Toronto Raptors: Can They Maintain Their Staying Power?

Coming off a truly historical season, the Toronto Raptors face a new challenge as they fight to stay near the top of a rapidly changing Eastern Conference.

Whether you want to call it getting the monkey off their back, getting over the hump or exorcising past demons, the Toronto Raptors will enter next season finally free of past misfortunes.

From achieving their first 50-win season to winning their first playoff series in 15 years and reaching their first Eastern Conference Finals, the Raptors reached some key milestones that had been hanging over them and reached a few new ones along the way last season.

There were definitely bumps along the way, from injuries to key players to shooting slumps when the season was on the line. While at times their victories weren’t done in convincing fashion throughout the playoffs, what mattered to the Raptors was that they got it done.

With all that said, a big question for the Raptors is where do they go from here? Of course, there are bigger heights they’ve yet to reach as a franchise, but what tests face the Raptors now that they’ve rid of their past demons?

Although it hasn’t been a problem for the Raptors at this point, there is one challenge that awaits them and it could arguably their biggest yet.

In an Eastern Conference where things are rapidly changing this offseason and teams are bringing in high caliber players in hopes to rise in the ranks, the Raptors took a fairly safe path with their moves this summer.

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With the cap room they had available, the Raptors prioritized bringing back key members, both on and off the court, for the foreseeable future.

Those moves ranged from extending the contract of Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, re-signing two-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan and reportedly extending the contract of Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri (according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst).

Although they eventually lost their backup big man and key playoff contributor Bismack Biyombo to the Orlando Magic, the Raptors planned accordingly by filling his void through the draft (Jakob Poeltl) as well as free agency (Jared Sullinger).

As uninspiring as their moves may be, it’s easy to see and understand why there was a certain amount of creativity lacking in the Raptors’ offseason this summer.

After all, there were no sweeping changes needing to be made after another disappointing playoff exit like the Raptors had done in years past and wanting continuity and stability, it was hard to see the team make a big turn that would have altered the path they’re currently on at this point.

Additionally, it’s not like the Raptors aren’t without players who still have room to grow as all three of Jonas Valanciunas, Cory Joseph and Norman Powell still have a few years before they enter their prime ages.

With that said, it’s hard to shake that worrying feeling about the Raptors’ place near the top in the East and how much farther the team, as it’s currently constructed, can go in general.

In each season under Casey, the Raptors have improved on their win total, starting from 23 victories in the 2011-12 season to 56 last season.

Of course, on an individual level, players like Kyle Lowry and DeRozan have undoubtedly flourished and have cemented themselves as All-Stars in multiple seasons.

But now Lowry’s starting to enter the back half of his career (and will also be an unrestricted free agent next summer) and coming off the best season of his career.

As for DeRozan, while retaining him was key for multiple reasons, DeRozan’s a fully formed player at this point and his limitations such as spacing the floor will always hang over him unless he proves otherwise.