Raptors get mixed report card at season's halfway point

The Toronto Raptors are 24-17 in the first half of the season.

Toronto Raptors guard Scottie Barnes during a break in the action against the Philadelphia 76ers. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are halfway through the regular season, and the team has been playing above average.

With 24 wins, the team is on pace for just under 50, which would get them comfortably in the playoffs and potentially clinch home court advantage in the first round. Here's a look at the official report card for the Raptors after 41 games of the regular season.

Offence: B-

The offence started off very strong at the beginning of the season, but it has fallen back down to earth, especially in recent weeks. The inconsistency of the offence will be a challenge for the Raptors later in the season, but it's nice to know that the team has the ability to go off for 130 points periodically throughout the season. They just need to not be settling for 100-110 points on some other nights.

Lately, the team has struggled mightily from beyond the three-point line, which is definitely something that can be addressed at the trade deadline. The Raptors rank 19th in the league in offensive rating, which is the lowest among every team in the playoff picture with the exception of the Miami Heat, who also started off hot like the Raptors but have cooled off in recent weeks.

Toronto Raptors guard Scottie Barnes tries to dribble around Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Defence: B+

While the Raptors have a below-average offense, the same cannot be said about their defence, which is among the top 10 in the NBA. The Raptors pride themselves on being a defensive-minded team, and that has proven to be the case over the course of the season.

The Raptors defense is the biggest reason why the team is successful this season, and the addition of rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles has been a big reason why. Murray-Boyles has stepped up in a number of different roles this season, including the small-ball centre after Jakob Poeltl went down with a back injury.

If the team maintains a high level of defence, they should be playoff contenders throughout the entire year.

Vibes & Potential: A

Expectations have not been this high for the Raptors since the COVID bubble. That is a very good thing. After missing the playoffs for four years in a row, there is room for growth. There is also a belief that more could be coming for this Raptors team if they continue to play well in the second half of the season.

Overall: A-

At the end of the day, this is not a perfect team, but if you told the Raptors fans before the beginning of the season that they would be in fourth place in the Eastern Conference at the halfway point in the season, they would be very satisfied. The defence has been strong, and while there have been moments of questionable actions by the team, it's been an overall net positive for Toronto.