5 reasons the Toronto Raptors can win the Eastern Conference
5. Home-court advantage
Home-court advantage means little in the East considering A) The Raptors are more susceptible to postseason implosions than anyone and B) LeBron James still exists. However, there’s no denying how good Toronto has been within the friendly confines of the Air Canada Centre this year.
At 25-5 (.833), the Raptors not only have the best home record in the East, but in the entire NBA. Their +12.0 point differential at home also leads the league by a whopping 2.0 points.
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Toronto just seems to cover the essentials in front of its own fans. It locks down on the defensive end, holding opponents to 100.2 points per 100 possessions — the best home defensive rating in the association. The team’s 12.3 turnovers per game represent the third-best mark in the league at home as well.
In a seven-game series, the King (or Toronto’s own playoff demons) could easily trump home-court advantage, but from the Raptors’ standpoint, if they’re able to hold off the Celtics, they’ll at least be able to add that weapon to their arsenal for a playoff run.
Even if they wind up as the No. 2 seed, the top priority is finishing ahead of Cleveland, who they’ll probably have to face at some point to reach the NBA Finals. LeBron can obliterate the value of home-court advantage in one game, but if you’re the Raptors, wouldn’t you rather have it than be forced to start Game 1 on the King’s own turf?