Brandon Ingram (right) of the Toronto Raptors celebrates his game-winning shot with Immanuel Quickley after defeating the Indiana Pacers.
Brandon Ingram (right) of the Toronto Raptors celebrates his game-winning shot with Immanuel Quickley after defeating the Indiana Pacers.
Let’s begin by dispensing with the obvious, which is to say the schedule has been kind to the Raptors.
Nine-game winning streaks don’t happen by fluke, but Toronto’s opposition hasn’t been good. Three teams during this run entered their game versus the Raptors with one win apiece, plus the lowly Indiana Pacers.
When the Raptors played host to Indy on Wednesday night after losing at home to Toronto, the Pacers brought a two-win record into the game.
The Pacers, in fact, were winless on the road and led the Raptors by as many as 11 points.
While perspective is required, a 14-5 record that has vaulted the Raptors into second place in the Eastern Conference should never be discounted.
With that mind, here are five questions surrounding the Raptors as they begin a back-to-back weekend set, beginning Saturday in Charlotte followed by a Sunday meeting at Madison Square Garden against the host Knicks.
The early season results would seem to lead one to offer a resounding yes.
For the first time during his three-year tenure, Rajakovic is managing a roster with no lingering question marks, outside of the inevitable health issues that routinely surface.
His personality clearly has rubbed off and his flexibility to adjust has been clear, pivoting from an aggressive defensive style to a more traditional tactic of trapping when necessary and asking defenders to get up on their man when it’s appropriate.
As effusive as Rajakovic has been and likely will be as long as he’s in Toronto, and as well as the Raptors have been playing, there remains a sense that a more demanding head coach would best serve this unit.
As always, only time will tell but for now, Rajakovic deserves the benefit of doubt.
When the inevitable period of adversity arrives, his coaching chops will be under the microscope.
Keep in mind there’s an NBA champion head coach waiting on the sidelines as he bides his time working as a TV analyst in Michael Malone.
Outside of Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, there are no untouchables on the roster.
The two have teamed up perfectly, evoking memories of the Kyle Lowry-DeMar DeRozan days when the Raptors were close to appearing in an NBA championship, but ultimately needed that franchise-defining move to get the club over the hump.