Playoff Picture: Toronto Raptors

Verdict

At one point you could have talked me into the conference finals if matchups had gone their way, but now I see that as an unrealistic goal. This team had an identity and talent to start the year, and yet after the All-Star break they played like a team that had just met each other before the ball was thrown in each night.

One plus for them however, is the return to form of DeRozan. He’s had a stop-start year with injury, and in reality would have been this team’s X-factor if he’d played more games. As it is though, he’s rounding into form at the right time, and will be a handful for whatever team the Raptors come up against. Too bad Lowry appears to have injury problems of his own (back spasms) with the postseason right around the corner.

Should they meet the Washington Wizards in round one, which is looking more than likely, I would not be surprised to see them go out at the first hurdle again. The Wizards themselves have had a similar season to the Raptors, they haven’t kicked on like they would have hoped. They’re better equipped to shut down and exploit this Toronto team though. If these two don’t meet, Toronto goes home in round two.

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