Toronto Raptors: 3 bold predictions for the 2020-21 season

3. The Toronto Raptors finish with the best record in the East

Last season the Toronto Raptors, fresh off the loss of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, were not discussed as a true Eastern Conference contender by most. The louder discussion was whether they would trade Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry to reset the team around Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. ESPN picked the Raptors sixth in the East, Bleacher Report seventh, and right here at Hoops Habit we predicted they would finish fifth.

Instead they finished in second place, with a 53-19 record. In fact that was good enough for second-best in the entire league, a win more than the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers. Pascal Siakam continued his steady rise, leading the team in scoring and making the All-NBA team. Obviously this team missed Kawhi Leonard, and they didn’t win another title, but they were good enough to push any team.

This season, prognosticators are lukewarm yet again. ESPN ($) again has Toronto sixth, The Athletic’s ($) John Hollinger has them sixth, and Bleacher Report has them….right, sixth. At least we have them (tied) for fourth, albeit with just 42 wins in the shortened season.

The reality is that this team is built for regular season success. Nick Nurse is one of the few coaches in the league willing to make game-to-game adjustments in the regular season. They aren’t overly dependent on one star, so they can adequately weather an injury. Their development system is elite, which means the bench will be juiced by young talent.

The rest of the conference is no lock for success either. The Milwaukee Bucks gained Jrue Holiday but lost significant depth. The Miami Heat are likely not quite as good as they looked in the postseason and will be dealing with the shortest turnaround in NBA history. The Boston Celtics lost Gordon Hayward and will be without Kemba Walker for at least a few weeks; the Brooklyn Nets have a mountain of injury uncertainty; the Philadelphia 76ers have to prove they are any better than last season’s disappointment.

Toronto has a deep team that plays well together, and found good replacements for its departing centers. With Giannis Antetokounmpo now off the 2021 market they could look to make an in-season move as well to get better. All of it adds up to the inevitable conclusion: this team will be very good yet again. If they finish with the same 53-19 record this year, that could be enough to top the Eastern Conference and ensure the path to the NBA Finals goes through Tampa.

Prediction: 53-19 record, first in the Eastern Conference, second-best in the NBA