Perhaps you’ve bought into the Toronto Raptors before, but were turned off when you saw the team get soundly beat by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers the last two seasons. Perhaps you heard various talking heads spouting about how the Raps are choke artists in the playoffs — one of several myths we’ll be debunking here — and have been hesitant to invest your time and heart into the team until you’re sure things have changed for the good.
Needless to say things are different in Raptorland these days, and you couldn’t have picked a better time to grab your ticket aboard a Raptors bandwagon that’s expected to be as overloaded — and fun — as ever.
So, here we are. Let’s get started. These are answers to commonly asked questions from new — or renewed — fans just in time for the 2018 playoffs.
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When do the playoffs start?
Alright, sure let’s begin with the basics. The first round of the playoffs begins on April 14th. As reward for finishing in the top four of the conference (they will almost surely hold their spot in first place) the Raptors will have home-court advantage. The opponent is yet to be determined, but as of now the Raps are set for a rematch against the Milwaukee Bucks, who they beat in six games in Round 1 last year. Here are the latest standings:
The NBA Finals begin on May 31st ;)
I’ve heard the hype, but is this team legitimately good and a for-real contender?
Oh, the Raptors are for real. In comparison to any other Raps season, 2017-18 has been flat-out unprecedented. Barring total collapse, they will finish first in the East for the first time in franchise history, and have been crushing it on both ends of the floor — the only team in the NBA currently ranked in the top five in both offensive rating (3rd) and defensive rating (5th). They’ve won their 53 games (…and counting) by a conference-best average of 8.4 points, second only to the Houston Rockets, the NBA’s winningest team this season. Toronto beat Houston in both head-to-head meetings this year.
But I’ve been on this wagon before. Will I get burned again when the Raptors choke in the playoffs?
Ok, let’s tackle that last part first. The term ‘choke’ has been applied to this Raptors core — the Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan-led Raptors teams of the past few seasons, but only really applied once, in 2015, when they were swept in the first round by Raps foe Paul Pierce and the Washington Wizards.
The following year they reached the East Finals for the first time, pushing the eventual-champion Cavs to six games. Hardly a choke-job. Last year they were beaten by Cleveland again, a four-game sweep, in which the better team won and the best player — LeBron James — averaged more than 36 points per game while shooting nearly 60 per cent from the floor and 50 per cent on three-pointers. The Raptors were blown out in three of the four games, which probably shouldn’t have been the case, and the Raps probably should have taken a game or two off Cleveland like they did the year before. But they hardly ‘choked.’
Now back to your question. Will you get burned again? Maybe. It’s sports and there’s no way to predict the outcome, plus there are a handful of dangerous teams headed to the post-season. But it’s not likely — at least not like three years ago.
Who is the Raptors most important player?
During their rise over the past few years from NBA bottom-feeder to perennial playoff team and Eastern Conference contender, Lowry was undoubtedly the engine that drove this team.
But this year a shift occurred and DeRozan — an all-star and the Raps’ leading scorer during that span — has emerged as the clear-cut No. 1.
Lowry still plays a vital role, helping to set the tone on both ends of the floor and becoming one of the league’s top three-point shooters (he’s currently third in the NBA in three-pointers made this season), but this is DeRozan’s team now.
DeRozan has, true to form, improved every year he’s been in Toronto and is as well-rounded a player as we’ve seen in his nine-year career. He’s extended his range to the three-point line, has been an effective and willing passer, and continues to be a player the Raptors look to to create offence in late-game situations, often with great results and none more spectacular than this with his team down one on the road with ten seconds remaining in the game:
DeRozan has been considered an MVP-calibre player this season while seeing his scoring average drop from 27.3 last season to 23.6 this year — an indicator of the evolving ways he’s positively impacted the team.
Why is this team different than all other Raptor teams?
The simple answer (apart from: they win more games) is that virtually every player on the roster is playing better than they ever have.
Even a notable exception like Serge Ibaka, who peaked when he was a critical player with the Oklahoma City Thunder during their Finals run in 2012 (part of three conference finals appearances in four years), still plays a valuable role and offers much-needed playoff experience for a relatively young team.
But beyond the marked improvement up and down the roster — from all-stars like DeRozan to basically every second- or third-year player coming off the bench — there are two tangible differences that elevate the Raptors from ‘a team on the rise’ to ‘bona fide contenders’:
1. Playing style: The Raps underwent major aesthetic changes to the way they play, placing a far greater emphasis on ball movement (passing the ball more), three-point shooting, and attacking teams in transition. The result has been a much smoother offence and, for fans, a really appealing style to tune into night after night. Because of the way they play, not only are they more effective and in-tune with evolutions to the game over the past few years, but they’ve also ensured that, at the very least, the games won’t be boring.
