Raptors can’t afford another collapse

The Toronto Raptors have been one of the best teams in the National Basketball Association over the past three seasons. Under head coach Dwane Casey, Toronto has won the Atlantic Division three years running but remains without one of the key components of an elite team’s resume; playoff advancement.

Over the last two years, the Raptors have won a combined 97 regular-season games but both times lost in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, first to the Brooklyn Nets and then to the Washington Wizards. Toronto was not even present in last year’s loss to Washington, being swept in embarrassing fashion.

This time around, Toronto won 56 games and earned the second seed in the East. Yet in Game 1 of the quarterfinals against the Indiana Pacers, the Raptors once again watched home-court advantage slip through their grasp with a 100-90 loss. The best player on the court was Paul George, who led Indiana to the initial upset with 33 points and six assists in 38 minutes.

The main issue for the Raptors – outside of George – was the lack of ball security. Toronto turned the ball over 19 times while shooting only 38 percent from the field. While the Raptors owned the glass to a 52-38 tune, Indiana was able to register eight blocks.

For the Raptors, this is a season they can’t afford to waste. Toronto had never enjoyed a 50-win season before and is trying to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000-01, when it fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games.

This is one of the more talented teams in the league. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry represent the best backcourt in the East and a duo that can go off for 50 points and 15 assists at any time. However, the frontcourt is goign to have to provide defensive help and hit the 10-footers to advance deep into the spring.

While Game 1 was a definite setback, it does not need to be a disaster. Should the Raptors be able to get back on the beam and win Game 2, the series is back to square with Toronto simply needing to steal one road game the rest of the way.

Should the Pacers be able to pull off the upset and send the second-seeded Raptors packing early, they would run into either the Miami Heat or Charlotte Hornets. Incredibly, one of those teams would be in the conference finals, potentially setting up LeBron James against Michael Jordan’s group or – even better – his old mates from Miami.