Raptors Set Franchise Record For Wins

The Toronto Raptors have reached the 50-win benchmark for the first time in franchise history.

It’s been a long 21 years for the Toronto Raptors, but they have finally won 50 games in a season for the first time in team history. It’s been a monumental season for the team, which has excelled when many expected them to falter in a stronger Eastern Conference. The historic win came against the Atlanta Hawks, who were in third place in the East coming into the night.

The win helped solidify what is now a seemingly insurmountable lead of six games that separates the Raptors and the logjam of teams that fill out the rest of the playoff positions.

It has been a great season of firsts for the team. For the first time in franchise history, the team had two players selected to the All-Star Game with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. The team had two All Stars before in 2000-01, with Vince Carter being selected by the fans and Antonio Davis added as an injury replacement.

This was the first time the team has had two bona fide All Stars that are at the absolute primes of their careers.

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The success has them in a prime position to make a push for the team’s first-ever berth into the Eastern Conference Finals, as playoff success will be the only thing that can truly cement this team as the greatest that this franchise has ever produced.

A combination of high-level play from the team’s stars, new assistant coaches and improved depth has been the driving force behind all the success. They have managed to maintain the offensive success from last season while dramatically improving their defensive efficiency, as they are top 10 in both categories this season.

With this hurdle out of the way, the team will set its sights on advancing to the second round of the playoffs for just the second time in the team’s history.

The last time they went to the second round, Carter missed a last second shot that allowed Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001, so it’s been a little while since the Raptors fans have seen playoff success.

Lowry and DeRozan have given us a glimpse of what might have been in the past.

The team has produced tandems with tremendous potential in the past with Carter and Tracy McGrady, Carter and Chris Bosh, DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani, but this is the first time that potential has been realized and if the team falters in the first round as it has the last two seasons, it would be a crushing blow to the team’s loyal fans.

Now that they have achieved their goal for the regular season, the fun and games are over. The pressure is on now and an opportunity exists to achieve immortality in Raptors lore. With the franchise still fairly young, there are several other firsts left up for grabs, as is the opportunity for Lowry and DeRozan to leap up the list of great players to play for the team.

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Is this team the real deal, or another great regular-season team that doesn’t have what it takes? Only time will tell.