Toronto Raptors: 5 keys to winning the East

1. Remain a well-oiled machine

By not being a big-market team, these Toronto Raptors have stayed away from the spotlight, slowly making their name heard around the NBA. But let’s give credit where credit is due, because the Raptors starters more than deserve it.

Serge Ibaka is currently having his best offensive season yet, averaging 15.1 points in 28 minutes per game. Even though his defense is not quite at that All-Defensive First Team kind of level, he still gets the job done and is the guy to use to stop opposing centers.

The newly acquired duo from Texas is also playing at an elite level. Danny Green is having his best 3-point shooting season yet, shooting a remarkable 43.7 percent from behind the arc. And what more can be said about Kawhi Leonard, an MVP candidate that is having his best season yet in almost every statistical category?

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of them all comes with the name of Pascal Siakam. Spicy P is having a breakout season which will most likely end with him getting the league’s Most Improved Player award. When a high basketball IQ and this kind of athleticism are brought together, it is fairly easy to see why he’s been excelling at almost every aspect of the game.

But how has arguably the organization’s best player ever, Kyle Lowry, been dealing with the emergence of so many players? Lowry has elevated his game to a completely different level, one that we didn’t even know he possessed.

Lowry has a career average of 6.1 assists per game and the fact that he is averaging 9.1 this season should only begin to highlight his unselfishness. Lowry has always been a tenacious rebounder, excellent for his size, and a borderline All-Defensive Team choice.

This team seems to be working like a well-oiled machine. Everyone is sticking to their roles, all brought together by head coach Nick Nurse. We have yet to see this newly assembled team perform in the postseason, but given the regular season play, we should be in for a treat.