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Published Mar 29, 2025 • 4 minute read
Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter, second from right, is congratulated by, from left, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.
Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter, second from right, is congratulated by, from left, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. AP Photo
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When it comes to the NBA’s tank-athon, the Raptors continue to lose ground as the competing pack loses games by historical margins.
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Take the Washington Wizards, who earned a rare win when Jamal Shead’s apparent buzzer beater was overturned by video review.
When they played host to Indiana Thursday night, the Pacers pounded the Wizards by 53 points in scoring an NBA season-high 162 points.
In terms of beatdowns, the margin of victory qualified as the third highest of the season, trailing the L.A. Clippers’ 62-point win over Brooklyn and Boston’s 54-point win over the Raptors on New Year’s Eve.
When it comes to historical losses, the 53-point margin of defeat was the most lopsided in Wizards history.
The 54-point embarrassment in Boston represented the largest margin of defeat in Raptors history.
That loss came during a hideous stretch that would see Toronto drop 16 of 17 games.
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How times have changed, even though one could make a strong argument Toronto’s recent success has had the opposite effect of lowering its draft lottery odds.
Winners of three in a row and nine of 14 against inferior opponents, a relative term considering the Raptors’ lot, finishing with the seventh seed in the league’s reverse standings seems like a virtual lock.
Naturally, things can change with the Raptors’ season reduced to the final eight, but they appear unlikely.
Sunday’s opponent, the host Philadelphia 76ers, threw in the towel weeks ago.
Signs of capitulation emerged almost from the time Philly tipped off its season, which arrived following the club’s off-season acquisition of Paul George.
A 3-13 start set the tone and it’s only gotten worse.
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The Sixers entered Saturday’s home date versus the Miami Heat having lost six in a row.
Nick Nurse, the former NBA coach of the year who helped lead the Raptors to their NBA championship, has been on the hot seat.
Raptors franchise icon Kyle Lowry has been hurt, leading many to believe Lowry’s playing days are over.
Philly entered Saturday with a 1-9 record in its past 10 games, going with a roster a casual fan of hoops would be hard-pressed to recognize.
Combined, the Sixers, Utah Jazz, Wizards, Hornets, Nets and New Orleans Pelicans are 12-48 in the past 10 games.
The Raptors, by comparison, have gone 6-4 in their past 10 games and have won nine of their past 14 games.
The schedule has been favourable, with two wins against a depleted Orlando Magic team, two against a hideous Jazz team that was fined $100,000 US for violating the league’s player participation policy, two against the Wizards and one apiece against Philly, Brooklyn and Charlotte.
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Following Sunday’s tip against the Sixers, the Raptors remaining slate includes games against the Nets and Hornets, who will play Toronto in its home finale on April 9 before the Raptors wrap up the season with games in Dallas and San Antonio.
Philly’s tank approach is obvious knowing, it will convey its first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it lands outside the top six.
Needless to day, the Sixers are bent on doing everything and anything within their power to retain their top-six protected pick.
As of Saturday, Utah, Washington and Charlotte have a 14.0% chance of winning the draft lottery and the right to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg.
As of Saturday, the Raptors have a 7.5% chance of landing the first overall pick, a 7.8% chance of picking second, an 8.1% chance of landing in the No. 3 slot and an 8.5% chance of drafting fourth, the slot they used following the Tampa Tank to take Scottie Barnes.
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It’s possible, but not likely, the Raptors may even supplant Miami, which entered its tip in Philly with a 32-41 record.
The Raptors will enter Sunday’s game at 27-47.
The Chicago Bulls, who will play host to the Raptors on April Fool’s Day, sit at 33-40, but they have been playing well having won four in succession, eight of their past 10 games and 11 of 16 as their lottery odds decreased, while seeing their playoff chances increase.
At their current rate of success, the Raptors have a chance of avoiding a 50-loss season.
There was a time when 50-win seasons were the norm, a five-year stretch that would see the club win a franchise-high 59 games under Dwane Casey.
The Raptors haven’t made the playoffs since Barnes’ rookie season.
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Clearly and obviously, they won’t this season.
Better days, however, await, regardless of where they land in the lottery.
When fully healthy, the Sixers will field the best team among this year’s tank-nation.
If they happen to land Flagg, Philly becomes a championship contender, which hinges so much on Joel Embiid’s tenuous health.
In the absence of Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxie, Philly’s Big Three, the Sixers have been going with the likes of Guerschon Yabusele, Justin Edwards, Quentin Grimes, Ricky Council IV and Adem Bona.
Grimes scored 22 points in Philly’s 119-114 home loss to the Wizards Thursday night, marking the ninth game in a row he’s netted at least 22 points.
During that stretch, Grimes produced a 46-point game in Houston.
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His offence has done nothing to lift the Sixers, who won twice during Grimes’ scoring spree.
The Raptors are 9-5 during the month of March, due partially to an improved defence, but mainly due to playing against inferior opponents.
Since their New Year’s Eve embarrassment, the Raptors have gone 17-12.
What to make of it is totally up for interpretation and debate.
In terms of tank jobs, the Raptors’ way has not exactly gone accordingly.
They can always get lucky in the May 12 lottery and teams with much lower odds, namely Chicago (1.7%) when it nabbed hometown point guard Derrick Rose in 2008, have shown it can happen.
But it is rare and the reality remains the Raptors’ chances of hoisting the Flagg are dwindling.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
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