2018/19 Raptors Power Rankings Thread

[KeonClark]

F*ck Daryl Morey!

Ujiri >

[DanH]

https://t.co/Cwr7b8hvmz

— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) November 25, 2017

The Raptors breaking up record winning streaks for the Rockets TWICE that season after that tweet was delightful.

[S.R.]

https://t.co/Cwr7b8hvmz

— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) November 25, 2017

F*ck Daryl Morey!

[golden]

I swear every time this team hits a peak in the power rankings they drop a dud the next week.

https://t.co/Cwr7b8hvmz

— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) November 25, 2017

[S.R.]

I swear every time this team hits a peak in the power rankings they drop a dud the next week.

[planetmars]

November 5-11:


ESPN (1) [+1]:
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...s-ahead-week-5

It was an undefeated week for the 12-1 Raptors, who haven't won a game by fewer than seven points since the first week of the season. One among many promising notes for Toronto: No matter which combination of forwards and big men head coach Nick Nurse assembles around Kyle Lowry, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, the Raps are decimating the competition. No other three-man unit in the league with more than 200 minutes has outperformed this Raps' winning trio. -- Arnovitz

NBA.com (1) [+3]:
http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/201...=powerrankings

The Raptors cruised through a 4-0 trip out West (none of the wins were within five points in the last five minutes) and took care of business against the Knicks on Saturday afternoon. Pascal Siakam has begun to realize his potential to become an every-day problem for Toronto opponents. He's averaged 17.6 points on 68 percent shooting over the last seven games (highlighted by a career-high 23 points on Saturday), doing a lot more than just playing off the Raptors' two All-Stars. He was torching the Kings so badly in the first half on Wednesday (attacking Nemanja Bjelica in transition, spinning on Marvin Bagley in the post, and beating Bagley off the dribble), they were forced to double-team him in the post.

CBS Sports (2) [-]:
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/n...est-surprises/

The renaissance and reinvention of Serge Ibaka, who has primarily been playing the five, has been one of the biggest reasons the Raptors feel like the team most likely to topple the Warriors' dominance. Ibaka is second on the Raptors in scoring, averaging 17.2 points per game, which would be a career high. Ibaka's done his damage closest to the rim, leaving three-point shooting to teammates. He's shooting fewer threes than any season since 2013-14.

SI (1) [+1]:
https://www.si.com/nba/2018/11/12/nb...-stephen-curry

The league's second-highest shooting percentage and third-highest scoring offense belong to Toronto.

The addition of Kawhi Leonard is what gives this team such a great shot to get out the East. The evolution of Kyle Lowry and the bench, however, is what gives the Raptors a real chance at bringing home the title. In addition to Lowry and Leonard, there are four other Raptors averaging at least 10 points a game, and Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby are just a tick below that mark. Pascal Siakam’s major jump has been another key factor in this early-season showing. It’s a shame you can’t win titles in November.

[S.R.]

We're Number One!

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...s-ahead-week-5

Is Masai Ujiri the mayor of Toronto yet?

It was an undefeated week for the 12-1 Raptors, who haven't won a game by fewer than seven points since the first week of the season. One among many promising notes for Toronto: No matter which combination of forwards and big men head coach Nick Nurse assembles around Kyle Lowry, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, the Raps are decimating the competition. No other three-man unit in the league with more than 200 minutes has outperformed this Raps' winning trio. -- Arnovitz

This one too:

http://www.nba.com/powerrankings

[KeonClark]

Gonna be annoying when the Raptors are better than the Celtics and people chalk it up to the Celtics underachieving

— Stevie Ray Baughan (@NotNickBaughan) November 6, 2018

The Raptors were always better than the celtics. Last year, this year...to be the man, you gotta beat the man, you can't just pass us "on paper"

[Nilanka]

Gonna be annoying when the Raptors are better than the Celtics and people chalk it up to the Celtics underachieving

— Stevie Ray Baughan (@NotNickBaughan) November 6, 2018

[S.R.]

Was about to take exception with NBA.com but that is a pretty good top 4. Still, I'd put the Raptors #2. I'd take this team (with Kawhi) over the Bucks or Nuggets.

[planetmars]

October 29 - November 4:


ESPN (2) [-]:
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...s-ahead-week-4

Kawhi Leonard has yet to play in back-to-back games this season, as the Raptors are determined to exercise caution with their prized offseason acquisition. Toronto is now 2-1 without Leonard, including a shellacking of the Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday night ahead of Monday's matchup at Utah. If the dominant Raptors are looking for some self-improvement, they can start on the defensive glass, where they're currently a bottom-five team. -- Arnovitz

NBA.com (4) [-3]:
http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/201...=powerrankings

The Raptors lost the game between the league's last two unbeaten teams and then lost Kawhi Leonard to a foot injury. (Hopefully, team and player remain on the same page in regard to that.) But they handled the Sixers in their first meeting on Tuesday and are 2-0 on their four-game trip, having blasted the Lakers out of the gates (they led 41-10 with a little more than two minutes to go in the first quarter) on Sunday. Kyle Lowry leads the league in assists (11.6 per game) by a wide margin and he's had almost twice as many assists to Serge Ibaka (34) as he's to any other teammate (next is 18 to Pascal Siakam). Ibaka had a rough 2018 postseason, but appears much more comfortable as a full-time center (he's played less than a minute with Jonas Valanciunas), shooting 57 percent after a 15-for-17 performance in L.A. He has shot 78 percent in the restricted area, where 38 percent of his shots have come from. That latter rate isn't a career-high, but it's up from just 18 percent over the previous two seasons.

CBS Sports (2) [-]:
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/powerrankings/

The Raptors have been extra cautious with Kawhi Leonard. He sat out Sunday night against the Lakers with a sore left foot, meaning he has sat for three of his first 10 games as a Raptor. It didn't matter; the Raptors blew out the Lakers on the Lakers' home court. The Raptors' starting unit has been absolutely dynamite all season long.

SI (2) [-1]:
https://www.si.com/nba/2018/11/05/nb...damian-lillard

With or without Kawhi Leonard this team is good. With Kawhi they are the second-best team in the NBA right now. Without him, they can still go on the road and run the Lakers out of Staples Center through three quarters.

We got cheated out of seeing Kawhi vs. Giannis on Monday, but watching the two-time Defensive Player of the Year turn Ben Simmons into a walking turnover machine was a decent substitute. The more and more Leonard gets to leave his imprint on this unit, the scarier Toronto gets on that end. As teammates learn how to better work off the guy who can create steals with his back turned, forcing turnovers and closing possessions will be even easier.

On the other end of the court, Kyle Lowry has his hands on everything and is setting the tempo. His league-high 11.6 assists per game are about four more than his career-high, and with the way this offense is scoring and how effortless it is for them to jump into transition makes it seem possible he will finish with double-digit helpers.

Nick Nurse will likely need to lighten up Danny Green’s minutes as the season goes on, but the time being, his floor spacing and experience are major bonuses.

[golden]

GS essentially has 2 guys in the top 5 for ppg and the guy who dropped 52 last night isn't even one of them smdh

This is where the unfair advantage comes in. GSW can basically rest their stars, in-game, and still win 60 games while keeping everybody fresh for the playoffs. Other teams limp into the playoffs all banged up. GSW can sit guys out for weeks. Curry missed an entire round last year, whereas other teams would have rushed him back, playing at 50-60%.

[Mack North]

GS essentially has 2 guys in the top 5 for ppg and the guy who dropped 52 last night isn't even one of them smdh

Boogie is normally a top scorer as well, wait til he's back. He was recently cleared to begin on-court activities, might see him by Christmas they say.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[S.R.]

Last night was case in point.

GS essentially has 2 guys in the top 5 for ppg and the guy who dropped 52 last night isn't even one of them smdh

[Mack North]

I really love the love... but how can we possibly be ranked ahead of GSW?

Last night was case in point.