Beleaguered Raptors head west in search of answers following dismal 1-5 start

Mired in 29th place in the NBA overall standings, the 1-5 Raptors travel west for a four-game road trip in search of answers.

Games against Phoenix, Sacramento, Golden State and Portland await, starting with the surging Suns (5-2) on Wednesday.

“It’s tough, man,” guard Fred VanVleet said after Monday’s disheartening 126-114 loss to the Boston Celtics in Toronto’s pandemic home of Tampa. “It’s tough. This game will break your heart. I know we get paid a lot of money and it’s given me the highest highs of my life aside from having kids and it’s given me some of the lowest lows.

“It’s a roller-coaster. It’s a heartbreaking game. When things are going great, it’s great. When they’re going bad, it hurts. I put my blood, sweat and tears into this team and I care. This stuff keeps me up at nights.

“It’s rough. It’s tough to be in this position but we’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a lot of season in front of us and we’ve got a lot of talent and we’ve got guys that can get figure it out. So we’ve got to stay positive, keep believing in ourselves and find ways to get through this.”

There is plenty to fix.

Defence and rebounding have been problems as Toronto has squandered double-digit leads. The defensive woes have revved up opponents. At the other end, the Raptors have missed chances that should have been made.

Coach Nick Nurse has been brutally honest, saying the team needed to “compete harder” in the middle of the Boston game. VanVleet agreed.

“I think the part we need to be embarrassed about, disappointed about, is just the fight, the belief. Going down four, eight (points) and letting that balloon to 20 before you know it, that’s the part that as a team we have to take more pride in.”