. Hornets tonight, 4-9 with one road W but 10 top in rebounding. Once again, these are the opportunities that the Raptors gotta optimize. Need to come out forcefully from the tip, dictate their terms. Need that 3 pt shooting to level up. Go Raptors!

Raptors take care of business 129-111. Slow start then TOR executed. All the starters in double digits & some very nice chemistry developing. Pacers severely depleted but it's a W. Free throw shooting a concern. Nice to see IQ fighting over screens. Scottie, Jak impactful. Shead continues to grow.

Game day. TOR @ IND. Pacers completely decimated by injuries. No "must win" games in NOV, but the outcome will speak volumes about the Raptors preparation & mind set. This is a really fun group; there is the sense that this team is starting to figure it out. Can Scottie outshine his own brilliance?

www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles... Some very compelling stats here.

Raptors leading the league in fast break points, #2 in playmaking/AST per game. Also top 10 in scoring in 3rd, 4th quarters.

@raptorsrepublic.bsky.social really good analysis on the Quick Reaction. Where do we find Camden MaMilllan?

Raptors beat the Cavs. VERY mature W. Composed, purposeful vs an aspiring Finals team. Scottie was brilliant tonight--full stat line, double/double, commanded the floor. Big punch from the PG position, IQ's shot popping. Shead progressing exponentially. This team is starting to put it together.

Game day. TOR @ CLE. Multiple names on both injury reports. Cavs on 2nd night of B2B. Gotta avoid another night of 26% 3 pt shooting & questionable fouls leading to being in the penalty 8 min into a Q. The help D has been outstanding, looks like they're starting to figure out rotations. Go Raps!

@oobh.bsky.social are either of you watching this Knicks/Orl game?

Raptors win 119-109. This one was not particularly pretty. Slow start but TOR gradually asserts their dominance. This Raptors team is deep. Starters in double figures, bench chips in with 30. IQ's shooting hot. Tough night at the office shooting wise for RJ but he found ways to contribute.

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Game day. Raptors @ Nets. BKN in full tank mode 1-9 with -15.5 differential. Could easily be a trap game. Nic Claxton is the prototypucal 5 that gives the Raptors fits so rebounding will be key. Nets bottom five in 3 pt shooting, Raptors top five. Take care of business: kick 'em when they're down.

@woodleysean.bsky.social @orenweisfeld.bsky.social REALLY enjoyed your Basketball Canada pod. Buying the book!

Raptors lose in Philly. Won the 1st Q big but then settled in for a dog fight. This one was a big ask without Jak and thus the 76ers dominated on the boards, in the paint. Some very bad decision making, missed free throws and the brilliance of Tyrese Maxey sealed the deal. Liked the Raptors fight.

Game day. Raps @ 76ers. Philly 5-3 on the strength of a relatively easy sched. Dynamic backcourt, top 10 rebounding team, top three 3 pt shooting. How does TOR solve this? Focus on D rebounding & push the hell out of the pace. Limit fouls, turnovers. Not quite that simple but good test for the Raps.

Raptors 109 Hawks 97. ATL aggressive in the first half but TOR figured it out. THESE were the games we weren't winning over the last couple of seasons...adversity then adaptation. RJ excellent defensively--ball pressure, stayed down on pump fakes. Shead Scottie IQ were each great. 4 in a row baby!

Game day. Raps in ATL. Both teams sit at .500 but Hawks gotta be disappointed in their start & looking at an extended Trae Young abscence (knee). Nonetheless, some dangerous elements--Daniels, Johnson. Def small sample size but Raptors shooting 39% from 3 over last 3 games. Turning a corner?