Last season was a formative one for the Toronto Raptors in more ways than one. From a mid-season roster shakeup to new highs, the 2013/14 Raptors forever changed the outlook of the franchise. The team had never been better than they were last year, despite an early exit in the playoffs. That experience should go a long way to helping the Raptors exceed expectations this year.
When recently hired GM Masai Ujiri brokered the deal to send Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy to Sacramento, he quickly changed the face of the team. No longer were the Raptors a team with a pronounced leader, a few key supporting actors and a couple of duds. Suddenly, the Raptors were deep and unselfish, bolstered by the four new acquisitions.
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Each new player came to Toronto without an ego or a demand to start. They all wanted to help turn the Raptors around. Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, Chuck Hayes and John Salmons each became pivotal players off the bench, keen on playing their part, but not trying to do too much.
Without a defined star, many budding players had the chance to prove themselves. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry rose to the top, becoming elite guards. While the two became leaders, they weren’t stars in the way that Gay was. It was not all about them. They wanted to win as a team more than anything.
With heightened chemistry and cohesion came a new team. The Raptors went on a tear, grabbing the third seed in the Eastern Conference and the franchise’s best record ever. Though they were booted in the first round by the Brooklyn Nets, the recently formed squad learned valuable lessons about playing in the playoffs.
Last year marked more than just the formation of a new squad, with so many new players coming in mid-season. It marked the formation of a new confidence and belief. The team now knows that it has what it takes. After losing bitterly in game-seven, the mostly unchanged roster should be wiser this time around.
The Raptors will look to be less tentative and nervous this year. The fans deserve a better result, and this squad should be able to provide it. The team is extremely talented, containing a good mix of veterans and youngsters. In the first round, regardless of who they play, they will not play a team that is better than they are. They have earned this right.
The only way for the team to truly honour their massive turnaround last season is to do better this year. They were the talk of the league around this time a year ago, capturing the hearts and imaginations of fans everywhere. This year, they are earning far less chatter. It’s because everyone simply expects the Raptors to be good. They don’t need to be called a Cinderella story because they aren’t one. They just need to go out and win their first round matchup.
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