Who are the Toronto Raptors biggest competitors for seeding this season?

Miami Heat

Led by Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat will surely be in contention for home court come April.

The Heat find themselves in a similar category to Boston, in that they have a high-upside, but are a step behind the conference frontrunners in Milwaukee and Philly.

Miami has been helped along by youngsters Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, and their development will be crucial in their pursuit of home court this season. Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo will be crucial pieces as well, but where they may struggle may be towards the end of their bench.

In comparison to the Raptors, Toronto has a much higher upside, and if the reserves can get going, they better pieces off the bench as well, not to mention the big-game experience that the Raptors have.

The Verdict: The Heat are going to come and go with Jimmy Butler. If Miami’s youth can continue to give them support, then there is no reason to think that they can’t finish in the top-4 in the East. With that being said, if the Raptors can stay relatively healthy and grow into the season, they should be able to do just enough to sneak ahead of a very strong Heat team.