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Toronto Raptors Roundtable: Season Wrap-up and looking forward

By Mike Bossetti

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers battles with DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won the game 105-103 to take a 3-0 series lead. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers battles with DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won the game 105-103 to take a 3-0 series lead. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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After another Cleveland Cavaliers postseason loss, the Toronto Raptors season ended with a multitude of questions, so we asked our contributors the five most pressing questions facing Toronto.

The Toronto Raptors are at a cross-roads. A year after General Manager Masai Ujiri decided to bring back the team’s core, Toronto sits in the same position, one year older and more expensive.

Something has to change. Maybe. The only certain thing about the Raptors’ offseason is uncertainty. (Wow that was corny and I already regret typing it).  But as the Raptors head into the postseason more questions surround the team than ever.

We asked our contributors for their opinions on the five biggest questions facing the Toronto Raptors this offseason.

What was the biggest reason for the Raptors loss to the Cavaliers?

Jordan Skuse: LeBron James and a total lack of defensive toughness and intensity. James was incredible as he often is in the post season and specifically versus Toronto. But the Raptors inability to defend even the most simplistic offensive sets doomed them all series long. Certainly the Game 1 heartbreak didn’t help their cause. Some might say they lost the series right then and there.

Go Paolo: 5-for-25 in the fourth period in Game 1. Outside the lax perimeter defence and absence of “superstar” DeMar DeRozan, the beginning of the end was the fourth period of Game 1. It was possibly the biggest late-game meltdown I’ve seen from a  No.1 seed. The Raptors’ game 1 collapse will be one of the most painful “What Ifs” in team history. You already know fans will torture themselves thinking “What if Toronto didn’t have that epic collapse?”

Mike Bossetti: Failing to stop the LeBron’s supporting cast. Yes, LeBron James ate the Raptors lunch, but his numbers weren’t much different than against Indiana. The difference between the two series was Kevin Love, Kyle Korver, and J.R. Smith. Love terrorized the Raptors’ frontcourt, while Korver and Smith seemingly found the fountain of youth. LeBron getting his is one thing, his teammates feasting is another.

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