1. Make it All the Way to the NBA Finals
To say Toronto has underachieved in the postseason would be a wild understatement. The furthest they’ve gotten is the Conference Finals was in 2015-16 when they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games.
They finally got the game 1 monkey off their back this year, after losing the previous 10 attempts, including 6 failed performances at home. Former Boston star, Paul Pierce, made a damning observation when it came to facing Toronto in the playoffs, revealing to ESPN,
“You know, nobody respected the Raptors, even on their home court. If you got the Raptors in the playoffs, it was nothing to fear. It was a matchup I always wanted.”
This year they have perhaps the greatest chance in their franchise’s history to start changing their postseason image. According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) they have a 47% chance of making the Conference Finals (3rd best chance behind Golden State and Boston) and a 1 in 4 chance of making the NBA Finals. When it comes to winning the whole thing, the Raptors are given a 1 in 10 chance to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy, equal with the Houston Rockets.
Odds aren’t everything though. Following the All-Star break last season, Toronto had the highest odds in the league of making the Finals. Until they can defy the numbers the Raptors will forever be known as perennial playoff underachievers.
They’ve got everything at their disposal, with elite level superstar talent, defensive personnel that few possess and depth that will help if any unforeseen injuries occur. It’s now or never for the Raps, especially if they’re looking to retain Kawhi long-term.
