Raptors Share Expectations For Next Season as Page Turns on Rebuild

Scottie Barnes has no interest in waiting around.

From before the season even began, Barnes made it clear he wasn’t here for a rebuild. He didn’t want to hear about tanking, lottery odds, or long-term timelines for the Toronto Raptors.

“I just want to win now,” he said back in July. “I don’t like to lose, and all this rebuild talk, it’s whatever, but I want to go out there and win games.”

The reality of this past season didn’t quite match that vision. The Raptors went 30-52 and spent the final stretch prioritizing development and draft positioning. It was a necessary step for the franchise, but one that should now be firmly in the past.

With the arrival of Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline, the Raptors signaled a shift in strategy from rebuild to playoff contention. Next year, expectations are going to be different.

“I feel like we’ve got what it takes,” Barnes said Monday during his end-of-season media availability. “We’ve got a great young core. Starting five is going to be crazy next year. We’re still going to add some talent. But with the things that we’ve got in place, with our foundation and how we want to play, how we want to guard and disrupt teams, we have the pieces, and we’ve just got to make it happen.”

On paper, it’s a talented group.

Barnes developed into an All-Defense type of player. Immanuel Quickley showed off his pull-up shooting and ability to run the offense. RJ Barrett improved as an on-ball threat. Jakob Poeltl had the best season of his career. And Toronto’s rookie crop exceeded expectations. Had the Raptors gone all-in, it’s conceivable they could have pushed for a play-in spot this year.

But so far, it’s only been a theoretical group.

Ingram never returned from the ankle injury he suffered in December, and injuries and rest absences limited Toronto’s ability to truly see its core together. The sample size was small, and end-of-season games are always hard to read into.

From now on, expectations are going to be higher. The players know it. The front office knows it. And after months of theoretical potential, next year has to be about results.

“I’m actually really positive as far as the outlook goes,” Poeltl said. “I think we’ve shown that we have a really good foundation that we can build on here. And I think even our front office has shown that they want to build on that foundation quickly, with a trade like getting B.I.”

The mood around the team has clearly shifted.

There is no more talk of a transition year. The focus is turning back to the postseason. It has been four years since Toronto last clinched a playoff berth, and this new group believes it is ready to get back there.

“The expectation next year is to be in the playoffs,” said Quickley.

For Barnes, the only player still under contract from that last playoff run, a postseason berth is just the starting point.

“I expect us to be really good,” he said. “For sure getting into the playoffs and make a great run. With the team that we have, there are no excuses. We should be in the playoffs and make a good run.”

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