At the time of my last edition of the Fulcrum, the Raptors were 1-4 and looking lost on defense. Fast-forward to today, and the Raptors are 7-5 and have taken a huge step forward defensively. After their rocky five-game start, the Raptors were near the bottom of the league in points against, but are now middle of the pack, ranked 15th. The last seven games have included wins against some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference (Bucks, Hawks, and the Cavaliers twice).
Scottie Barnes is an All-Star and should be in line for an All-Defensive Team
Raptors fans have long known Barnes has the potential to be a dominant two-way force.