Why Win? Raptors Explain the Value of Wins Even in Rebuilding Season

RJ Barrett paused, visibly baffled by the question.

Why is winning important?

To Barrett, the question bordered on absurd. Winning has always been his north star—the purpose behind every hour in the gym, every game plan he studies, and every ounce of effort he pours into helping the Toronto Raptors.

“What type of question is that?” he shot back.

It’s a question that reflects the state of the Raptors at the halfway mark of a bleak 10-31 season. Even after back-to-back wins over the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, Toronto has a fanbase that’s divided. Some are focused on clawing out victories as scrappy underdogs, while others are eyeing lottery odds and draft picks, eager to rebuild for the future.

The Raptors made their intentions clear when this year began. The goal for this year was to rebuild. Nobody was talking explicitly about draft odds, though a top pick certainly wouldn’t hurt. The hope, though, was this group could lay the foundation of a competitive future—ideally in the not-too-distant future.

Had Toronto stayed relatively healthy this year, there’s a reasonable chance this group would be competing for a play-in spot. The Raptors have shown glimpses at times of being a feisty, competitive team. And yet, the reality of the situation is injuries and Toronto’s lack of chemistry this season have given the organization a rare opportunity to nab one of the highly-touted prospects at the top of this year’s draft.

Which goes back to the initial question.

Why is winning important?

Consider the difference the last two games have made to Toronto’s future. If the season ended today, the Raptors would sit fourth in the NBA draft lottery standings, with a 48.1% chance to land a top-four pick, a 12.5% shot at No. 1, and the potential downside of falling to eighth. Had Toronto lost those two games, the Raptors would own the second-worst record in the league, improving their odds slightly across the board. It’s not a huge difference, but when the future of the franchise is dictated by what happens in the draft lottery, every extra ping pong ball in the draft lottery machine helps.

There is, however, another view.

“Everything we do over here is about winning,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said to a similar question. “You need to develop that character. I think how you compete night in and night out, that builds the culture. It's building the culture this season, and it's going to trickle down in the future when we are ready to compete for championships as well.”

At times this year, it’s looked like Toronto’s hard-working culture has completely disappeared. The Raptors lost lopsided games to the Memphis Grizzlies, Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks, and Barrett even acknowledged the team’s lack of effort as alarming.

Lately, that’s been different.

Toronto turned in its best performance of the season on Wednesday and appears to be taking important steps forward. It’s progress, though, that has come at the cost of lottery odds.

So why win?

“It’s the point. It’s why we’re here is to win. Rebuild or not, the goal is to win, and a part of rebuilding is to get to a point where you’re winning again,” Barrett said. “You try to win every single time you’re out there on the floor no matter what.”