Are the Toronto Raptors a real threat to win the East?

Before the season, many pundits had the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls as the only teams with a prayer of coming out of the Eastern Conference. A few gave the Washington Wizards hope, while the Toronto Raptors were considered an afterthought. Now, two months into the season, the Raptors are the top seed in the East at 22-7, a half-game better than the also-surprising Atlanta Hawks.

Toronto, an NBA franchise since 1995, has never won 50 games in a season. The Raptors have only made the playoffs six times and are yet to reach the conference finals. In 2014, Toronto appears to be a lock for 50 wins and will be able to coast into the postseason thanks to the horrific Atlantic Division, which may not produce another 40-win team. The Raptors are rolling behind head coach Dwane Casey, who in his fourth year is looking for his second consecutive playoff berth.

Toronto boasts a deep roster with ample talent in the backcourt. Few teams can match the trio of DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Louis Williams, who combine to average 54 points and 11.8 assists per game. Throw in swingman Terrence Ross and interior presence Jonas Valanciunas, and the Raptors pose a serious challenge to any team coming into Air Canada Centre.

There is no doubt Toronto is a legitimate playoff team that will win a round. The question is whether the Raptors can topple the supposed beasts of the East in Cleveland and Chicago this spring. The Cavaliers have the most loaded roster in the East, featuring LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. However, they were dealt a brutal blow when Anderson Varejao went down this week with a torn Achilles tendon, ending his season.

Cleveland has stumbled lazily to a 17-11 start despite having 16 of its first 28 games at home. The Cavaliers are also poor defensively, an expected issue that has manifested itself into a serious problem. Cleveland is allowing 46.9 percent shooting from the field, the worst mark of any team with a winning record.

Then there are the Chicago Bulls, who have dealt with continued injuries to Derrick Rose. Despite Rose only playing in 19 games and averaging 27.8 minutes per game, Chicago is leading the Central Division at 20-9. The Bulls are playing their typical brand of suffocating defense while getting a breakout season from guard Jimmy Butler. Butler leads the team with 21.6 points per game, leading to a team-high 22.1 PER.

If Rose can be completely healthy by the playoffs, the Bulls are probably the biggest threat to the Raptors. Toronto is averaging 108.2 points per game, second only to the Dallas Mavericks. Conversely, Chicago is one of the best defensive units in the league with Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic patrolling the paint.

With 2015 right around the corner, the Eastern Conference remains a mystery. It will be entertaining to see how it plays out.