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Raptors Get Positive Update in NBA Power Rankings
Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter dribbles up the court against the Detroit Pistons. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Raptors Get Positive Update in NBA Power Rankings

Originally posted on Toronto Raptors on SI
By Jeremy Brener  |  Last updated Feb 18, 2026 3:04 PM ET

The Toronto Raptors are going into the second half of the season with a lot to like about their current outlook.

NBA.com writer John Schuhmann agrees, placing the Raptors at No. 12 in his first power rankings after the All-Star break, which is one spot higher than his previous edition.

"The Raptors got Jakob Poeltl back from a 24-game absence on Wednesday, but they got clobbered by the Pistons, falling to 0-7 against the top three teams in the East. They remain in fifth place, but have some work to do to secure a spot in the top six," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Raptors are one of six teams with a better record on the road (16-10) than they have at home (16-13), and they’ll play 15 of their 27 remaining games on the road. Their post-break schedule begins with games in Chicago and Milwaukee, with the Raptors currently 16-5 (7-3 on the road) against the seven East teams with losing records."

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Raptors Inching Higher in NBA Power Rankings

The only teams that rank higher than the Raptors are the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons.

The Raptors have shown an improvement in a number of different stats on the floor this season, which is part of why they find themselves in a great spot after the first half of the year.

"The Raptors are one of three teams – the Sixers and Spurs are the others – that (when you take the league-average efficiency increase into account) have been at least two points per 100 possessions better than they were last season on both ends of the floor. They’ve seen the league’s third biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions and the sixth biggest drop in points allowed per 100," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Raptors have outscored their opponents by 9.3 points per game in transition, the league’s biggest transition differential by a healthy margin. They rank in the top three in both the percentage of their own possessions that have been in transition (22.6%, third) and the (lowest) percentage of their opponents’ possessions that have been in transition (15.6%, first)."

The Raptors will get back on the court tomorrow when they take on the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. ET inside the United Center.

Read More Toronto Raptors On SI Stories


This article first appeared on Toronto Raptors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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