Toronto Raptors: Next Three Games Will Tell All We Need To Know

The Toronto Raptors will be mightily tested over the course of its next three games, and the rest of the NBA will be watching

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Whether you believe in them or not, the Toronto Raptors next three games are going to tell us all we need to know about this team. And that includes tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Over their next three games, the Raptors will play three of the West’s best — the aforementioned Blazers, the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns. All playoff caliber teams.

In the midst of a 24-7 start, even without DeMar DeRozan for the past few weeks, the Toronto Raptors still have their naysayers. They’re still people that don’t want to believe in a team that lost in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs a year ago, and understandably so.

Because, why should they?

Through 31 games this season, and of their 24 wins, the Raptors have eight victories over teams over .500. Of their seven losses, five of them have come to probable playoff teams. Their other two losses came against the Miami Heat, another probable playoff team, and a pedestrian loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rounding all that information out, the Raptors are winning the games that they’re supposed to win and are losing games that they can afford to lose.

Still, there’s something about this team that doesn’t sway the viewers.

Well, what do the stats say? Maybe it’s that.

According to NBA.com, the Toronto Raptors are the best offensive team in basketball (scoring 112.3 points per 100 possessions), but only the 17th best defense in the league (allowing 104.1 points per 100 possessions).

In addition, the Raptors have the second best point differential in the NBA. Toronto is beating teams by an average of 8.4 points per game. The only team that has a better PD is the Golden State Warriors, who are beating teams by 8.7 points per game.

The Raptors are also top-10 statistically in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, total shot percentage and effective field goal percentage.

Led by Kyle Lowry‘s 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds per game, the Raptors are on par with the elites of the NBA so far. With the except for their low defensive ranking.

But even if you do have your reservations with the team from the North, your concerns will soon be addressed. The Raptors will play the Blazers tonight, the Warriors Jan 2 (Friday) and the Suns Jan 4 (Sunday).

While you can’t simply dismiss them as contenders if they come out of that stretch 0-3 or 1-2, if they do go 3-0 or even 2-1 out of that mini-test, that should definitely be enough to warrant some respect from their doubters.

For the Toronto Raptors, their first 31 games into the season have told most of us enough. Their next three, though, will relay the rest of the uninformed just how good this team is.

The Raptors are the class of the Eastern Conference. Soon enough, that little nugget won’t be much of a secret.

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