San Antonio Spurs
Mid-season grade: B-
Heading into the start of the season, the San Antonio Spurs were probably a team that many considered still a year or two away from emerging as any type of threat in the Western Conference. And while they've had their ups and downs to the first half of the year, that statement is still pretty true today. The Spurs are not exactly out of the playoff picture entirely and are only a handful of games out of a top-six seed in the standings. However, unless a big move is coming at the NBA trade deadline, it would be foolish to expect the young Spurs to make quite the run during the second half of the season.
What they needed to prove this year has already been proven. Victor Wembanyama has picked up where he left off last year and looks like a budding superstar in this league. He's going to need some help if he's going to continue to elevate the Spurs moving forward and the hope is that San Antonio will finally look to deliver him some of that help at some point in the next few months. The Spurs are certainly on the right track, but they still probably need a year or two to truly grow into that dark horse contender in the West.
Toronto Raptors
Mid-season grade: C-
At least from my perspective, I was somewhat excited to see how the Toronto Raptors would look this season. On paper, they had a pretty talented roster with the promise of potentially merging as a dark horse playoff container in the Eastern Conference. However, right off the bat, it quickly became a parent that the Raptors were not exactly going to be about this season. From the opening tip, this is the team that struggled mightily to find its footing and continue to do so up to the midway point of the year.
The Raptors are on pace to finish with one of the worst records in the league once again and will be heading back to the drawing board once the offseason begins. Sure, some of their young players continue to show some promise. Scottie Barnes continues to show positive signs as a potential star player and Grady Dick has had a breakout season for the Raptors this year. Still, there does appear to be something missing with the team.