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Being overlooked has become sort of a routine for the 2025-26 Toronto Raptors, and RJ Barrett says they wouldn't have it any other way. On Tuesday, 12 ESPN analysts picked the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers to beat the NO. 5 seed Toronto Raptors in a seven-game series. Yet, Barrett and the team remain unfazed. Speaking to the press following Wednesday's practice, the Toronto native was asked what he thought about the Raptors being portrayed in the media as major underdogs. "We've never cared [what other people thought]. We've never cared at all," said Barrett. "We know who we are at the end of the day. And whatever anyone else has to say — we really don't care." RJ Barrett and the Toronto Raptors aren't worried about the opinions out there. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images) The Raptors have had the upper hand against the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, winning all three meetings, but both teams have improved since they last faced each other five months ago. "We are a different team, and they are a different team from when we played them earlier in the season," Barrett pointed out. "Right now, it's a fresh start, and we just need to be locked in on what we need to do — win Game 1." Growing up in Mississauga, Barrett said he was a big Toronto Raptors fan until the day he was drafted. One core memory for him is watching the 2018-2019 Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. "I remember being in Los Angeles doing some pre-draft workouts, watching the Toronto Raptors win the 2019 NBA title with my friends," Barrett recalled. "I was screaming and jumping around the TV." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Offside (@offside) Seven years later, Barrett is hoping to bring that same playoff excitement back to Toronto. "I remember seeing videos of TTC buses being turned over in the street," Barrett laughed. "We have an entire country behind us. We gotta show up for them." Toronto enters the series with significantly less playoff experience than Cleveland. Cavaliers guard James Harden has played in 173 NBA playoff games, which is more than the entire Raptors roster combined (115). Even though Toronto may lack the same playoff experience, head coach Darko Rajakovic is confident his players will step up on the NBA's biggest stage. "We do not control outcome, can only control our preparation, and they've [Barnes and Ingram] been preparing for this moment their entire careers," said Rajakovic on Wednesday. The series will tip off on Saturday afternoon at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, airing on Sportsnet and Amazon Prime at 1 p.m.
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