EN 
DE 
The NBA season has been challenging, marked by moments of brilliance like Bam Adebayo’s 83-point explosion and the Nikola Jokic–Victor Wembanyama overtime showdown last weekend. Yet, much of the league’s action has been overshadowed by widespread concerns over tanking. With a deep pool of top prospects coming out of college, many struggling teams have resorted to losing deliberately to improve their draft lottery odds. Though this strategy can help teams rebuild, it has led to many unwatchable blowouts. According to ESPN, the average margin of victory hit a record 13.1 points this season, with 89 games decided by 30 or more points.
Fans and analysts are frustrated with this trend, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver promises a fix this summer by adjusting the draft process. However, most potential solutions fall short of eliminating weighted lottery odds altogether, which some argue would truly end tanking. Giving every team — even champions — an equal chance at the No. 1 pick or scrapping the draft entirely would be radical but effective measures.
Putting the tanking debate aside, there is real basketball excitement as the regular season winds down and playoffs near. Canada’s sole NBA team, the Toronto Raptors, are pushing hard for a playoff spot. After missing the postseason since 2023, the Raptors launched this year with a 14-5 start, eventually sitting at 44-35 and locked into at least the play-in tournament. Toronto currently holds the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference but faces stiff competition from Orlando, Philadelphia, and Charlotte for a direct playoff spot.
Toronto’s recent win against Miami knocked the Heat out of the top-six picture. The teams meet again in Toronto tonight. The Raptors finish their regular season by facing the third-place Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. Leading scorer Brandon Ingram, acquired in a February 2025 trade with New Orleans, is averaging 21.3 points per game and has stayed healthy this season after missing all of last year due to an ankle injury. Canadian RJ Barrett adds 19.1 points per game, while Scottie Barnes contributes 18.2 points and leads the team in rebounds, steals, and blocks.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fresh off becoming the first Canadian MVP since Steve Nash, is in MVP contention again. Last season, SGA led the NBA in scoring with 32.7 points per game, guided Oklahoma City to a league-best 68-14 record, and earned Finals MVP honors during the Thunder’s championship run. This year, he is averaging 31.1 points per game, trailing only the Lakers’ Luka Doncic. Oklahoma City recently clinched the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage for the playoffs.
SGA has faced criticism for his style of drawing fouls, but his efficient, dominant play makes him the strong favorite for back-to-back MVP honors — a feat only 13 players have achieved. Rising star Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs is likely the closest challenger. The 7-foot-4 centre, who won 2024 Rookie of the Year, is posting career highs in points (24.8) and rebounds (11.5), while leading the league with 3.1 blocks per game. Wemby is expected to win Defensive Player of the Year and is a strong MVP candidate as the Spurs remain just three games behind the Thunder in the standings.
The Thunder’s impressive average scoring margin of +12.1 points per game makes them difficult to beat as they aim to become the first repeat NBA champions since Golden State in 2017-18. However, several teams present real challenges. The Spurs, led by Wembanyama, and the Denver Nuggets, who have won 10 straight to climb to third in the West, top that list. Canadian Jamal Murray is shining for Denver with a career-best 25.4 points per game.
In the East, the Detroit Pistons have clinched the No. 1 seed just two years after a league-worst 14-68 season. Franchise star Cade Cunningham recently returned from a collapsed lung. Yet, Boston appears poised for the Finals, with Jayson Tatum back from a torn Achilles and 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown playing at the peak of his powers.
