Toronto Raptors: 5 keys to winning the East

4. Injuries

Even though parting ways with injury-prone center Jonas Valanciunas might be a correct move going forward, injuries will still be a major factor in determining whether these Toronto Raptors are the real deal or not.

Even though the Raptors haven’t exactly had a season-ending injury, minor injuries and fatigue have been a negative factor since day one. We are dealing with an undisputedly stacked team that could prove to be very successful once the playoffs begin.

Unfortunately, we haven’t seen this Raptors squad working as a unit yet. Whether it was Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard or Fred VanVleet sitting out, it seems like we never quite get the full picture of what this team is really capable of.

Lowry and VanVleet have every right to consider themselves as one of the best starter-backup point guard duos in the NBA. But instead of having this synergy every night on the court, minor injuries always seem to keep us from seeing both of them suited up.

Even though the organization decided to further enhance the point guard depth by signing Jeremy Lin, you have to wonder whether a player that has played just 98 games in the last three seasons is the correct choice to help deal with the injuries the team has been struck with.