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Toronto Raptors: Nick Nurse’s squad is well-equipped to be the top seed in the East

By Robbie Stratakos

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Kawhi Leonard #2 and Danny Green #14 of the Toronto Raptors sit on the bench reading the half time stats during the second half of an NBA preseason game against Melbourne United at Scotiabank Arena on October 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Kawhi Leonard #2 and Danny Green #14 of the Toronto Raptors sit on the bench reading the half time stats during the second half of an NBA preseason game against Melbourne United at Scotiabank Arena on October 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Raptors will finish the regular season with the most wins in the Eastern Conference

Whether it be trading a cornerstone player for another high-profile player, or replacing their head coach with an assistant, the Toronto Raptors had a franchise-altering offseason. With that said, with change comes adjustments. But make no mistake about it: the Raptors will finish with the most wins in the Eastern Conference this season.

Last season was yet another postseason letdown for the Raptors. Despite claiming the top seed in the East, they were taken to six games by the Washington Wizards in the first round and were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semifinals; it’s the fifth consecutive season that the Raptors have been unable to reach the NBA Finals (since they first made the playoffs in the Kyle Lowry era), as well as the fourth time in that same time span they’ve been unable to advance to the conference finals.

As a result of their spring failures, management cut ties with Dwane Casey as head coach despite him winning the NBA Coach of the Year Award – which was a bold move, to say the least. To fill the void, the Raptors promoted assistant Nick Nurse.

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Their other big offseason decision? Trading DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard.

In mid-July, the Raptors emerged as a candidate to acquire Leonard and quickly pulled the trigger on a trade when the time came. Trading DeRozan, center Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round pick for Leonard and Danny Green, the Raptors made a franchise-altering move. When healthy, which it appears he is, Leonard is regarded as a top-five to top-10 player. At the same time, there’s bad blood between DeRozan and Raptors president Masai Ujiri.

In the weeks leading up to the trade, Ujiri supposedly told DeRozan that he wasn’t going to trade him. Then, the Raptors pulled off the Leonard blockbuster, which included DeRozan. Perhaps it’s a sign that another key component to this team could be on the way out with another postseason collapse, such as Lowry or Jonas Valanciunas?

Right now, on paper, the Raptors have one of the deepest rotations in the sport. Their potential starting five of Lowry, Green, Leonard, Serge Ibaka, and Valanciunas will be one of the best defensive units in the NBA, and, last season, they were tied for sixth in points surrendered (103.9). And they were such a unit with DeRozan, a below-average defender, starting at the two-guard. The Raptors have swapped out his play with that of Leonard and Green; their above-average defense could become formidable this season.

Then, you look at this team’s bench. With Fred VanVleet, C.J. Miles, Delon Wright, Norman Powell, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and free agent signee Greg Monroe in the fold, the Raptors have one of the best benches in the association. In fact, some of their reserves could start on other teams which works in the Raptors’ favor if and when injuries present themselves.

The biggest question surrounding the Raptors this season, outside of how Leonard will play, is how Nurse will fare in his first season as head coach? It’s important to keep in mind that Nurse was an assistant under Casey for the last five years; he knows the majority of this roster well, their tendencies, and the players are familiar with him. It was likely a big reason why he got the nod to replace Casey. If the Raptors hired someone from the outside to run the show, it would be an even larger adjustment, which is not what a win-now team like the Raptors is best suited for.

Despite the Raptors looking like an improved team, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers were the hype of the East in the offseason. But, like the Raptors, the Celtics and 76ers have some crucial questions to answer.

With Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward returning from injury, head coach Brad Stevens and the Celtics will have to incorporate the two back into the team’s offense. While the two are, without a doubt, star players at their respective positions and proven scorers, it could take some time for Irving and Hayward to further progress the Celtics offense.

The 76ers are coming off their first playoff appearance in six years, but can their young core, headlined by Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Dario Saric, take the next step and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals? Or, will they take a step back? Can the Indiana Pacers build off their 48-win season? Will the Milwaukee Bucks finally escape the first round?

The Raptors have won more games than any other team in the Eastern Conference over the last three years. Right now, they’re a better team than they were last season. If Leonard is at full strength – which it appears he is – he’s the best player in the Conference. He’s a proven scorer, arguably the best on-ball defender in the league, can push the ball up the floor, is an underrated passer, and can hit the boards. He’s a year removed from averaging a career-high 25.5 points per game and is a two-time recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Lowry is still one of the more reliable scoring point guards in the game, Ibaka is a defensive force, Valanciunas provides a two-way presence in the paint, and the Raptors bench is electric on both ends. Leonard’s upcoming free agency will dominate the headlines this season, but in terms of solely this season, the forward gives the Raptors a better chance of winning the East than DeRozan.

Yes, the Raptors have continually hit a wall in the postseason. But what team in the East hasn’t this decade? LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat for the 2010-11 season and put up a tent for four years. The four years that followed he spent with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Throughout those eight seasons, a James-led team reached the NBA Finals every year meaning there hasn’t been a team outside of the Heat or Cavaliers to overcome the playoff hurdle in that time span. The last team to make the playoffs outside of Florida or Ohio was the Celtics in the 2009-10 season and not a single player from that team, nor the head coach (Doc Rivers), is still with them today.

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After signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, James is now in the Western Conference meaning a new team will represent the East in the NBA Finals this season. The Raptors have continually ruled the East in the regular season. Once the playoffs arrive all bets are off. But the Raptors are better equipped to get over the hump this season than they’ve been in years past.

The Toronto Raptors aren’t guaranteed to advance to the NBA Finals this season, by any means. But in what is a very important season for everyone involved, the Raptors are well-positioned to finish the regular season with the most wins in the conference.

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