Raptors Are Content, But They Aren't Satisfied After Trade Deadline

The Toronto Raptors are competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram dribbles past Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors find themselves in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with less than a week before the All-Star break.

While the Raptors are maintaining a solid spot in the standings, there is potential for them to be better as they are within striking distance of the number two seed, where the Boston Celtics currently reside. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster explained where he feels the team is at and what it needs to do to improve.

“Darko [Rajakovic] is doing to great job of keeping the energy, keeping the cohesion,” Webster said on TSN1050. “I think people see from the outside, there’s a really good vibe and energy on the team. So yeah, things are trending in the right direction, but I think you do have to finish this off. As they say, ‘you gotta finish your breakfast’ and we gotta get to where we plan to be. Generally, all systems going, we’ve been happy with what we’ve done so far.”

Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith reaches for a loose ball against Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Raptors Have More Room For Growth

The Raptors have already won more games than they did all of last season. So, there is reason to be optimistic. However, regular season success doesn't translate to much, and the team still has room for growth.

“We haven’t accomplished anything,” Webster said on TSN1050. “I think the first two-thirds of the season has been great, 31 wins is more than we had last year. Brandon [Ingram] and Scottie [Barnes] have really driven it, [Immanuel] Quickley has been really good of late, and we’ve seen some nice surprises off the bench with Jamal [Shead] and Collin [Murray-Boyles].

“So you know lots of lots of things to be happy about. I think we know in this league and pro sports it’s [about] what happens when it’s crunch time. So we’ll have a great 30 games here to finish this season. Hopefully it ends up in the postseason, whether that’s the play-in or playoffs, I think [it’s a] great experience, great time for us to evaluate the players.”

The Raptors have just two more games before the All-Star break in Los Angeles, the first of which comes tomorrow against Pascal Siakam and the struggling Indiana Pacers at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET inside Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Fans can watch the game on Sportsnet One or stream it on NBA League Pass.