The Toronto Raptors are NBA Champions. But the team won’t have much time to enjoy it. The NBA is a 12-month league and it’s already time to get ready for next season.
Three years in a row the Toronto Raptors’ playoff hopes were extinguished by one of the best basketball players who’s ever lived. This past summer LeBron James left Cleveland for the second time in his career. The first time he went to create a super team in Miami. This time, it was to revive one of the most storied franchises in NBA history.
James’ departure left a void in the Eastern Conference. James had led eight straight teams to the NBA Finals. He collected three titles and three Finals MVP trophies. Entering the season it appeared to be a four-team race as to who would replace James as the East’s representative in the NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics were the preseason favorite to come out of the East. The Milwaukee Bucks finished the season with the best record in the NBA. But through it all the Toronto Raptors lurked.
The Raptors have been an excellent regular season team over the last five seasons. Since the 2015-16 season, the Raptors have a combined record of 224-104. The only team with a better record over that span is the Golden State Warriors.
Despite the team’s regular season success, the Raptors never felt like a serious threat once the playoffs started. With the exception of Detroit Pistons, every championship team since the 1980s has had at least one top-five player. The Raptors were led by one of the best backcourts in the NBA in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. However, at their best, neither one was ever considered a top ten player, let alone top five.
Everything changed when the Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard. Leonard missed all but nine games during the 2017-18 Season. But when healthy, Leonard had established himself as one of the best players in the entire Association. Leonard was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a former Finals MVP. He also finished in the top 3 in MVP voting in the two seasons immediately before his quad injury.
Leonard came to Toronto and did exactly what Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster hoped he would do. He averaged careers highs in points (26.6) and rebounds (7.3). Leonard played in only 60 regular season games due mostly to load management, but it was clear that he had regained his pre-injury form.
Once the playoffs started, Leonard took his game to another level. He averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Leonard also shot 37.9 percent from three-point range, with a true shooting percentage of 61.9. Leonard put together one of the most dominant playoff performances ever. He led the Toronto Raptors to their first ever NBA Championship and collected a second Finals MVP trophy.
With LeBron gone, it would have been easy for the Toronto Raptors to stand pat and bring back the same team. Instead, they pushed their chips in for Kawhi Leonard. This offseason, Toronto will be coming off an NBA Championship. Once again, it would be easy to ride out the current roster.
But Masai Ujiri and company have shown they’re not afraid to make the bold move. This offseason, they should look to shake things up by adding another significant piece.