Top Raptors Stories of 2025: Could Sandro Mamukelashvili be the Raptors secret weapon?
Welcome to Raptors Republic’s new New Year tradition. As decided by you, the readers, it’s time to dive into the 10 most-read editorials of the year at Raptors Republic. You can find the full top-10 list of released articles for 2025 (as each one is released) here.
I limited the list to editorials because news items and other pieces can often have more reads than columns. But these pieces — and I’m including post-game pieces — are the ones that take the most work, and in my eyes have the most value. So they’re the ones included in this list.
The year of 2025 has been one defined maybe most by wild swings of emotion for the Toronto Raptors. Toronto traded for Brandon Ingram, which allowed it to continue to tank to end the year. Then the team didn’t rise in the draft and added Collin Murray-Boyles. The season started, and the team looked great! (For one game.) Then terrible, then great, now terrible again. A real roller coaster.
Through it all, there has been comprehensive coverage here at Raptors Republic. Some of the top stories include reactions to that trade for Ingram, that Murray-Boyles pick, the collapse of the team’s fortunes over the previous few weeks. We’ve been here, with you, watching it all unfold. If 2026 is anything similar, we could lose five years of our lives.
Without further ado, the No. 4 most-read story at Raptors Republic of 2025: Could Sandro Mamukelashvili be the Raptors secret weapon?” by Esfandiar Baraheni
The Toronto Raptors signed big man Sandro Mamukelashvili to a two-year contract. But what can they expect from him?
Mamukelashvili, affectionately known as ‘Mamu,’ is entering his fifth season in the NBA, having played for the Milwaukee Bucks and most recently the San Antonio Spurs.
Mamu is a dribble, pass, and shoot player, which aligns with Darko Rajakovic’s ideal build for that position. And while he is an undersized big (standing at 6-foot-9 without shoes), he’s developed into a potent three-point shooter, knocking down 37% of his threes for the Spurs last season.
What makes Mamu intriguing is how the Raptors can utilize him in pick-and-roll scenarios, where his reliability as a pick-and-pop threat can make them wholly more versatile. His ability to attack closeouts and make decisions with the ball only heightens that ability. Mamu has also shown a knack for cutting into openings and moving without the ball, which is an important skill to have in the Raptors’ offensive system.
You can read the rest of the piece here. And tune in tomorrow for number three!
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