With training camp officially underway and the stakes raised to an all-time high following the blockbuster trade for Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors are staring down a pivotal 2026/27 campaign. After pushing their chips into the center of the table to back Scottie Barnes, the upcoming preseason slate serves as the first real laboratory to answer the foundational questions defining this team’s ceiling.
Here are the three most critical questions the Raptors must address before opening night.
1. Can the Young Core Generate Reliable Offense?
The Raptors boast one of the most athletic and defensively disruptive young supporting casts the franchise has seen in years, featuring high-motor pieces like Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Allen Graves. However, a glaring question remains: Are they ready to put the ball in the basket on a nightly basis against elite competition?
While these youngsters excel as lockdown defenders, elite cutters, and smart connectors, individual half-court scoring and self-creation are distinct hurdles. When players struggle to break down defenses off the bounce, it gives opponents massive leverage to load up on Toronto’s primary stars and choke out spacing. Preseason will give this athletic core expanded opportunities to initiate offense; how they handle those reps will dictate just how deep and dynamic Darko Rajaković’s rotation can be.
2. Will Scottie Barnes’ Breakthrough Jumper Translate?
The entire architecture of Toronto’s offense revolves around the continued ascension of Scottie Barnes. During his phenomenal playoff battle against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Barnes flashed an encouraging weapon that completely altered how defenses guarded him: a reliable outside jumper, shooting 38.1 percent from deep.
If that perimeter gravity is for real, it changes everything. A respectable three-point shot gives Barnes an easier path to scoring without absorbing a physical toll, while opening up wide driving lanes and kick-out options for his teammates. Though his sample size from deep remains small compared to his regular-season volume, seeing him shoot with confidence and accuracy over the next few weeks will signal whether he has truly unlocked superstar status.
3. Have the Raptors Uncovered Another Hidden Gem?
A defining trademark of every elite era in Raptors history has been the front office’s uncanny ability to unearth unheralded talent—from foundational pieces of the 2019 championship run to modern rotation finds like Jamal Shead.
As camp unfolds, all eyes are on whether new Exhibit-10 signees or training camp invitees can punch above their weight class. While center Nate Bittle captured summer league attention with his tantalizing shot-blocking and shooting blend, health questions and roster crunches mean other marginal prospects will need to step up. Finding one more diamond in the rough to stabilize the end-of-bench depth could be the ultimate luxury for a team chasing a championship.
Do you think Scottie Barnes will maintain an elite three-point percentage this season, and can Toronto’s young core provide enough secondary scoring?
