It’s been a bumpy season for the Toronto Raptors through 20 games.
The team has failed to generate any kind of consistency. Toronto hasn’t won more than two game in a row this season, which is the definition of a .500 team.
The Raptors have had a couple of days off to regroup and try to turn the corner. Toronto is going to have to prove that they are more than just a borderline play-in team for Masai Ujiri to invest in this group long term.
Darko Rajakovic hopes to turn the team’s fortunes around by offering them a dinner incentive. Similar to when a boss offers pizza at a corporate job, Rajakovic says he will take the team out for dinner when they win 3 straight:
The Raptors have yet to win more than 2 games in a row. Today, Rajakovic told his players/staff that he plans to take them out for dinner when they win 3 straight. “Pascal said ‘Yeah, the team is going to pay for that.’ He thinks I’m cheap… but its going to be out of my pocket”
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 4, 2023
Sometimes all it takes is the thought of a good dinner to get things going. The Raptors once won a record-setting 15 straight games back in Feb. 2020. But since then, winning streaks have not been a common thing for Toronto especially in the last two seasons.
The reality is the Raptors will need to get on a winning streak at some point if they want to turn things around, or else they will continue to be a middling team if not worse in the Eastern Conference.
December will be a crucial month for the Raptors as they try to establish their identity and reel off a winning streak. We’ll see if Rajakovic’s dinner incentive is enough to motivate the Raptors.
The week ahead
The Raptors have been off since Dec. 1 and they will be well rested when they host the Miami Heat on Dec. 6. Then they will host the Charolette Hornets on Dec. 8. A quick two-game homestand for the Raptors to try and build some momentum before heading to New York.
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