Toronto Raptors clinch first seed for first time in franchise history, set eyes on more
The Toronto Raptors are having their best regular season in franchise history. With their Friday night win over the Indiana Pacers, the Raptors simultaneously clinched the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and earned their franchise-record 57th win of the season. Power forward Serge Ibaka led the team with a season-high 25 points, along with eight boards.
After two frustrating losses to the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, who are the biggest competitors that the Raptors may face in the playoffs, fans started to worry about the shape of the Raptors going into the postseason. Since those losses, the Raptors have defeated the Celtics by 18 points and the Pacers by 19, holding both teams to season-low point totals (78 and 73, respectively).Despite a record-breaking season for the Raptors, one in which they have completely altered their playing style by shifting to an emphasis on team effort, Kyle Lowry acknowledges the fact that the true test is yet to come. The NBA playoffs are set to begin Saturday, April 14.
“We understand that everything we do now in the regular season, everyone’s gonna say, ‘they’ve done that before, blah blah blah.’ We understand that. We know it’s long playoff run or it’s worth nothing to us,” Lowry told ESPN.
The Raptors are often ridiculed for their subpar playoff performances, with Lowry and DeMar DeRozan often being singled out for their individual performances. This year, they can take some of the weight off their shoulders if their teammates help out.
Ibaka will be a big factor in the playoffs. The Raptors are 22-7 when he scores over 15 points in the game. Ibaka needs to become a part of a “big three” on the Raptors, rather than lagging behind Lowry and DeRozan.If he can provide valuable and consistent offensive and defensive plays, the Raptors’ starting unit will be in good shape.
At the moment, the biggest concern for the playoffs is small forward CJ Miles. Coming off the bench, he was added for his deadly three-point shot and defense. Over the past nine games, Miles has shot just 11 out of 51 from beyond the arc (that’s 21.6 per cent) while averaging over 20 minutes per game. He will need to step it up in a big way in the postseason to prove himself to fans.
The rest of the bench has been exceptional this season. Led by second year guard, Fred VanVleet, they will have a crucial role in the playoffs this year. If they can continue their stellar defense and fast-paced offense in the postseason when rotations get smaller, the Raptors should be able to achieve a very deep playoff run.
With less than one week left until the playoffs begin, it looks like the Raptors will play one of three possible opponents:
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Miami Heat
- Washington Wizards
Each team has beat the Raptors once this season, and the Heat will go head-to-head with the Raptors once again on April 11, which is the last day of the regular season. The Raptors are awaiting a challenging playoffs matchup, but they seem ready for what’s to come.