The Toronto Raptors have clinched the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 57-22 record and are hoping to accomplish something that no other Raptors team has done before, which is to reach the NBA Finals. DeMar DeRozan is leading the way for the Raptors, averaging 23.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 45.7% shooting from the field, 31.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 82.5% shooting from the foul line while Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, and Serge Ibaka are proving themselves to be a strong supporting cast.
Despite the Raptors' strong regular season, many people including myself are skeptical of their title chances. Despite making the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, the Raptors have only made the Eastern Conference finals once in their history, which was two seasons ago. The Raptors have been a strong regular season team for quite a while, but they seem to keep finding ways to blow it in the playoffs. They even managed to get swept by the Washington Wizards in 2015 while also having home court advantage. You can't blow it anymore than that.
2018 has the chance to be different for this Raptors team. They seem to have matured and the Eastern Conference also isn't as strong as it has been in recent years. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been struggling a bit and the Boston Celtics are going to have to soldier on without Kyrie Irving, who will need 4-5 months to recover from a knee operation. When looking at the current landscape of the Eastern Conference, the Raptors really couldn't ask to be in a better position. If they don't reach the NBA Finals this year, it will be fair to wonder whether or not this team has the moxie to do so.
The amount of pressure on this Raptors team to breakthrough and reach the NBA Finals is huge. They have home court advantage, their biggest foes are banged up, and they are also healthy. The Raptors don't need to win the NBA championship considering how good the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are, but they do need to be the ones who represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals if they want to feel good about their season.
In order for the Raptors to deliver the goods, they'll really need DeMar DeRozan to step up and be the man. In the NBA playoffs, your stars have to deliver and so DeRozan in particular will be the one shouldering the pressure. He sees himself as a tier one guy and it's all teed up for him to prove that he is. If the Raptors reach the NBA Finals, DeRozan will finally be able to silence his critics, but if they don't there will be those calling him overrated.
While I don't personally see the Raptors getting it done given their recent history, I'd be happy to be proven wrong. The Raptors have a strong fan base that is thirsty for an NBA title and the NBA desperately needs some new blood in the NBA Finals. If the Raptors reach the NBA Finals, I'll be just as happy as anyone. It's just that as of right now, I'm not getting my hopes up.
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