Toronto Raptors: Can They Make The East Finals?

By Joshua Howe | Jul 29, 2015

Apr 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) defends in the third quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 125-94, and won the series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

The Eastern Conference won’t look quite the same this coming season. Not only will the teams’ positions have shifted in the constant ebb and flow that is part of the league, but the fact that divisions will no longer have a hold on seeding is huge.

Especially for a team like the Toronto Raptors, who finished in fourth this past season due in large part to their winning their division. They still would’ve had that spot even if the rules were as they are now, but the thought was always present within the Raptors organization that winning their less-than-imposing division would guarantee them a top-four seed.

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This season, with that out of the way, things are looking a little shakier. It might be unfair to ask if this remade roster can make the Eastern Conference Finals (especially after being swept in round one by Washington), but it might also not be as much of a stretch as it seems.

Here’s the East, ranked:

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Top Tier:

Cleveland
Chicago
Washington
Atlanta (*1)

Middle Tier:

Milwaukee (*2)
Miami (*3)
Detroit
Orlando
Indiana (*4)

Bottom Feeders:

Philadelphia
New York
Brooklyn
Charlotte
Boston

(*1) They’re ranked here out of respect of their last season. They won’t win 60 games again this season, but they’re still a force to be reckoned with and do have the Coach of the Year. They’ll be good.

(*2) Might actually be a top-tier team. Who knows? I still think they’re a couple years away from being a top contender in the East, but they’re closing in. That series against Chicago was no joke. Add some scoring punch to that long, defensive team and you’ve got something. Jason Kidd knows it too.

(*3) Also a potential top-tier team. But I still believe they’re a squad built for the playoffs rather than the 82-game marathon that is the regular season. Their roster will have injuries throughout the season and the team still runs on Dwyane Wade fuel. Final analysis: deadly in the playoffs, but let’s just hope they can get there convincingly first.

(*4) Might be a bottom-tier team. Paul George will be back, and that’s a huge plus for them. People have forgotten how good he is since he’s been gone, and it looks like he’s healed 100 percent from that nasty injury. But it’s George and Monta Ellis against the world, and that’s not something I’d be comfortable with if I was Frank Vogel.

Toronto probably falls into that middle tier as well, although they might very well be able to break into the top tier. Being a top-four team last year and now with a roster that was only improved upon, it makes sense that they would be better than last season.

Still, there are some serious roadblocks. The two monsters being Cleveland and Chicago, who are the most likely to meet again, this time in the Conference Finals, at the moment. The Cavaliers are the clear favorite right now, and there doesn’t seem to be another team in the East that can legitimately challenge them for the crown.

Still, the other teams are far more susceptible to defeat, and that’s all the Raptors need to slip into the ECF.

The Bulls got a scare from Milwaukee last playoffs, and they were taken down by a Kevin Love-less and mostly Kyrie Irving-less Cleveland team. Their offense is still poor and their lulls are starting to get worse with each passing season; this one was defined by the injury/lack of strong play by Joakim Noah, who was horrific in the postseason.

Who knows about Atlanta? As I stated, we’ll have to wait and see about them. Will they be able to duplicate most of their success, even without their key cog in DeMarre Carroll? Most of their roster is still intact, so I expect them to still be a contender.

The Wizards too, can’t be ignored, since they took out their brooms and (Paul Pierce in particular) used them all to beat Toronto senseless. It would be a disservice to ignore them. They no longer have The Truth on their roster, but they’re still pretty much the same squad.

John Wall (who torched Kyle Lowry in their series) and Bradley Beal are getting better with each passing year. Scary thought.

Those are the three teams that the Raps need to worry about the most. The good news is that two of those clubs are very capable of losing in a series against Toronto. There just can’t be an epic collapse like this past postseason, or Ujiri may have to start looking at moving one or both of DeMar DeRozan and Lowry.

Still, there’s a chance. A better one than perhaps all seasons past. The crack of light is there, it just needs to be exposed.

Next: Golden State Warriors: Grading The Offseason

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