Could The Raptors Be The Worst Defensive Team To Ever Make The Playoffs?

You ever here the phrase "defense wins championships." Of course you have, because if there are three constants in life, they are death, taxes and basketball talking heads repeating that phrase. 

Don't tell that to the Toronto Raptors though. We've talked about how terrible they are on defense, but it's even worse than we thought. Pro Basketball Talk's Matt Moore runs some advanced numbers and reveals that the Raptors could end up being the worst defensive team to ever make the playoffs.

According to Basketball-Reference.com, the Raptors are currently at a defensive rating of 113.1 [points allowed per 100 possessions]. Since the '77-78 season (when Basketball Reference starts tracking offensive and defensive efficiencies), there have been thirteen teams with a defensive rating of 113 or higher, including the Raps. Of those 13 teams, only one team, the 81-82 Nuggets, made the playoffs. So if the Raps somehow manage to sneak in they'll be only the second team since '77 to play defense as badly as they do and make the postseason.    

This is what happens when you drop over $100 million in the next five years on Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani. Don't say we didn't warn you, Raptors fans.