Lakers concerns and 3 other notable takeaways from NBA’s bubble restart

2. Let’s not continue to sleep on the defending champion Toronto Raptors

Yes, the Toronto Raptors are the defending champions. But following an offseason that included the departures of two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, it was somewhat reasonable to presume they would have a difficult time getting back to the Finals.

Despite missing key players at various stretches during the season (prior to the pandemic), the Raptors have been right in the mix of the playoff race. And that trend has continued.

The Raptors are a perfect 3-0 in the bubble, posting wins against the Lakers, Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. Although Toronto is kind of a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of scoring (ranked 13th at 112.7 points per contest), they get it done at the defensive end of the floor.

For example, they are first in scoring defense, giving up 106.1 points per contest. Additionally, they have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA, yielding 104.8 points per 100 possessions. Toronto is limiting opponents to 42.7 percent shooting from the field (the second-best mark in the NBA) and 33.4 from downtown, which is tops in the association.

Sure, the Raptors are a different team without Leonard in the rotation. On the flip side of the equation, they are balanced (six double-digit scorers), and even more important, the roster has several guys that are capable of being the best player on the court on a given night.