Toronto Raptors: Three glaring questions ahead of the 2019-20 postseason

For the seventh straight year, the Toronto Raptors will be a playoff team. Hoping to defend the franchise’s first title, what are some questions facing them this postseason?

Let’s face it – nobody expected the Toronto Raptors to be in the position they presently find themselves in. Losing Kawhi Leonard meant Toronto would have to defend its title sans a superstar which, in today’s NBA, is a fool’s errand.

But instead of cowering to the opinions of the masses, Nick Nurse’s team has made them all eat their words. Injuries have crippled the Raptors all season long, but their depth has shone through it all and put Toronto near the top of the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, the once-upon-a-time title-favourite Philadelphia 76ers look like a team lost without a compass, and in dire need of a shooting star to bring them hope. Ben Simmons is a star, sure. But a “shooting” one? Nah.

As prolific as Toronto has looked in the regular season, the playoffs are a different story and bring a whole new set of challenges to teams. The Raptors have benefitted from their depth but will need their best players to be their best players in April, May and June if there’s any chance of a repeat of last year’s parade.

When the going gets tough in the postseason, the dinos won’t have Leonard there to rescue them; instead, these Raptors have Pascal Siakam in that role. Is he ready for the storm that awaits him in a seven-game playoff series? A matchup with the Miami Heat will pose a lot of questions to Spicy P, and it’s still unclear if he has all the answers.

So…let’s look at three questions facing the Toronto Raptors ahead of the 2019-20 postseason.