NBA Power Rankings Update: Raptors Get Disrespected After Magic Blowout

The Toronto Raptors are coming off of one of the biggest victories in franchise history after beating the Orlando Magic by 52 points.

Despite the big blowout, the win was not reflected in power rankings across the internet.

NBA.com, John Schuhmann (15, down 2)

"After a 2-3 road trip, the Raptors got a pair of comfortable wins at home, climbing back into fifth place and clinching a winning record for the first time in the last four seasons," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Raptors are 1-8 (0-2 on the road) against the top three teams in the East, with games in Detroit, Boston and New York left on their schedule. The one win was against the Pistons 15 days ago, and the Raptors will have a rest advantage at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday."

The Athletic, Law Murray (11, down 2)

"Five years ago, in an otherwise forgettable season, the Tampa Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors by 53 points. That summer, the Raptors relocated back to Toronto and drafted Barnes. Now, Barnes was there leading his own 52-point Raptors win, this time against the Magic, to clinch a winning season for Toronto. Barnes isn’t the best scorer for the Raptors, but he’s clearly their best player with how he is able to impact the game," Murray wrote.

Clutch Points, Brett Siegel (13, down 1)

"If the Toronto Raptors play every game as they did on Sunday, they could wind up being the ultimate sleeper team in the Eastern Conference playoffs," Siegel wrote.

"Despite the Orlando Magic looking awful and giving up a 31-0 run, the longest unanswered run in NBA history, the Raptors were clicking on all cylinders and won 139-87. This was a masterclass defensive performance, with Scottie Barnes setting the pace, and this must be the Raptors' identity the rest of the way.

"Toronto has the capability to be an elite defensive team, and that showed on Sunday against Orlando."

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes controls the ball as Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. tries to defend. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Our Take

After winning three of their last four games this week, it is baffling that the Raptors find themselves lower in the power rankings. Their performance against the Magic alone should at least keep them level from where they were, but instead that is not the case.

The Raptors are still in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and they still have a ways to go to try and reach the fourth seed. They are in a very good spot with eight games left to go on the schedule. They have some tough games in there, including road contests against the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks, all of whom are in the top three in the Eastern Conference.

They are chugging along just as they plan to all season long. The goal for these next couple of games should be to play their best basketball that they have in them so that they can ride some momentum going into a potential postseason series.

That being said, it is still a travesty that their win over the Magic was not enough to get them higher in the power rankings. At this point in the season, the Raptors are needing to go for wins, and it looks like they could be one of the hotter teams in the league. That being said, they do have some injuries with Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram, but that should give people an idea that the team will be even better once they return. Therefore, the Raptors deserve a top-10 spot in the power rankings.

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