The last time the Seattle Seahawks came within a yard of defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 49, the Toronto Raptors were riding a six-game winning streak. Months later, the Raptors were swept in the playoffs by the Washington Wizards, signalling the first red flags of the ‘We The North’ movement.

Over a decade later, the Raptors are ushering in a new era, and things are equally hopeful and uncertain.

Next up is their penultimate game before the unofficial halfway point of the season, which involves a matchup against the Indiana Pacers on a super Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet.

While the Pacers sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Raptors are in the midst of protecting their tenuous hold on a playoff spot.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the four teams currently in the play-in all have a legitimate chance at catching the Raptors during the second half of the season. Not including the Cleveland Cavaliers, who recently leapfrogged into fourth place, the Raptors are 1-9 against the top four teams in the East and West.

The Raptors must figure out their issues with contenders, but it’s also equally important to dispatch the teams they should beat.

Here are three additional storylines to consider.

Poeltl is key to the Raptors ‘run-game’

The Toronto Raptors are nearing full-strength and a glimpse into the team’s future may be possible ahead of All-Star Weekend.

The most significant update is Jakob Poeltl being listed as questionable on the injury report. While it’s likely he won’t suit up until after the break, the mere thought of Poeltl’s return offers reprieve from the team’s struggles against opposing centres.

It seems like the plan is to eventually roll out the Austrian for as many games as possible to close out the season. A load management approach will likely be used, meaning Toronto must continue to rely on Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili to moonlight as centres when needed.

To help with the physical toll that takes on the their bodies, General Manager Bobby Webster also acquired Trayce Jackson-Davis from the Warriors at the trade deadline. After an encouraging rookie season during which Jackson-Davis averaged 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in 16.6 minutes, the six-foot-nine tweener ultimately fell out of Golden State’s rotation.

Jackson-Davis will have every opportunity to rediscover his confidence on a Raptors team desperate for any kind of interior presence.

The classic ‘redshirt’ season

The Pacers arguably paid a steep price to acquire Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers at the deadline, but the move suggests the front office is ready to fight for their spot in the Eastern Conference once Tyrese Haliburton returns.

Indiana dealt Canadian Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and a second-rounder in exchange for Zubac and Kobe Brown. Zubac will wear a new jersey for the first time in over seven years, but his debut may have to wait due to a lingering ankle injury. The seven-footer also recently welcomed a newborn into the world.

Since Myles Turner’s departure, the Pacers have worked tirelessly to find a replacement at the five spot. Zubac should confidently outperform the mixed results produced by the tandem of Jackson and Jay Huff. For the second consecutive season, Zubac is averaging a double-double with 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds.

Increased routes and targets for Walter

With Ochai Agbaji now a member of the Brooklyn Nets, that’s one less component of the bench carousel of wings the Raptors have deployed this season. There’s a fun combination of reduced pressure and increased expectations that now fall on Ja’Kobe Walter. Drafted with the 19th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Walter has a straightforward opportunity in front of him.

Walter finished with 12 points, five rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 5. The Raptors are 3-1 when Walter plays at least 30 minutes this year. The six-foot-four guard flashes a scoring punch and defensive intensity Toronto desperately needs from the wing position. If RJ Barrett is moved in the off-season, Walter’s play during the remainder of the season will factor into that decision.