Toronto Raptors: The Road Back to Contention

The Toronto Raptors have lost nine of their last 10 games, falling gradually further from contention in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are now just 38-26, which is only good enough for fourth in the East, a conference they were dominating early on in the season. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls have both pulled ahead of the Raps, but hope is not lost.

The Raptors can still come back and grab second-place in the East, but that narrative will require an impressive showing throughout the team’s last 18 games. The road to recovery will start on March 13, when the Raptors take on the beatable Miami Heat. Let’s look ahead to the team’s next five games, to see where the Raptors absolutely need to win.

March 13 vs. the Miami Heat

As of right now, the Heat aren’t even good enough to make the playoffs in the awful East. They are 28-35 and will struggle down the stretch without Chris Bosh (blog clots in lungs). Plus, Dwyane Wade is questionable for the next few games, so the Heat should really suffer offensively. Expect the Heat to miss the playoffs this year and expect the Raptors to beat them on the 13th. Without Bosh, Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas needs to have a big game. JV is becoming progressively more confident with the ball in his hands as he continues to develop into an elite centre.

March 15 vs. the Portland Trail Blazers

This will be a tough one, but the Raptors have to start winning tough ones if they want to climb back up the East. The Trail Blazers are 41-20, putting them right near the top of the dominant Western Conference. The Blazers will be missing Wes Matthews, who has probably been the team’s third best player this season. The Raps will have to capitalize on the 3-point shooting the Blazers will lack without Matthews. DeMar DeRozan should have the chance to step up and show why he was made an All-Star last season. As always, the team will rely on his offensive production, including his ability to ignite the Raptors with a powerful dunk.

March 16 vs. the Indiana Pacers

Like the clash against the Heat, this is a must-win for the Raptors. The team has lost too many games recently against beatable opponents. This trend needs to end if the Raptors want any chance at a deep playoff push this year. The Pacers are a solid team that has been severely missing their star all season. Paul George looks to be returning sometime next week from his broken leg, but he won’t be back in time to take on the Raptors. The Pacers can be pretty good defensively, but they are quite limited offensively. If the Raptors run up the score like they have been known to do this season, they will have a good chance. This could be a good night for a Lou Williams explosion.

March 18 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

When the West’s worst team comes to town, Raptors fans should be treated to two things. First, they will get to see Canadian and 2014 first-overall pick Andrew Wiggins strut his stuff. Wiggins is already putting up solid numbers in the NBA, averaging 15.8 points and 4.3 assists per game, so he should be a treat to watch. Second, the Raptors should easily win. In fact, the Raptors could really use a blowout to help inspire the team and convince them that they can dominate once again. The Timberwolves are pretty bad, especially defensively, so expect veteran scorers like Kyle Lowry and Williams to show off a little.

March 20 vs. the Chicago Bulls.

Winning against the Chicago Bulls won’t be easy, but the Raptors will have to make it happen. The best way to pass a team in the standings is to beat that team one-on-one. The Bulls are extremely talented, but are currently suffering from the loss of Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. The Bulls haven’t been great recently, losing three of their last five games. Lowry will have to help the Raptors overcome their rivals, who are weak at the point guard spot right now.

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