More about 2025.

It’s Monday. That means there’s a fresh week ahead, hopefully brimming with positivity for those of us who need it right now.

The Raptors feel to the New York Knicks in the NBA (Emirates) Cup Semi-Finals. The Knicks will take on the San Antonio Spurs after they handed the Oklahoma City Thunder their second loss of the season.

For Toronto, it’s been a pendulum sort of season so far.

From Oct. 31 against the Cleveland Cavaliers to Nov. 26 against the Indiana Pacers, The Raptors enjoyed an amazing 13-1 stretch where their only loss came to the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 8. Since losing to the Charlotte Hornets Nov. 29, however, the Raptors have fallen in the Eastern Conference standings with only one win - Dec. 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 13-1 run was unpredictable and necessary after Toronto began the season 1-4. If the team did not play as we as they did through November, they might already be theoretically out of the playoffs, a situation a number of teams out West see themselves in right now.

The Raptors’ recent slump has seen them fall from 2nd in the East behind the Detroit Pistons to now sitting 5th. The New York Knicks (2nd), Boston Celtics (3rd), and Orlando Magic (4th) have leapfrogged Toronto but it’s still early enough in the season that the Raptors can get right back into potentially a top-3 seed.

Not having RJ Barrett on the floor since Nov. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets has affected the team on both ends of the court but especially on offense. That’s 20 points a night that Toronto needs to get from their bench in his absence. So far without Toronto’s own Barrett, the Raptors are 3-6 in nine games and need a win tonight against the Miami Heat in the Sunshine State.

The sunshine must be nice. I’ve almost forgotten what the Sun feels like…

Elsewhere around the NBA, there have been a number of pleasant surprises as well as disappointing starts for some teams.

Perhaps the most glaring disappointment are the Los Angeles Clippers. Through 25 games, they sit 13th in the unforgiving Western Conference, only ahead of the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.

I could rant for a long time about how 2025 has gone for the Clippers. If you don’t mind hearing my rambling, check out my NBA podcast here. I’ll say this part here: cutting Chris Paul in his final NBA season is just a baffling move for a franchise that seems to have no shortage of them.

Sacramento and New Orleans are also two teams that have produced less wins that they were perhaps projected to. Sacramento already changed their coach earlier in the season but a new perspective hasn’t helped them generate wins. New Orleans hasn’t benefited from a slimmed-down Zion Williamson.

In the East, the two teams that I’ve been most disappointed in so far this season are the Chicago Bulls (10-15) and the Indiana Pacers (6-20).

The Bulls have bright spots in the guard play of Coby White and Josh Giddey. White leads the team with just under 22 points per game. Giddey is averaging close to a triple-double. Yet, in a depleted Eastern Conference, the Bulls find themselves in 11th place.

The Indiana Pacers, fresh off a gutting Game 7 Finals loss to the OKC Thunder, and having lost Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks (another under-performing team with a big Giannis problem), see only the Washington Wizards beneath them in the East standings.

In a wide-open East, teams like Detroit and Orlando have made strides towards competing for a ring with their promising young cores. The same cannot be said for Chicago. I’ll give Indiana somewhat of a pass due to Tyrese Haliburton being injured long-term and their Finals appearance last season.

The Bulls, among other franchises, might be best served tearing it all down. But it’s not in the ownership’s interests, or the process would have already begun. They seem like another team (across all sports) who may have overestimated their roster talent and/or underestimated their rebuild timelines.

I mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks earlier. This team might be better off dealing with the recent rumors surrounding Giannis Antetekounmpo. He’s focused on winning in Milwaukee right now, but they sit in 10th right now at 11-16. They are the only East team currently in a potential postseason spot under .500.

Interestingly enough, the Golden State Warriors (8th), Memphis Grizzlies (9th), and Dallas Mavericks (10th) are all sub-.500 teams.

Speaking of the Warriors, their rebounding leader Jonathan Kuminga might be best served with a trade this season.

Something tells me a Kuminga-Turner deal might surface. Maybe the Warriors and Bucks open talks on a deal. Maybe multiple pieces go at least one way. Maybe more teams get involved in the potential deal. Time will tell.

In the mean time, stay warm and enjoy the holidays!