Raptors face super alternative as softer schedule approaches

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Honest query, RJ Barrett: what day is it? 

“Thursday? Saturday? I know it’s near the end of the week,” the Toronto Raptors wing says on Friday afternoon, his voice trailing off barely. “I don’t know.”

Nothing captures the ‘there are only game days and practice days’ actuality of NBA life — particularly on the street — fairly like grown, high-functioning adults not realizing what day of the week it’s, or what metropolis they’re in. 

The street exacerbates it, and the Raptors can have been away from house for 13 of the primary 22 nights of the season by the point their present five-game street journey wraps up in Indianapolis Saturday.

And it’s not simply gamers for whom time blurs.  

“I believe you’re gonna think that I’m lying,” stated Darko Rajakovic because the Raptors had been ending follow on campus at Marian University. “But I really only know that we’re playing the next game against Indiana, and I believe that they’re playing the next games against Washington and Brooklyn. I really don’t know who we play after that.”

Actually, I don’t assume you’re mendacity, Darko, provided that the Raptors’ subsequent two video games (after the Pacers Saturday) are at house in opposition to Charlotte on Monday after which on the street in opposition to Philadelphia on Wednesday. It’s solely after these two do they host Washington and Brooklyn. 

But the purpose of the train is that if there have been ever a time for the Raptors to veer from their ‘just get the next one’ mantra, it is likely to be proper now. 

Yes, it’s correct that nothing the Toronto Raptors did of their spectacular win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday can truly assist them of their match-up with injury-riddled Indiana, aside from maybe carrying over some good vibes. 

And win or lose, their assembly with the Charlotte Hornets at house Monday will exist independently of no matter occurs after that. 

But there are moments throughout that 82-game schedule the place total seasons can take form. It’s not that any single phase defines the remainder of the 12 months, however like investing and even playing, a number of the largest positive factors are made within the smallest of home windows. 

The Raptors are in a type of home windows now. There are many factors throughout an NBA season when circumstances conspire in opposition to you and wins are that rather more tough to return by. Difficult journey, high quality opponents, premature accidents, sudden slumps — they matter. 

But the reverse can also be true. And over the following 9 days, the Raptors face a non-murderers’ row if there ever was one (present document in parentheses):

• @ Indiana (1-11)
• Charlotte (4-7)
• @ Philadelphia (7-4)
• Washington (1-11)
• Brooklyn (1-10)

There’s a case that it’s the best schedule any NBA group has ever had, as in accordance with ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, that is simply the second time that three groups in the identical convention have began the season at 1-10 or worse. The different was in 1997-98, when it was the Western Conference dregs that had been bringing the NBA down. That 12 months, the Raptors began 1-10 additionally, however they had been within the East, after all. 

So anyway you narrow it, taking part in three groups with a cumulative 3-32 document within the area of 5 video games, whereas internet hosting the 4-7 Hornets in between, is the basketball equal of discovering a pockets with no ID and a few hundred {dollars} money mendacity on the sidewalk. Pick that factor up.

Even travelling to play the Sixers could possibly be worse, as Joel Embiid — who scored 29 factors in 26 minutes in opposition to the Raptors in a Philadelphia win final week — has missed the final three video games as a consequence of soreness in his proper knee. 

Bottom line is the Raptors, winners of six video games of their previous seven and sitting two video games above .500 for the primary time since November 2022, may get on a critical roll right here. 

And within the Eastern Conference — the place ending six or seven video games above .500 on the finish of the common season may imply a playoff spot — week, say successful 4 of 5 video games, may have them 5 video games above .500 with per week left in November. 

For his half, Barrett appreciates the logic. 

“I think you know, the probably most common answer would be taking it one game at a time, which is true,” he stated after I requested him about seeing a possibility to place some wins within the financial institution whereas they will. “First and foremost, let’s maintain enterprise right here in Indiana.

“But on the identical time, standings matter, all the things issues. The pushes that you simply make matter. You do not know what is going on to occur over the course of an 82-game season. 

“Right now, we’re healthy,” he says, touching the wood bleachers for luck. “And we’ve got to capitalize on that, particularly coming from final 12 months and never being wholesome in any respect. Like, proper now’s a giant time to make a push and make some noise. 

“And I think we’ve been doing that a little bit, I think the beginning of the season (when the Raptors lost four straight after opening the season with a win), the schedule was tougher, so it should get a little lighter at some point.”

For his half, Rajakovic doesn’t wish to hear in regards to the toughness of the schedule. As properly because the Raptors have performed since their 1-5 begin — Toronto is fourth in defence, eighth in offence and fifth in web score over its previous seven video games — he nonetheless sees loads of room to enhance. 

Even of their spectacular win in opposition to Cleveland on Thursday, the Raptors gave up 14 offensive rebounds — 5 of them to Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who has 9 NBA video games to his credit score after going undrafted out of school in 2024. Tomlin — who additionally scored on a number of primary baseline cuts — had solely ever scored greater than the 18 factors he put up in opposition to Toronto as soon as in his profession. His six rebounds had been additionally the second-best mark of his temporary profession. 

“I think a couple of times we lost a man, we lost the vision, so they were able to score on a couple of cuts there,” stated Rajakovic. “… And then it was a couple of things in the coverages that we could execute better, to be more attached to men and then to do a better job of affecting the ball and then getting back to the shooters. So those are some of the things that we focused on [at practice], trying to clean up.”

The message: whatever the opponent or their pedigree, they will harm you. 

“I don’t want to know (about our schedule),” Rajakovic stated. “Literally, that’s my approach, and really taking it one game at a time is very, very important. You look at games, and you just don’t know, are they gonna be healthy? Are we gonna be healthy? So many things can happen after every game … there are so many things that are outside of our control, and the NBA is a lot. There is a lot of pressure on players, on coaches and everybody, and I’m trying to limit that just going one day at a time. And there’s the whole philosophy of all that we’re looking at. I really don’t look at it in those terms, like can we make a run here or not? We’re in a good stretch right now and so let’s just take care of business tomorrow night against Indiana.”

Sounds like a plan. But after that comes Charlotte…