The Raptors are good…but not good enough? | Diderot Effect explained
The Toronto Raptors have played AMAZING basketball with the exception of largely one player and the dinos are 20-14, fourth in the east, and MASSIVELY exceeding expectations. So why is everyone largely still unhappy? Why is “Scottie will never be a championship number one” and “this team can’t win a round in the playoffs” the ultimate tagline behind every game, win or loss.
In this live I’m going to accurately explain why the fanbase isn’t negative or positive, but rather, that they’re blind to the underlying patterns they’re going through.
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26 Comments
This is one of your best presentations. 2019 has reached legendary levels, it was not. Leaf fans are great examples, lose by one to champs: failed season. Raps deserve informed appreciative fans.
Scotty has progressed beautifully since breaking into the league–he definitely is a championship caliber number 1. Loved the display of depth on last night's comeback win–Scotty still impacted the game after a hard fought historic night against GSW. I have been a Raps fan since Mighty Mouse so I have been here for it all—we are on the right track
Awesome topic to cover. The negative vibes are heavy. I think that 9 game win streak caused a lot of fans to wear rose coloured glasses.
The "largely one player" must be Achoo I'mbadji.
Respect to raptors digest but they don’t know basketball. Raptors digest style content isn’t you, you’re right; but you could make that style of content so much better imo
I find a lot of the detractors ignore basketball history and how you generally don't go on a decade long tear through the league and come out the other side ready to compete for championships. Like there was never going to be an add young talent and develop them stage to a rebuild just like every other rebuild ever. That those rebuilds will be perfectly smooth and have no bumps in the road. I stay far more happy than the fandom because I know we not supposed to be that good at whatever stage we in. To me we sped up the process a lot (whether I like it or not) and we still just finished the add talent stage or the aim for lottery stage, we are now in the see what we got stage and pivot later. If some guys don't work out, it doesn't mean everyone needs to be fired. Sometimes draft picks don't land
You actually started talking Champ #1 when Pascal ascended and was run out of town because he wasn't one.
I remember the days of free pizza after the Raptors scored 100 points, win or lose.
Raptors said we will be relevant in 2 years and contender in 4 but after the start and before the season fans are thinking we are just a trade away from the championship
I love watching their games because of the pace and intensity compared to other teams. That's why I hate it when they slow the pace like the Lakers
great live as always Rob! Love when you do these more life oriented lives
☝🏾💯 "Fans no longer evaluate teams by trajectory they evaluate them by title proximity!"
☝🏾💯Nail in the he coffin! … 30:06 This shit right here!!!!!!
☝🏾💯 31:08
This is about the best video you have made so far Rob!! Keep up the great work
Vote for SCOTTIE today!!
1 vote = 3
Not good enough are you well? This team has already exceeded the expectations to this point, as long as we stay healthy possibly pick up another bench scorer where we are good to go. I agree with pretty much most of your takes but this one is void. Go Raptors.
"Toronto's malaise all started with Harold Ballard" …so said my grandfather
Masterful, Rob. Happy 2026!
For me its not about the Wins or losses. I am not super high on this current Raptors team not because of the 2019 title or expecting a championship level team out of the players we have right now because that is not realistic at all.
Where my gripe comes from is how many mistakes the front office has made with asset managment, bad draft selections, bad trades made when we should not have made them. The Thad Young, Jakob, And Powell trades were the beginning of mis management on the Roster.
When i look back at what we could have gotten if we moved off Siakam/OG/FVV core sooner and did not make half assed bone headed trades and was a little more patient in building the right roster around Barnes…The team looks completly different and the upside in my opinion is alot higher. I can't speak for everyone who is negative on this team but thats where my negativity is rooted from.
What we could of had with proper front office moves than what we had gotten the last 4 or so years.
Not even just Wemby but if you look at that class
Miller
Thompson Twins
Cason Wallace
Lively III
2024 if you do not trade for Jakob
Edey Or Ware
Thats a big miss even if i love Jakobe Just think we missed out on players that would have this team in a higher tier had we moved little bit smarter.
Now this is how you do content that is uniquely you. Making connections that are a product of a collision of your various intelligences. You just wove a tapestry of seemingly unrelated topics that illustrated a phenomena: we all share a love for basketball, and you took your love for philosophy and reflection to shine a light on dormant biases that exist in this fanbase. Top notch live Rob.
Watch because of the basketball but stay because of the philosophy.
Raptors Fans Aren’t “Spoiled” — We’re Just Tired of Bullshit
I’m honestly exhausted of this “fans are toxic / enjoy the journey” preachy angle.
Not because psychology is fake — but because it’s being used to cover contradictions and sanitize incompetence.
1) Stop blaming fans for what the creator literally does every day
One day it’s:
• “Gradey sucks, trade him”
• “This roster is trash”
• “They don’t see the game”
• “These guys can’t shoot”
Then 24 hours later, after a good sleep:
• “Why are fans so harsh?”
• “Let players develop”
• “People are too reactionary”
Bro — YOU are the reactionary one.
You don’t get to throw gasoline on the fire and then lecture everyone about smoke.
That’s not analysis. That’s engagement farming + moral posturing.
⸻
2) The Raptors problem isn’t fan expectation — it’s franchise dysfunction
Fans aren’t mad because we tasted a championship and became entitled.
Fans are mad because the franchise had a real system — and then:
• lost development pipeline
• lost coaching continuity
• overpaid constantly
• bled assets
• ignored the draft for years
• let value walk for nothing
• made lopsided bets
• never solved the center position
• never built guard depth properly
So wins feel fragile because fans aren’t reacting to this week —
they’re reacting to a pattern.