2. Depth: The biggest differentiator between the Raps and everybody else is their second unit, which goes five deep and comes off the bench to eviscerate most opponents. What was penciled as a clear weakness heading into the season, their young bench core has been a surprising, major key to their success.
The bench features a group of players under the age of 25 — guards Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet and big men Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl — along with veteran sharpshooter C.J. Miles. They are extremely in sync with one another and provide a ton of mismatches, often taking the floor in close games and pushing the Raptors to a double-digit lead. This is not the norm in the NBA.
OK, so they win basketball games, but are they fun to watch?
Oh, hell yes. The Raptors were a scrappy bunch in years past. They tried to hang their hat on defence and manufactured a ton of points through isolation plays, predominantly with either DeRozan or Lowry manufacturing hard-earned scoring opportunities.
This season? They’re a high-octane, high-flying bunch that delivers highlight-reel plays on a regular basis.
These clips show how the team has been crushing opponents by pouncing on defensive opportunities and turning them into emphatic finishes on the other end of the floor — a staple of the team’s stellar second unit, and a surefire way to get a crowd fired up.
The @Raptors go from defense to offense #nba #nbapanel #raptors pic.twitter.com/KciBc2bmd4
— NBA Panel (@Nbapanel) October 14, 2017
If you want more evidence, just take a look at their highlight reel from this season so far:
What about off the court?
Yup, it’s a fun and likeable group off the court as well. Check out our “Know Your Raptors” video series to get acquainted with the players and their personalities like you’ve never seen them before:
Who will become my favourite player?
If you’re not drawn to any one player via the Know-Your-Raptors videos, then may I recommend VanVleet? An undrafted point guard out of college, VanVleet has been a steady force for the Raptors. He’s the maestro on their famed second unit and is often on the floor in crunch time, thanks to big performances in big games against opponents like Cleveland and Houston.
VanVleet lacks the freakish size and athletic ability of most of his NBA counterparts, and it’s really appealing to watch him use his smarts and deep skillset to do damage.
But if you’re not into that ‘everyman’ vibe, then Siakam will draw you in. A 2017 first-round pick, Siakam is the anti-VanVleet in that he possess a combination of size, speed, and power that is hard to replicate — even by NBA standards. Siakam, too, hasn’t shied against marquee opponents, and in a tightly-contested game against the Golden State Warriors earlier this season went on a 10-0 run all by himself against the class of the NBA.
Siakam does things like this:
Siakam with the SWAT pic.twitter.com/xqH2Jx7lSG
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) February 7, 2018
…and this:
You won’t be disappointed with either choice.
Who has been the most pleasant surprise this season?
While he’s been mired in an offensive slump for quite some time, rookie forward OG Anunoby is an easy answer here. A top-10 talent in his draft class, Anunoby fell down draft boards after suffering a season-ending knee surgery last year at Indiana. There were questions about whether or not he’d be ready to play by January. Instead, he was ready to go by opening night in October.
Anunoby is a starter, and probably the team’s best perimeter defender. For an idea on Anunoby’s potential this post-season, here’s how he fared when matched up with likely league MVP James Harden earlier this season:
Who is an X-Factor I should keep my eye on?
Miles was brought in this off-season to help address the Raps’ three-point shooting issues, and has done exactly that. The 13-year veteran is one of the NBA’s most voluminous three-point shooters and a true specialist. Despite averaging just over 18 minutes per game, Miles trails only Lowry with 6.5 three-point attempts per game, and obviously isn’t shy about letting it fly.
The Raptors are 9-1 in games where Miles has hit four or more three-pointers. A hot game here or there from Miles during the post-season could be enough to swing a series.
So they have a legit shot at the NBA Finals. What teams will stand in their way?
Based on performance, the Raptors should be the favourites to come out of the East and reach their first-ever Finals. The team closest to them in the standings, Boston, is banged up and their star player, Kyrie Irving, is undergoing minor knee surgery. Other East teams like the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat will be difficult matchups, but all are beatable.
The biggest roadblock to the Raptors going all the way is a familiar foe: James and the Cavaliers. The Raps haven’t been able to dethrone the King in their last two playoff tries. The Raptors are considerably better this time around, and more equipped to beat the Cavs than ever before. Will it be enough?