Raptors Must Advance Past First Round
This year’s Raptors have a chance to move past the team’s dismal post-season record – a chance they must seize.
Enough already!
With one simple loss this past Saturday, fans of the Toronto Raptors were quick to remember the failures of post seasons past:
Failure to win Game 1 of the first round (now 0-8).
Failure to win Playoff games on the road (4-18 all time).
Failure to win a Playoff series (1-7 all time; 0-3 as a top seeded team).
Failure to win a best-of-seven playoff series (0-5 all time).
Failure to win in the Playoffs in general (15-29 all time)
More from Raptors News
- Scottie Barnes talks Raptors expectations after bumpy 2022-23
- Raptors’ Dennis Schroder completes Cinderella story, wins FIBA World Cup with Germany
- NBA insider praises Raptors’ hiring of “star” Darko Rajakovic
- Raptors fans will love Markquis Nowell’s insane confidence on Instagram
- Raptors news: Dennis Schroder takes shot at Lakers, Scottie Barnes moves to Toronto
In spite of winning 56 games in the regular season and evening the series on Monday against the Pacers, the post season is a totally different beast, one that has ravished the the Raptors in the seven times they’ve been there before. So why should the 8th time be any different?
Let’s be perfectly honest with ourselves: the Toronto Raptors haven’t given anyone a reason to believe that they can advance past the first round of the playoffs. They’ve only advanced once back in 2001, when Vince Carter led the team and the first round was a best-of-five matchup. Toronto’s team has since seen a playoff series go seven games twice, losing both times by a single point.
Why should this year be any different? Two time All-Star and Raptors leading scorer DeMar DeRozan has shot a combined 10-37 from the field in two games. He has played horribly thus far, not like someone looking to earn a max contract this offseason. Kyle Lowry hasn’t been much better, but he is starting to find other ways to be effective. But DeRozan has been rendered a non-factor on both sides of the floor.
So why believe in a team which has been to the playoffs only eight times in 21 years?
It’s for something this team hasn’t had in a long time, if ever. A little thing called respect. In a city where hockey is king. In a league where the focus is on the 29 other teams south of the border (let’s face it, sometimes the Philadelphia 76ers get more respect than the Raptors do). The Toronto Raptors simply have no respect.
To put it mildly, this team could win 82 games in a season, but if they can’t win in the first round of the playoffs, it means absolutely nothing. It truly doesn’t.
Legacies are made in the post season, and as it stands right now, Toronto’s legacy isn’t too bright… but it could be. All that needs to happen is for the Raptors to win a playoff series. And another one. Maybe even make an appearence in the Eastern Conference Finals. Then the NBA Finals. And eventually win a Championship.
But first they must win in the first round. Right here. Right now. Because if they don’t, the Raptors will be nothing more than just a mediocre franchise with no hope… and no future.
We are guaranteed to see the Raptors back in Toronto for Game 5. And for all those concerned, hopefully it won’t be the last for the season.
Next: Raptors On The Verge Of A Dream Season
All stats are provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated. Matthew Allman is a staff writer for Raptors Rapture. For more coverage on the Toronto Raptors, follow Matthew on Twitter @ShadowRapsFan and also follow @RaptorsRapture for the latest in Raptors news.