Raptors are for real, Suns are feisty, Jokic nearing GOAT debate

Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.

Ingram and the Raptors look legit

There's nothing quite like a plan coming together.

Toronto drew plenty of criticism for acquiring Brandon Ingram amid last year's rebuilding season, but the Raptors bought low on a former All-Star who still had plenty to offer if the organization could just get him healthy. Well, the 28-year-old looks healthy, and he's complemented this roster in all the ways the front office envisioned.

First and foremost, Ingram's shot-creation skills, shot-making, and three-level scoring have cured Toronto's half-court woes, which helps in crunch time. The Raptors have rocketed from 25th in half-court efficiency last season to fifth this year, per Cleaning The Glass. Not coincidentally, the team has won seven of nine clutch games (contests within five points in the final five minutes) after going 10-22 in the category last year, with Ingram's game-winning jumper against Indiana sealing Toronto's latest victory.

Ingram might force things occasionally, but he's bought in to the team-first system. In addition to creating open shots for teammates, the defensive attention Ingram commands has created gaps for the Raptors' cutters and movement-heavy system to expose. It's also thrust franchise star Scottie Barnes into his ideal role as an off-ball playmaker who can punish teams inside and in transition without needing to initiate. An offense that has been creating the right shots since head coach Darko Rajakovic's arrival now has the talent to capitalize on those looks. Toronto's overall efficiency has jumped from 26th to seventh year over year.

Elsewhere, starting point guard Immanuel Quickley has found his groove as a shooter, playmaker, and improved defender. Hometown hero RJ Barrett (currently sidelined) has turned into an efficient and opportunistic scorer. Starting center Jakob Poeltl - whose screen-setting, defensive positioning, and rebounding are the glue that holds everything together on both ends - has mostly overcome an early-season back issue.

Off the bench, sophomore Jamal Shead and unheralded big man Sandro Mamukelashvili have formed one of the league's best reserve duos, while Ja'Kobe Walter and Gradey Dick are playing better all-around basketball (though Dick needs to start making shots). Walter is especially intriguing as a 3-and-D guard who possesses off-the-dribble upside. Even rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has impressed as a rotation piece on a winning club.

Rajakovic's pressure-packed defense has also struck a better balance since a wretched start to the season. The Raptors are still pressuring the ball, bringing a healthy dose of help, and forcing turnovers, but no longer overexposing themselves.

After a multi-year teardown that never resulted in a full-scale tank or much lottery luck, Toronto has emerged with a deep two-way core around Barnes. The Raptors aren't quite ready to contend, and they've feasted recently on a cupcake schedule, but you can only beat who's in front of you. Teams don't win 14 of their first 19 games - while boasting top-seven marks on both ends - by accident.

The Raptors are legit, the Eastern Conference is wide open, and Toronto owns all of its first-round draft picks. The north may rise again.

Is Jokic close to GOAT debate?

For more on this, watch the latest episode of From The Logo on YouTube.

This question came from app user TheBeat, who wanted to know when Nikola Jokic will enter the conversation for greatest of all time.

He may already be on the fringes of that debate. Jokic has been the best player on the planet for a good half-decade now. He already owns some of the best statistical seasons ever recorded - by traditional and advanced measures - and his on/off splits remain comical. Yet somehow, the three-time MVP and 2023 Finals MVP is still getting better.

Jokic is averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double on unfathomable efficiency this season, all while defending at an underrated level. He's shooting 70% inside the arc, 43% from deep, and 85% from the free-throw line. No other player has ever shot the ball so well over a 17-game span while averaging even 20 points, let alone 30 ... unless you count Jokic himself. He's accomplished the feat nine other times over the last three years.

The parity-driven era Jokic is dominating won't allow him to stack championships the way past all-time greats did. And the Serbian center's casual demeanor won't inspire the type of obsessive fandom that bigger, more intense personalities received. Jokic faces an uphill battle to convince skeptics he's one of the three or four best ever. But the evidence is undeniable and mounting. Jokic is constantly rewriting what we thought possible, even by superstar standards.

He needs a few more years of this absurd productivity - and ideally, at least another title - to nudge his way into a conversation with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. But he's already knocking on the door of Tier 2 legends who comprise the rest of the top 10.

How 'bout them Suns?

App user cstatzer wanted to know if I have any love for the Suns and their newfound grit.

I have a ton of admiration for Phoenix right now. After years of assembling star-studded but ill-fitting and heartless squads, the Suns have surrounded Devin Booker with a feisty group of overachievers. This team plays hard, defends, cuts, and crashes the offensive glass. The result is a club no one wants to play against, and one that should be a tough out every time it takes the floor. This version of the Suns won't be contending for titles, but in a Western Conference where the bottom has fallen out, Phoenix can certainly be in the postseason mix. That's no small feat given how bleak things looked a few months ago.

Plus, the Suns don't control their own first-rounder until 2032, so there's no point in the capped-out club tanking. The best Phoenix can hope for is to remain competitive.

I'm curious to see how Jalen Green eventually fits in, but head coach Jordan Ott deserves credit for pulling all the right strings so far. Don't discount the impact of Dillon Brooks, either, who's supplementing his usual snarling defense with the best offensive stretch of his career. The combination of Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Royce O'Neale is an absolute nightmare to play against, but they've also combined to shoot 41% from deep.

That trio, starting center Mark Williams, and unheralded players like Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro have all exceeded expectations, but Booker remains the straw that stirs the drink. The four-time All-Star is averaging 26 points and seven assists on 58% true shooting despite being the only bonafide offensive weapon on the team, which comes with a mammoth amount of defensive pressure. Booker dragging this team to the West playoffs would be a significant achievement.

Inside the locker room

What I'm hearing from players and people around the Association.

Rajakovic inspires Ingram: Brandon Ingram recently joked that his favorite part of playing for the Raptors has been Darko Rajakovic's locker-room outbursts following victories. On a serious note, Ingram explained how much he appreciates his new head coach.

"He brings the energy every single day," Ingram told reporters after a recent victory. "He's the leader of our team. He makes sure that we bring it to practice, to games, to shootarounds. He makes sure that we have it every single time we step on a basketball floor. For me, the best part about being here is just, our coach is present every single day."

Ingram isn't the first Raptor to rave about Rajakovic's coaching style. It's why I argued last season that, at the very least, Toronto's bench boss had earned a shot to coach this team once they were ready to compete. Rajakovic is running with that opportunity now.

Player of the week

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 36.0 PPG, 79.7 TS%, 4.3 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.3 STL + BLK, 3-0 record

I also considered Jokic, Luka Doncic, and De'Aaron Fox for this week's award (which takes into account games played since last Friday), but the reigning MVP earned the honor with a flawless two-way performance. Even Jokic couldn't match SGA's efficiency this week, as the reigning MVP averaged 36 points on 67-75-90 shooting splits to lead the Thunder to another perfect week. Imagine what he could do if the defending champions actually needed him to play fourth quarters.

We want to hear from you!

Perhaps you want my opinion or insight on a burning NBA question you've had. Or, let me know if there's something specific you'd like me to ask your favorite player the next time they're in Toronto, where I speak with people from around the league before and after they play against the Raptors.

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