2. Toronto Raptors (46-18)
Grade: A+
Fresh off of an NBA championship, the Toronto Raptors have not missed a beat this regular season, even with the departure of Kawhi Leonard. While many expected the Raptors to fly down the rankings with no Leonard, they’ve done the exact opposite and sit comfortably as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Coached by arguably the best coach in the NBA, Nick Nurse has done wonders in his time as the head coach of the Raptors. After spending time as an assistant in Toronto, he went on to win an NBA Championship in his first season and in his second season, looks like a coach of the year candidate again.
Pascal Siakam has improved and become the main scorer on the team. Kyle Lowry has been his usual self, averaging 19.7 points per game and 7.7 assists per game to go along with his great defense. Fred VanVleet has started a lot more this season and flourished in the his new role. Players like Serge Ibaka, OG Annunoby, and Norman Powell are contributing a great amount, help carry the team at points during the season.
It is yet to be seen if the Raptors can go all the way without a player such as Kawhi Leonard but they’ve also never been coached by Nick Nurse. This is a new era for the Toronto Raptors, one that doesn’t include LeBron James in the east and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them on top of the conference.