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Toronto Raptors: 5 Questions For 2015-16

By Joshua Howe

Apr 24, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) defends in the fourth quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 106-99, and lead the series 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) defends in the fourth quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 106-99, and lead the series 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 11, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey looks on during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey looks on during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

1. No Divisions, Can They Manage?

There are no longer any divisions saving the Raptors from falling down in the standings. Even if Toronto wins the Atlantic, that doesn’t guarantee them the fourth seed like it did last season. It’s for this reason that many people seem to think the Raps will slip significantly in next year’s standings.

It is important to note, however, that even if that rule had been in effect last season, Toronto would still have landed the fourth seed with a 49-33 record, which was superior to Washington’s record (who ended up with the fifth seed) of 46-36.

There is no reason to act like the Raptors didn’t earn their spot in the rankings. Yes, they were still good enough to take the fourth seed even after faltering enormously in the second half of the season.

So why does it seem obvious that Toronto will be fighting for a seventh or eighth seed next season? Answer: it isn’t. Yes, the team got revamped but the roster only looks better and the rest of the East didn’t improve by an exceptional margin.

Let me put it simply: teams and fans in general are sleeping on Toronto. We might not know exactly where they stand yet in the hierarchy of the Eastern Conference, but they are definitely not at the bottom and should have earned enough respect over the last couple of seasons to have us all place them in the top five or six teams for the upcoming year.

So, yes, despite there no longer being any “divisional safety,” the Raptors should be fine. That is, of course, my opinion. It’s still a big question hanging in the air. Guess we’ll just have to wait and find out if they can back me up.

Bring on 2015-16!

Next: Toronto Raptors: Grading The Offseason

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