The Toronto Raptors dropped across the weekly NBA power rankings. They now have a tough four-game stretch coming up out West.
The Toronto Raptors had a tough week. They went 1-3 and haven’t looked like the same team as of late. Why is that?
For starters, Kyle Lowry hasn’t played as well as he normally does.
Over the last four games, he is just 4-for-28 from the field. It’s been a brutal stretch for the All-Star point guard, but one that is bound to end sooner than later.
The Raptors’ last four games have also been against stiff competition. Their last four opponents have a combined record of 62-44.
When breaking down their four games from last week, you can really only look at one and say it was a game Toronto should’ve had — a 106-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets in overtime.
After losing three out of four, many have moved the Raptors back in their weekly NBA power rankings.
ESPN’s latest power rankings have Toronto back one spot from last week. The Golden State Warriors sit ahead of them in the No. 1 spot after winning all three of their games from last week.
NBA.com has the Raptors back at No. 3, with the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of them. Ironically, they were two teams Toronto wasn’t able to beat last week.
CBS Sports has Toronto back to No. 2 and the Warriors up to the top spot, just like ESPN.
This week it doesn’t get any easier for them. They head out West, where the competition always gets tough.
In that four-game stretch, they’ll see the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets. Those are two teams fighting at the top of the Western Conference at the moment.
They’ll continue to need Kawhi Leonard‘s efforts as they start their road trip. Despite the team’s struggles, he hasn’t lost a beat with his individual performances. He averaged 28.7 points per game in that 1-3 stretch. Despite their struggles of late, this is still a really good basketball team no matter how you look at it.
Here’s what CBS Sports had to say about the Raptors in their latest power rankings:
"“This team does still feel like the best-constructed team to have a shot against the Warriors in a 7-game series. Pascal Siakam has one of the top defensive field goal percentages in the league, and he’s contested more three-point shots than anyone in NBA. This team is scary good.”"
Let’s hope Lowry can get back on track and ultimately help get the Toronto Raptors back on track this season.