The season so far for the Raptors has been a positive one. Since hitting the courts in January, the team has notched up notable wins against the Clippers, the Knicks, the Pistons and the Suns. However, the odds are still against Toronto’s finest.

A quick glimpse at the Bet365 NBA betting odds at the time of writing heading into the second half of the season show that most insiders and odds experts have the Raptors pegged as 22/1 outsiders for the 2015-2016 NBA Championship title.

Of course, anything can happen between now and the playoffs and those odds could change, but not if something doesn’t change in the locker room.

Results Haven’t Altered the Odds

While it’s fair to say that the Raptors have performed admirably so far this season, the Golden State Warriors will take some beating and that’s down to an unbeaten run at home.

Indeed, when you read any of the recent headlines, the story doesn’t appear to change. The 123-110 victory over the Houston Rockets in February took the Warriors’ record to 47-4 this season and they certainly look every bit like the next NBA champions.

However, that doesn’t mean we should give up on the Raptors just yet. Even the odds favour the Warriors (23/20), but there’s still some value in the team and if general manager Masai Ujiri can make some subtle tweaks we could still cause an upset in the playoffs.

Old Issues Blocking Fresh Blood

While it’s true that the trade deadline has passed, there’s a chance the Raptors could acquire some new talent through the bought out player system. Ronald Roberts and Melvin Ejim could bring some much needed energy to the side.

Alternatively, Delon Wright’s brother, Dorell, could inject some three-point power into the team. With a 36.5% three-point average in his career, he certainly knows how to score points from outside the arc and with his current employer based in China, there’s a chance he’d be willing to return to the NBA for a knockdown price.

Unfortunately, however, that’s the Raptors’ biggest problem this season. With the salary cap maxed out, bringing in a brought out player for as little as possible won’t be easy. It’s certainly possible that Wright would consider a move back to the NBA in favour of playing in China, but if his compensation isn’t comparable to what he’s getting now then there’s no chance of this happening.

Close but no Cigar

In reality, it looks as though it’s going to be another season of what ifs for the Raptors. While the results haven’t been disastrous so far, there doesn’t appear to be enough of a spark in the team to really set the odds makers’ alight.

It’s certainly hard to criticise Ujiri for not making a move in the trading period, but if the Raptors go on to fall just short of the finishing line then that could be the most some fans look back on as a missed opportunity.