The Death of the 'Get-Right' Game: Why Parity Forces a Raptors Evolution
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As the NBA implements draft lottery reforms to kill the tanking epidemic, Toronto can no longer rely on inflating their record against the league's basement dwellers.
For years, the middle-tier grind of the NBA has been softened by the 'get-right' game—matchups against teams actively pursuing the bottom of the standings. But as the Toronto Raptors navigate the early stages of the 2026-27 season, they are discovering that the league's safety net of uncompetitive basketball has been shredded, as Sportsnet first reported.
**The End of the Tanking Era**
According to Sportsnet, the NBA has moved to aggressively curb tanking after nine of 30 teams appeared to actively avoid victory last season. The league reformed the draft lottery to create a 'relegation zone,' where teams finishing in the bottom three of each conference face worse lottery odds than those finishing 4th through 10th.
This shift is most evident in the Washington Wizards. Once a perennial basement-dweller, Washington has pivoted to mediocrity with a roster featuring three quality seven-footers—Alex Sarr, DeAndre Ayton, and Anthony Davis—alongside floor general Trae Young. Washington's new posture was on full display in their opener against Milwaukee, where Davis recorded 34 points and 12 rebounds, and Young added 20 points and 13 assists.
**The Efficiency Trap**
*Opinion: The Raptors are entering a dangerous phase where historical efficiency metrics may lie to them. Last season, Toronto finished with a 46-36 record, but a significant portion of those wins were manufactured against teams that weren't trying. To survive this new parity, the Raptors must evolve; they can no longer treat games against bottom-tier opponents as guaranteed wins.*
Sportsnet highlights that Toronto's 46-36 record was inflated by their 19-5 record against the league's most aggressive tankers. Conversely, they struggled against the elite, going 3-22 against the top six teams in the West and the top three in the East. While an opening-night win over the Chicago Bulls looked promising, Sportsnet argues the Bulls—lacking size and depth—are an outlier.
**A New Competitive Landscape**
Other markets, including Dallas, Utah, Memphis, and Indiana, are also determined to avoid the relegation zone. Toronto has signaled its own intentions to compete by acquiring Kawhi Leonard. The 35-year-old veteran participated in Thursday's practice, though he admitted he is still shaking off rust after a slow ramp-up.
As the Raptors prepare for a trip through Minnesota and Washington, the stakes have shifted. For a squad eyeing a top-four seed and an Eastern Conference championship, the ability to handle these 'new' bottom-tier teams will be just as critical as their performance against the league's elite.