That’s not “Lakers mentality.”
That’s scar tissue mentality.
⸻
3) Scottie Barnes is great — but stop selling him as Jordan/Kawhi
Scottie isn’t bad. Nobody serious thinks he’s bad.
But there’s a difference between:
• a high-level player
and
• a true championship “#1 engine”
That #1 archetype has a theme:
✅ consistent self-creation
✅ real dribble pressure
✅ ability to impose offense when nothing exists
✅ end-of-game clarity
✅ a signature shot package (step-back, pull-up, mid-post counter)
✅ inevitability year-to-year
Scottie has:
✅ vision
✅ versatility
✅ passing
✅ defense
✅ transition playmaking
✅ mismatch strength
But he does not consistently have:
• tight handle under pressure
• elite shot creation
• predictable crunch-time scoring
• “bend the defense” dribble threat
So no — he’s not a point guard.
If you can’t consistently beat pressure with your handle, you’re not a PG. End of story.
He’s a playmaking forward, and that’s a valuable thing.
But people need to stop trying to force a superstar myth onto him.
If you pair him with a real #1 guy, he’ll elevate the hell out of that player and make the team better.
That’s what he is. And that’s fine.
⸻
4) “Enjoy the growth” is a cope if there’s no coherent plan
We’ve been watching “growth” for 25 years.
Growth without direction is just treadmill basketball:
• some nights look great
• some nights look incoherent
• everybody goes cold at once
• offense looks random
• roles shift constantly
That’s not “young team inconsistency.”
That’s organizational incoherence.
⸻
5) And yes — you need a real center. Even a functional one.
We don’t need a superstar center.
We need a reliable 7-footer who can:
• absorb physicality
• guard big bodies (Embiid-types)
• rebound
• give you 15–20 non-disaster minutes
That changes the entire structure of the team.
Even a “Mo Bamba / plug-and-play” type helps if the coaching staff is competent and expectations are clear.
⸻
Bottom line
Stop psychoanalyzing fans like the issue is “expectation.”
The issue is:
• the franchise lost its system after 2019
• and a lot of content creators flip takes daily and then moralize the fanbase to cover their own contradictions
Scottie is a great player — but he’s not the archetype being sold.
And the Raptors aren’t a serious contender until the organization becomes serious again
The Diderot effect is a new one to me. Interesting! I can certainly see how many people can find themselves influenced like that ..
With Raptors fans I think that’s part of it for sure. I also I think there is a social effect where people come to behave like the people around them, and there are multiple sources behind that of all the negativity. I wonder how much all the hockey futility (championships wise) since 1993 for Canadian teams plays into it, as just one potential source.
I do think that wanting U.S. attention and validation, and just the expectations created by the 2019 run are a part of it though for sure..
Hopefully we can all come to appreciate where we’re at, because it’s actually a pretty fun when you have the right perspective
Saddiq Bey
SADDIQ
BEY
New Orleans Pelicans
Pelicans
#41
G
HT/WT
6' 8", 215 lbs
BIRTHDATE
4/9/1999 (26)
COLLEGE
Villanova
Follow
2025-26 REGULAR SEASON STATS
PTS
15.1
67th
REB
5.9
57th
AST
2.3
120th
FG%
44.4
108th
That’s the only trade raptors needs to make.
The problem with your take is you are saying we were lucky we won the championship, I would agree with you if we won the championship with DeRozen, but as soon as we traded for Kawhi and seen his first game me and my brother just told each other we are legit contender, and we eventually went to game 1 vs Sixers (Kawhi dropped 30+ and Siakam dropped 40+)… but the point is we knew this is our real chance. Now back to this team, we don't have that superstar (top 5 player) that is required to go to the finals, so this team doesn't have a chance unless we get Giannis, the blueprint is there. So yes we can win games but these are empty wins. You keep saying Kawhi isn't walking through the door now…. but Giannis can… upgrade allstar to a top 5 superstar then we are right there in the finals… and this year is wide open…unlike 2019.. and BTW there is no gamble if you trade a top 5 player in to win championship… cause no one in my friends/family has regrets on Kawhi trade.. we drafted Scottie he is good, but will he get to top 5 in league no… so make the move to get that guy and we are back in the finals… you cannot keep saying Scottie is better than this and this guy on defense, none of the top 5 players are appreciated for their defense, this is a shooters league/scorers league, they are known to be top scorers, this is a scorers league, we need that guy…..we can be known for being that team – every 4-5 years trade a top 5 players to go all in, cause they not signing with us… if it works it works…We never had a real chance to win the championship, the only chance we got was 2019 and we are 1 for 1… lets keep it going, sorry don't agree with your take and falling in love with our drafted allstars, Damen, Vince, Bosh, DeRozen, Siakam, Lowry, etc… its a business we can't fall in love with allstars when we can get the guy to win, unless we actually get the generational talent but that will never happen because we don't tank we retool, like the BI trade etc…..also to add (sorry for long post) Americans don't give us credit take… even Americans were saying Raptors are contenders as soon as we traded for Kawhi, people aren't hating on Canada, basketball is simple, All NBA first team player always win championship except for Ben Wallace Pistons… so why will Americans give credit to Canada/Toronto when they got Luka/Shai/Giannis/Jokic/Wemby's teams to talk about and keep supporting your team on the side, as a regular guy who watch nba I have to keep being honest….