Bobby Webster Details Toronto Raptors' 2027 Expectation

The 2027 Toronto Raptors are set to be a force to be reckoned with for the other NBA championship contenders. As they will have to go through the deepest and most competitive Eastern Conference in decades, the organization believes that with seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard and franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes at the helm, anything can happen. 

That should be obvious, given the substantial trade package general manager Bobby  Webster had to compile in order to reacquire Leonard. One thing the Raptors have not done often is trade away first-round picks, so the fact that they sent two firsts, a first-round swap, and two second-round picks shows that Toronto is all-in on winning the franchise’s second championship. 

In the first of several press conferences, the Raptors head of basketball operations gave his honest feelings about how he believes the team should compete this season.

“If I think back to last year, I sat here, and I said probably the most important thing for this group was ‘can we compete every night, will we compete for 48 minutes?’ and I felt comfortable saying that,” said Webster. “I think the expectation this year is that, ‘Can we win every night? Does this group go into every night thinking we’re the better team, we have a chance to win this game.’ So I think that’s sort of how I view this group which is they’re gonna be competitive, they’re gonna fight, and now the belief that they’ll win.”

While the general manager didn’t want to specifically name his team as one of the best in the league, he essentially confirmed the idea. Saying that he believes the team can go into every game thinking they are the better team is far different than thinking they can beat any team. The East is going to be an absolute gauntlet this season, with roughly 12 of the 15 teams expecting to win on a nightly basis. If the Raptors can prove early on that the defensive will they impose on every team they play can lead to consistent wins, the rest of the league better watch out. 

One aspect that many have discussed since trading for and extending Leonard is his questionable durability. He’s played 65 games just twice in the last nine seasons, and at 35 years old, he’ll likely need to be load-managed throughout the regular season. Luckily for him, the defensive pressure will likely fall onto his superstar counterpart, as Barnes finished at fifth place in the DPOY voting. Not to mention, Leonard could be trending in the right direction after playing 65 games last season on a Los Angeles Clippers team that desperately needed his contributions on both ends in order to be competitive. 

As long as the progression for the young pieces is accurate to their projections, the Raptors should be able to remain competitive on nights that Leonard must sit out. Barnes is looking to earn his first All-NBA selection this season, but Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, and Allen Graves all look ready to prove that they can be more than just typical role players. If they commit to the defensive end as they have, while adding to their offensive game, the Raptors should be seen as one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA.