Can the Toronto Raptors actually go back-to-back?
By Nate Friesen
Could the Toronto Raptors win the NBA Championship this season and complete a repeat of last season?
Now that the trade deadline is behind us and the all-star weekend is on the horizon, we’re nearing the home-stretch of the 2019-20 NBA season. There is still a lot of time for underperforming teams to figure it out and for overachieving teams to fall back to earth.
With that said, one of the teams that seem to keep proving all the doubters wrong is the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are currently 37-14, 2nd in the Eastern Conference and third overall. This team just won’t go away.
The Raptors decided to stick with what they got at the trade deadline and rightfully so. The defending champs have looked better than ever lately. They recently set a franchise record with a 12-game win streak.
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Quite possibly the most amazing part about this Raptors season is that they have battled countless injuries and still have the league’s third-best record. Injuries to Kyle Lowry, Fred Van Vleet, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol and now Normal Powell and yet, the champs just keep rolling.
If the Raptors entire roster is healthy for the playoffs there is no reason they can’t make a run to the Eastern Conference finals and put up a fight against the juggernaut Milwaukee Bucks. The only looming question is…can the Raptors actually go back-to-back?
At this point in the season, there is no reason why they couldn’t. The Raptors currently have a better record than last season despite the injuries and the loss of Kawhi Leonard. However, they still don’t seem to be looked at as a genuine championship contender.
The Raptors aren’t exactly the favorites to win the NBA Championship this season, but they are the defending champs. Obviously the Lakers and Bucks have been great this season but they haven’t proved anything in the post-season. The Raptors have.
One of the greatest advantages Toronto has in the playoffs against the likes of the Bucks, the Lakers, and the Clippers is coaching. Nick Nurse is an absolute wizard and should be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year at this point in the season.
The one question the Raptors will have to answer when it comes time for the playoffs is “How do they close out games in the playoffs without Kawhi?”.
It will be interesting to see, will Siakam be able to get a bucket in an isolation situation down the stretch in the playoffs? Or will the Raptors rely on veteran Kyle Lowry to make the clutch shots? Or will it come down to potential Coach of the Year Nick Nurse to draw up an incredible play?
These are all questions the Raptors will need to figure out in the first couple rounds of the playoffs if they want any chance of taking down the Bucks, Lakers and/or Clippers and re-claiming their crown as NBA champions.
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The Raptors will have a real shot. There’s just nothing like the confidence and swagger that comes with the title of defending NBA champs.