Not including tonight’s game against Jimmy Butler & the Miami Heat, the Raptors currently rank third in the NBA power rankings. Here’s a look at how they’re doing so far:
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Toronto Raptors
Record: 15-4
Pace: 101.3 (14) OffRtg: 111.2 (5) DefRtg: 102.3 (2) NetRtg: +8.8 (2)
The Raptors remain pretty, pretty good. They've won seven straight games, picking up wins over the Sixers and Jazz last week, holding Joel Embiid scoreless and dropping Utah from fifth to 11th in defensive efficiency in one night with a rather ridiculous performance from the perimeter. They're still just 3-4 in games between the 13 teams that are currently over .500, but they've joined the Bucks as teams in the top five on both ends of the floor, and they're the only team in the league that hasn't lost a game that wasn't within five points in the last five minutes. After the 77-point first half on Sunday, they've scored a league-best 118.4 points per 100 possessions at home, where they've had a much lower turnover rate (13.4 per 100 possessions vs. 16.5 on the road) and where they're 9-0, with their schedule remaining home-heavy through the end of the month. A couple of good teams are at Scotiabank Arena this week, and their visit to Philly on Sunday will obviously test their ability to take the show on the road.
Source: NBA.com
