Scottie Barnes and the Raptors have won 6 of their last 7 games.
The Toronto Raptors have found a new identity and are playing some of their best basketball since the calendar flipped to 2025. After compiling a 7-26 record through December, the Raptors are 9-7 since Jan. 1 and are 8-2 in their last ten games, recording their first win streak of 4-plus games since 2023.
Defense has been the focal point and identity for coach Darko Rajakovic and his staff during Toronto’s turnaround. Over the last ten games, the Raptors’ defensive rating of 105.7 is the best mark in the NBA, a stark improvement from their 25th-ranked season-long rating of 115.3.
Over this 10-game stretch, the Raptors are tied for first in opponent’s points allowed (105.0), second in fast break points allowed (12.6), third in second-chance points (11.5) and points allowed in the paint (44.4), and fourth in defensive rebounds per game (35.5).
Toronto’s newfound intensity on defense has been the perfect partner for their balanced, team-friendly offense. On the season, the Raptors dish out 29.1 assists per game, the fifth-highest figure across the league, while assisting on 69.1% of made baskets (third). When you look at the last ten games, though, the assists jumped to 30.6 a night, a close third behind only Indiana (30.8) and Denver (30.7), and their assist percentage (72.0) is second to only Golden State (72.1).
Scottie Barnes has been a pivotal piece of the Raptors’ rebuild since being selected No. 4 overall back in 2021. Now in his fourth season, Barnes has continued on the path to stardom, averaging a career-high 20.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals while pulling down 8.1 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game. Barnes’ playmaking has taken another step forward, as evidenced by his career-best 14 assists he recorded in a loss on Dec. 7. He’s one of three Toronto players handing out better than 5.7 assists a night.
R.J. Barrett is enjoying the best season of his young career in his first full year with Toronto, proving to the rest of the league that he’s not just a scorer. In 41 appearances in 2024-25, the Toronto native is averaging 21.6 points and career-highs in rebounds (6.6), assists (5.7) and steals (0.8) in 33.3 minutes. He has notched nine double-doubles this season, the most ever for him in a single season, while recording the first and second triple-doubles of his career.
You can check out the Raptors’ improved play when they host the Knicks on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 ET on NBA League Pass.
