Raptors Stat Could Spell End of Season

The Toronto Raptors are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break.

Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick controls the ball against the Detroit Pistons. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are going into the All-Star break in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, which is right where two big tiers of the standings separate.

The Raptors are 32-23 through 55 games, but most of their wins come against teams that are below them in the standings. Their latest loss against the Detroit Pistons highlighted this issue further.

The Raptors will go into the all-star break with a 4-13 record against the NBA's top-10 teams. Subtract the Cleveland games and it's 1-13. 10 of those losses have come at home.

They're 28-10 vs the rest of the league.

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) February 12, 2026

Raptors Struggling Against Elite Teams

The Raptors simply might not be on the same level as the teams ahead of them in the standings, which is fine if that's the case. It just might limit how far they can make it in the playoffs this year.

If the playoffs started today, the Raptors would take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who they are 3-0 against so far this season. A first-round series against the Cavs could possibly be the best possible matchup for the Raptors, but then they would have to face off against at least one, possibly two of the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and aforementioned Pistons.

The only other win the Raptors have against a top-10 team this season comes against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, whom they beat on the road late last month. That win gives the Raptors confidence that they can beat any team, but they have not been able to execute when given the opportunity.

The Raptors have 11 games left against teams with equal or better records than them. They are going to be tested in the final third of the regular season. Getting wins in these games is imperative to boosting their confidence going into the postseason.

In order for the Raptors to feel comfortable about their placement in the top six, they probably need to win around 12-15 games. In order to get a top four spot, 16-18 wins might be the magic number.

The teams in the East are super close to one another that it will really come down to which team is hottest at the right time. The Raptors have the potential to be that team, but they are going to have to prove they can beat the other contenders in the East as well as the gimme games.

The Raptors first game after the All-Star break takes place on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. ET inside the United Center. Fans can watch the game on Sportsnet or stream it on NBA League Pass.