Projecting Raptors’ championship season – will it ever arrive?

The Raptors didn’t advance to the Eastern finals this season, which is a step back. Is this result the first of many such while we wait for King James to retire?

Like most of you, I’ve been watching the NBA playoffs despite the Toronto Raptors being long gone. Several commenters have pointed out how discouraging some of these games are to diehard Raptors fans. After all, assuming LeBron James ever slows down enough for our team to get out of the Eastern Conference, we still have to wrestle a giant Western alligator like the Golden State Warriors in order to bring home an NBA championship.

When are we ever going to have a fighting chance to win a title?

Probably the single greatest inhibitor in the Raptors’ rise to greatness is the lack of a superstar. DeMar DeRozan finished fifth in scoring last season, but doesn’t measure up to the sobriquet. Kyle Lowry, assuming he returns, isn’t likely to ever reach that level either. [20-second timeout: I thought Terrence Ross had the athletic gifts to make the leap, but couldn’t get out of his own way. Now the Orlando Magic will have the chance to see what he can do with extra minutes.]

Is there anyone else on our roster who might get there? If so, he’s not readily apparent to me.

The Boston Celtics don’t have a superstar either. Yes, Isaiah Thomas is a wonderful player, but can’t defend a pylon. Jaylen Brown may get there in a few years. I love their deep roster; everyone is unselfish and capable of playing multiple styles. But Boston isn’t scary like Cleveland.

We return to consideration of the blow-it-up scenario for the Raptors. After all, if being the #3 seed (or thereabouts) over the next few seasons means little more than being cannon fodder for the evergreen Cavaliers, what’s the point?

Don’t blow it up

Here’s where the importance of signing Lowry, Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker comes to the fore. If they are on board and playing well (and why shouldn’t they?), yet we’re still in playoff quicksand, then President Masai Ujiri can dismantle and rebuild from a position of strength. All of those guys, and even DeRozan (nobody’s untouchable), could return a king’s ransom.

There’s no need for a fire sale if we’re mediocre next year. Masai can sell pieces to suddenly hungry playoff contenders, just as he did when (as the buyer) he acquired Ibaka and Tucker prior to the trade deadline.

Full bore “trust the process” rebuilds scare me. The notion that spending 3+ years in the draft lottery will produce a winning team at some happy date seems a leap of faith. Philadelphia fans are still waiting for their payback. Minnesota has missed the playoffs for 13 straight seasons.

Having it all

Boston is in tough against Cleveland, but making the Eastern Conference finals is a feat, no matter what the result (and they’ve got one win, so good on them). Which team has the #1 overall selection next month? Why it’s those Celtics, competing and rebuilding simultaneously. They have done it right.

As for when the Raptors will have their moment in the sun – our team is 2 years away from serious contention status, assuming Masai doesn’t blow it up. That’s better than most.

We’ll never know if San Antonio could have shocked the Warriors in the Western Conference finals. Once Kawhi Leonard was hurt, the Spurs were finished. In sports, anything can happen.