Years of struggles and failing to meet expectations have surrounded the Toronto Raptors since their first NBA championship in 2019. Many All-Star-level players have left the organization, and the Raptors have experienced back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in a decade.
As the 2025-26 NBA season approaches, Scottie Barnes is ready to flip the narrative, especially after witnessing the growth of his young squad.
The Raptors finished the 2024-25 season winning 12 of their final 23 games and registering the second-best defensive rating in the league after the All-Star break. Their growth has set the standard for what is to come.
With Darko Rajakovic entering his third season with the team and many of Toronto's young talents taking a step in the right direction, Barnes knows that getting to the playoffs is a realistic goal for his group this upcoming year.
“We have a very talented roster. Other rosters are top-heavy, but we have a complete roster right now,” Barnes told reporters at Media Day on Monday, via Sportsnet. “I think our expectation for our team is to definitely make the playoffs and win some games in the playoffs. That's the standard. That's the bottom line.
“We're hungry and we've got a lot to prove. We're gonna go out and show it.”
Aside from the growth of young talents alongside Barnes, like Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and Ja'Kobe Walter, the Raptors made an eye-opening move before the trade deadline last season when they acquired former All-Star wing Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Toronto has struggled to find consistent scoring production from the wing since trading OG Anunoby in 2023, which is why adding Ingram, who has averaged at least 20 points per game each of the last six seasons, instantly changes the Raptors' playoff outlook.
Ingram joins Barnes in the starting lineup alongside Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl — one of the better offensive starting groups on paper in the NBA. If they can stay healthy, this Raptors starting five could create a lot of problems for their opponents, which is why Barnes and the team have set playoff expectations for themselves.
As for what Rajakovic expects from his group, the third-year head coach is in sync with his 24-year-old leader regarding the team's playoff aspirations.
“My expectation is for our team to improve one percent every single day, every single week,” the Raptors coach stated on Monday. “I expect us to be competitive in 82 games. I have high ambitions. I'm not shying away from the test.”
The Raptors will begin the 2025-26 season on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on October 22.
