Updated win totals ...

[YoungGuns]

After watching the first 2 games do any of you think they will win more games then expected?? I think they could win 25-35 games this year. The reason I think that is they are still learning a new system and they had a very short training camp. You can already see what a difference a good coach can make and its only been 3 weeks. I could see us fighting for the last playoff spot if we keep improving our team game.

Gooo Raps !!!

[Red and White]

Believing the Raptors will win 35 games this year is extremely optimistic.

It is so easy to get behind a team when they play slightly better then they are expected, and so easy to go against a team that played slightly worse then was expected. This Raptor team has played well the first 2 games of the season. They have done it with as you said, a shorten training camp, and only 2 preseason games. It is clear that they did way more right then wrong versus Indiana, but my expectations (while rather optimistic) are staying the same.

This is a team for tomorrow, and not today.

The goal of the team this year is to get better, to change it's philosophy and to change it's identity. That is what the team should be concerned about, and not wins. We are going to get a lot more talent, in a short period of time next year. The wins will come when the team is complete.

I do believe that our team will scare some teams, and I think we will be that team that if you put your guard down, we will make you pay for it. Our team is going to be a wild card team. We are gonna surprise better teams. Danny Granger said himself that this team surprised him. We are becoming physical, aggressive, and dare I even say it, defensive. Wow. It feels weird having said that. I never thought I would say that the Toronto Raptors could be a "defensive team".

My point is your expectations should not be on the win column, but the individual players themselves. Sure winning is nice, but we all know that our time is about to come.

[slaw]

I think people need to temper expectations. There has been some bizarre spin on Raptors sites based on the first two games. The Raps held off a really, really bad Cavs team by shooting the lights out. They then lost at home to a team they held to 40% shooting. I understand people are encouraged that they now look organized on the floor (as opposed to the running around like chickens with our heads cut off, discombobulated mess of the Triano era) but this team is still awful.

Yeah, the defense is better so far (DRTG - 20th out of 30 teams) but they're playing at a glacial pace (87.9 pace factor - 27th out of 30 teams) and still turning the ball over at a frightening clip (31 TOVs in 2 games). Once their collective FG% levels out (and it is going to as Derozan, Davis and Amir are going to fall off their unsustainable numbers) it is going to get uglier.

[mcHAPPY]

Good thread idea.

My guess stands - 15-18.

I am optimistic about things but I think the Indiana game is a good blue print for the year.

[Puffer]

I'm still at 15-18. If the Raps suddenly get a reputation for holding teams to lower scores (and if they do it 6 games in a row, the word will be out) then other teams will be scouting the Raps a little harder. Because the preponderance of their games are against Eastern Conference opponents, teams won't be caught off-guard more than once. All props to Mr. Casey, but at this point, the Raps defensive schemes are pretty rudimentary. A year of running those schemes and they will truly be automatic. That's when the Raps will be dangerously good defensively - next year.

[stretch]

What are the Raptors chances tomorrow night in Dallas? The Mavs lost at the buzzer to OKC tonight and are 0-3 so far! They will be very focused on win number one but the one advantage the Raptors have is a day's rest while the Mavs will be on the back end of a back to back.

[JoePanini]

I could see the Raptors winning over 20 games.

[e2thed]

Raptors win 11 games, hopefully.

[NoPropsneeded]

more than 20 games...

[ezz_bee]

If the raptors win 35 games they won't be fighting for the 8th seed, they'll be fighting for home court advantage. I wasn't able to see the cleveland game but i enjoyed watching the pacers game. IMO the raptors win between 18-21 games. I could see someone arguing that they could win 25 games but anything above that seems beyond unrealistic.