Is it a forgone conclusion or perhaps a season-ending stretch of four games where the Raptors can somehow regain a form that had them competing for a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference?<\/p>\n
The pendulum clearly has swung when one considers the Raptors were playing solid basketball that saw them go 4-1 on a Western trip capped off by a 103-101 win in OKC over the defending NBA champions earlier this season.<\/p>\n
Since that victory over the Thunder, the Raptors have played 30 games and have gone 14-16 \u2014 not exactly cause for inspiration as the playoffs loom.<\/p>\n
Toronto begins a crucial two-game home set against the Miami Heat beginning Tuesday night sporting a 43-35 record<\/a>.<\/p>\n The following are five questions leading into the final week of the season.<\/p>\n 1. Why have the Raptors turned so soft?<\/p>\n Culture building has been the rage in pro sports when everyone knows everything hinges on winning.<\/p>\n For those who actually subscribe to the culture theme, consider Toronto\u2019s anointed franchise player in Scottie Barnes is too casual when he\u2019s on the floor.<\/p>\n When adversity arrives, often in the fourth quarter and more often than not against good teams, he disappears.<\/p>\n His body language at times is not good and he has to be better than just good this week.<\/p>\n 2. How much blame should head coach Darko Rajakovic shoulder?<\/p>\n Being nice means nothing in pro sports when all that matters is wins and losses.<\/p>\n As best that can be gleaned, Rajakovic hasn\u2019t held Barnes accountable.<\/p>\n In fact, he seems to go out of his way to coddle Barnes, insisting he\u2019ll one day emerge as the face of the league, while singing the praises of his defence.<\/p>\n The Masai Ujiri apologists once waxed poetic about this year\u2019s edition and how Ujiri hand-picked the head coach and players \u2014 where are these apologists now?<\/p>\n If the Raptors lose in the play-in tournament, Rajakovic must be fired and replaced by a more demanding head coach.<\/p>\n In addition, a loss should force the Raptors to look at every option involving Barnes as a trade chip.<\/p>\n 3. Play-in or playoffs?<\/p>\n A best-of-seven opening-round series seemed a certainty a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n The Raptors have not been playing well and against good teams they can\u2019t execute in the fourth quarter. Toronto\u2019s final-quarter performance in Boston Sunday was pathetic.<\/p>\n One game against the New York Knicks looms, but against the Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Celtics, only once has Toronto earned a victory.<\/p>\n Even if they do survive the play-in, a quick one-and-done playoff series experience is more than likely.<\/p>\n By running the four-game table, the Raptors will be in a position to finish out of the play-in.<\/p>\n Even then, they must somehow finish fifth.<\/p>\n The chances of beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in an opening-round series are slim, but slim is better than none.<\/p>\n 4. Can youth continue to be served?<\/p>\n Two of the Raptors\u2019 best players have been rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and second-year wing Ja\u2019Kobe Walter.<\/p>\n