3-0 in the Bubble -- Time to Start Giving The Raptors Some Love

After over two months of uncertainty surrounding the basketball world, not to mention the world itself with the coronavirus being as prevalent as ever in the United States, the fresh site of meaningful NBA basketball games is upon us. NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, and the NBPA should receive tremendous praise for their efforts and plans ahead of the season re-start in Orlando. Some of the other professional sports leagues have run into trouble in attempting to combat COVID-19 in their respective re-starts but as of Wednesday, of the 343 NBA players tested, zero have returned confirmed positive tests for the third week in a row. One team that is eagerly awaiting another deep playoff run, more importantly defending their title, is the Toronto Raptors. Coming off a year in which the Raptors won their first-ever NBA championship, many basketball experts did not expect this Kawhi-less team to continue their dominance in the Eastern Conference.this year. Even with Leonard leaving, the Raptors should be considered one of the heavyweights in the NBA “bubble“ as the postseason rapidly approaches.

With Wednesday’s 109-99 win over the Orlando Magic, the Toronto Raptors took another step towards locking down the two-seed in the Eastern Conference. After improving to 3-0 in the NBA re-start, the Raptors magic number is down to one to ensure the Boston Celtics, currently sitting in 3rd, do not catch them before postseason play. This was always the most likely scenario, with Toronto too far behind the East-leading Milwaukee Bucks while also holding a comfortable three-game lead on Boston going into the restart, but there was some doubt with a schedule full of tough opponents in their eight games before the playoffs. The pundits who doubted Toronto should take notice as the team is certainly off to a strong showing during opening week at Disney, somehow looking even stronger at the defensive end. Its clear the Toronto Raptors did not waste any time during the hiatus, coming up with new schemes to prepare and improve for the re-start.

The big question in the off-season was, Will Pascal Siakam be able to become the teams bona fide scorer with the departure of Kawhi Leonard to the LA Clippers? With a record of 49-18 and a firm lock on the two-seed in the Eastern Conference with the playoffs on the horizon, on top of his points per game up by seven from a year ago its safe to say the answer to the question is a resounding, yes! After taking a huge leap in 2019, averaging 16.9pts/game and receiving The Most Improved Player award, Siakam has not only become the Raptors leader this season but also has become one of the best, young players in the NBA earning a trip to the All-Star game in 2020. Cameroons finest is averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, and assists this season while being a force on the defensive end, making the large extension he signed well worth the money for Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors.

Although Siakam is Toronto's leading scorer, that should not take anything away from the supporting cast, as it seems like someone new steps up every night for this team and nobody cares who gets the accolades. That type of attitude has become contagious and starts with Mr. Raptor himself, Kyle Lowry. The gritty point guard doesn't seem to be slowing down at 34 years old, upping his points and assists per game from a year ago on top of once again leading the league in charges drawn. Another guy who has bought into the Raptors system and fits perfectly is Fred VanVleet, who is also averaging career highs in a contract year and should see a large payday this off-season. Lowry and VanVleet are the perfect examples of heart and determination beating size as these guys will go to the rim hard against the biggest in the league, while also dominating the defensive end game in and out.

The stingy defense does not end there with veteran big men Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka anchoring the Raptors acting as a solid two-headed warrior for this team down low. Their prowess on defense and ability to move the ball around on offense for open looks will be key for the Raptors to make another long playoff run.

Although injuries slowed him down this year, Norman Powell is another guy having a career season and should be in the talks for the 6th Man of the Year Award. OG Anunoby is another player that has really impressed me this year and has taken large leaps on both ends of the floor. One prime example is the tenacious defense he played on Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night of the re-start in Disney. The depth does not end there as rookie point guard Terence Davis, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Chris Boucher, and Matt Thomas have all played inaugural parts in eating minutes during an injury-riddled season for the Raptors.

The Toronto Raptors tip off against the Boston Celtics Friday night, a potential second-round playoff match-up, looking to secure the two-seed with a win. Head Coach, Nick Nurse, knows this is a big game that will undoubtedly have a playoff feel.

“We wanna play and we’re gonna play to win that game,” head coach Nick Nurse said, looking ahead to Friday’s meeting with Boston following his team’s win over Orlando. “We’re gonna play our guys and we’re gonna play to win. That’s what we get out of bed for every day is to go get ‘em. So, I think whether it was a high leverage game or it’s a little less leverage game, we’re gonna treat it the same from a prep standpoint and from an effort standpoint.”

While locking up the number two seed is almost inevitable at this point, its worth noting that even though the players had a two month hiatus from professional basketball, it would be nice for Nick Nurse to be able to balance the minutes he gives his players in the last four games before the playoff run. That kind of system will not be overly new for the Raptors this season with the injuries and the fact that it seems like somebody different is stepping up to have a big game. There is no team quite like the 2020 Toronto Raptors where there is no clear-cut superstar and yet the way this team works in unison on both ends of the floor is extremely impressive. On the offensive end, they pass up good shots to get even better shots while also smothering teams on the defensive end. The only team I can think of to compare this Raptors team to is the 2004 NBA Champions, Detroit Pistons, who went on to beat Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the finals with no “superstars” and a relentless defense.

With Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka set to become unrestricted free agents and Fred VanVleet surely having the Brinks truck rolling into his driveway this off-season, it will be imperative for the Raptors to try to keep the core working in synergy for a deep run in 2020. Yes, the team is most successful when Pascal Siakam is scoring and he has proven he can shine in the big moments but this team has proven he does not always have to be the go-to guy. Lowry is going to do his thing, we all know that, but it is crucial for guys like VanVleet, Powell, and Ibaka to be consistent and come up with big shots when needed. This Toronto Raptors team possesses both offense and defense, are well-experienced, and work for one another like no NBA basketball team I have ever seen. The league will finally HAVE to take notice of this specially formulated team playing all their games south of the border in Orlando. This team is on a mission and are a proud, gritty group that do not plan on letting any one take the Larry O'Brien trophy from them without a fight.