The Raptors streak of not having multiple All-Stars continues. The last time they achieved the feat was in the 2019-20 season. The year after the championship. A glorious time. At the time the Raptors held a 40-15 record heading into the All-Star break and had just come off a 15 game win streak. Pascal Siakam was named a starter and Kyle Lowry joined him as a reserve. Both players were drafted by Giannis Antetokounmpo, were coached by Nick Nurse, and were joined by first time All-Star Brandon Ingram. A funny coincidence. But since that game the Raptors have been unable to field two All-Stars, and Ingram hasn’t returned to the game either. Though his play this season warranted a spot.
In my mind there are three elements to any All-Star campaign: A winning impact, big moments, and a compelling story. You have to make a difference for your team. Yes statistically, but more importantly, in the win column. That’s step one. Step two is having memorable moments. The clutch shots, the big games, and the jaw-dropping highlights. You need to wow the world. And finally, you need a storyline that people latch onto. An underrated aspect of any All-Star campaign is an interesting story. People love a good story, whether it’s an underdog story or a comeback story. Make it compelling and people will be all over it. Brandon Ingram should have been an All-Star because he has all of these elements.
Ingram’s impact is undeniable, the Raptors went from an 11th seed last year all the way up to the 4th seed so far this year, and peaked as high as the 2nd seed earlier in the year. That jump has seen them nearly eclipse last year’s win total with 32 games still remaining on the schedule. While a lot of the winning has been on the back of the defense, Toronto’s 19th ranked offense would be last in the league without Ingram. His shot-making has completely reformed an offense that was incapable of buying a bucket in the halfcourt last season, and the attention he draws has elevated his teammates. Louis Zatzman describes his impact here:
He has played in 1567 of Toronto’s 2324 total minutes, or 67 percent of the totality of basketball played by the Raptors. And he has won those minutes by 59 points. That’s a baseline of performance, largely coming against other team’s best lineups, defended by their best defenders, that the Raptors simply lacked last season. Toronto’s three minutes leaders in 2024-25 each lost their minutes by triple digits.
Ingram has raised the baseline of the Raptors. He’s the team’s leading scorer, and has done so through a masterful display of midrange shenanigans. Fading, turning, falling, wiggling, Ingram gets his buckets any way imaginable, sometimes even rising over two or three defenders at a time. Ingram is the third most efficient high-volume pull up shooter in the league, and this artistry hasn’t just been for show either. It’s led to some of Toronto’s best moments so far this season.
The first that comes to mind is when he “had [Siakam] at his mercy” before rising and drilling a game-winner in his face, a win directly created by his elite shot making. But throughout the course of the season there’s been countless clutch shots to bail out the Raptors at the end of a shot clock, or to get them a bucket when no one else could. He’s been there when the Raptors have needed him most. 37 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. A game-winning assist to RJ Barrett against the Charlotte Hornets, immediately followed with a game-saving block on Ryan Kalkbrenner.Ingram has had massive moments for this team, moments that should matter to voters.
Finally, there’s the storyline, which encompasses everything we’ve just touched on, but takes into account additional, external factors. You can’t convince me that Ingram being the centerpiece of a trade for Anthony Davis didn’t play a role in him making his first All-Star appearance. Once again Ingram’s All-Star campaign began with a trade, but this time he had to prove he can be a winning basketball player rather than just a talented one. It’s a story of redemption, proving to the world that he can stay healthy and impact winning basketball.
When he came to Toronto, doubts about his health clouded what should have been hailed as a homerun trade. But given the fact that he had only played 18 games that year, and hadn’t played over 65 games since his rookie season, fans and media were left to question whether this was the smart move to make. His health, and his relative lack of success in New Orleans, led people to question how good of a player Ingram really is. Sure he can hit the tough shots, and do so with the highest level of finesse, but can he impact real winning?
After the first 50 games, I’d say those concerns can be put to bed. Ingram has played in 96% of Toronto’s games this season, and alongside Barnes has driven this Raptors team to their best record in years. He’s bought into this system and has proven that he can be a key part of winning basketball. Ingram meets all the criteria of an All-Star, and while he wasn’t officially recognized as one tonight, he’s proven that he should be an All-Star.
