Can Raptors win East?

Nobody is talking about the Toronto Raptors. Perhaps that is because they don’t have any stars that dot the television screen whenever a game goes to a commercial break. Maybe it is because Toronto has never won a NBA title, let alone reached the Finals. It could even be that the Raptors play in Canada, the only franchise not to call the United State homes.

Ultimately, the reason for why Toronto has gone under the radar does not matter. The Raptors are a very good and dangerous team, sitting at 40-19 and second in the Eastern Conference standings, only two games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and their gaggle of superstars.

Cleveland is the odds-on favorite to not only win the East, but to roll through it. The Cavaliers seem to be sleepwalking most of the time, and yet they are still 42-17 behind the trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Should the two teams meet in the conference finals, Cleveland will be a heavy favorite to go to the Finals for the second straight year.

However, Toronto should not be discounted The Raptors are going to have a nice, clear path to the third round because the rest of the East is a disaster. Nobody is going to take down Toronto in the first two rounds, including the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and the like. The Raptors have the talent to dispose of those teams without much problem, but the Cavaliers are an entirely different animal.

Toronto is led by the powerful backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, the latter having a case as one of the top 10 players in the NBA today. Lowry is averaging 21. points and 6.4 assist per game, running the offense from the top of the perimeter with pinpoint precision. Meanwhile, DeRozan is leading the team with 23.3 points per game, bringing the high-flying dunks and athleticism north of the border.

In the middle, Jonas Valancieunas is showing that he could pose some problems for Cleveland. The Cavaliers are not great on the interior, and Valancieunas is a bear to deal with. The 23-year-old Lithuanian is averaging 12.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per night, giving Toronto the kind of presence in the paint that ample teams covet.

Toronto has not been this talented since the days of Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. It’s not quite Air Canada and all the rest of it, but this group is deeper and better defensively, making the Raptors a tougher out this time around. Cleveland remains the favorite and deserves to be because the presence of LeBron needs to be respected. Typically, the team with the best player on the court is going to win a long series in the NBA.

Still, don’t sleep on Toronto. The Raptors are for real.