Grading 2024-25 Season for Toronto Raptors at NBA All-Star Break

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 8:30 AM ET

With the NBA season halfway over at the All-Star break, it is a perfect time to evaluate the Toronto Raptors’ performance this season.

Entering the season, the Raptors did not have high expectations. They are still trying to rebuild their roster after trading away OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam last season, so they were expected to be a Play-In team at best.

The Raptors have lived up to expectations thus far, as they currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 17-38 record. They also sit five games behind the Chicago Bulls for the final Play-In spot in the East, but they do have both the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets in front of them.

With the unlikelihood of the Raptors being a Play-In team, they should now be able to focus on the offseason, specifically the loaded 2025 draft. Of course, the Raptors have a solid group of young players already on their roster, including Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji, but they are still in search of a true star player.

Toronto did make a blockbuster trade at the deadline to acquire Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans, but Ingram has yet to make his debut due to an ankle injury. They also signed Ingram to a three-year contract as they hope that he can be their next superstar player that could help lead them to a championship.

Outside of the trade for Ingram, Toronto stood pat at the deadline, electing not to move on from either Jakob Poeltl or Chris Boucher. Of course, Poeltl is having a career-best season, and he looks to be a major part of their future.

With the Raptors now entering the second half of the season, they are looking forward to Ingram’s debut and they could either try to make a push for the final Play-In spot or try and better their positioning to win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes in the offseason during the draft.

Either way, the Raptors have lived up to expectations thus far as they continue to build for the future.

Midseason grade: C

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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