Toronto opens Wednesday against the Bulls with the same core that won 46 games last season and lost a first-round series in seven to Cleveland. The defense finished fifth in the league and the offense finished 14th, and that gap is the question this roster has to answer.
The Case for Yes
Leonard is the argument. He averaged 27.9 points on 38.7 percent from three last season and did it in 65 games, a workload that gives Darko Rajakovic a closer most nights. Immanuel Quickley shot 37.4 percent from deep with 5.9 assists, RJ Barrett scored 19.3 a night, and Scottie Barnes filled every column with 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists over 80 games. The team posted a 115.0 offensive rating against a 112.1 defensive rating, a plus-2.9 net that was good for 46-36. The pieces for a better offense are already under contract, and Elaine Blum of Raptors Rapture argued this week that Leonard could be the key to Collin Murray-Boyles' offensive growth, which would add a second developing scorer to the mix.
The Case for No
The shooting around Barnes is the doubt. He hit 30.4 percent from three last season, Barrett 33.9, and Jakob Poeltl does not attempt them. Leonard is 35, and his October 3 listing for a reason described as not injury related was never explained, even after clearances on October 12 and October 17. Barrett played 57 games and Poeltl 46, so the lineup that looks whole on paper rarely was. The front office cannot buy a fix. The payroll of $201.2 million is over the $200.4 million tax line, Leonard's $50.3 million and Barnes's $41.8 million lead it, and the 2027 first-rounder is tied up in a swap. Chris Lambert of Raptors Rapture wrote that Cason Wallace's extension is another tough break for Barrett's hopes of a raise, a reminder that the one obvious trade chip comes with an unresolved contract.
The Verdict
Yes, but narrowly, and the reason is games rather than scheme. The offense ranked 14th in a season when Leonard played 65 times and Barrett 57; a healthier version of the same group does not need new ideas to climb. The seven-game loss to Cleveland showed what a fifth-ranked defense buys on its own, which is a series, not a round. The first test is soft: Chicago went 31-51 last season with a 117.4 defensive rating and a minus-5.3 net, and Nic Claxton is out with a hamstring. Toronto's answer will come later, against teams that can guard, and it will be measured by whether the offense ever leads for a night instead of following.
Is Kawhi Leonard healthy for the Raptors' opener against the Bulls?
He was cleared on October 17 after a rest listing, and the only Raptor on the injury list is Nate Bittle, day-to-day with a right foot issue and an estimated return of October 21.
How good was the Raptors' offense last season?
It ranked 14th in the league with a 115.0 offensive rating, while the defense ranked fifth at 112.1, and the team finished 46-36.
