Toronto Raptors: Top three takeaways from week 20

3. The Toronto Raptors clinching the playoffs

There were a lot of doubters at the start of the season after the Toronto Raptors lost their Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and replaced him with, well, no one. In fact, Sam Mitchell, former coach of the Toronto Raptors and now an analyst for NBA TV had Toronto ranked as the 8th seed in the conference, below the likes of the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets.

Even with all of the haters and doubters, the Raptors continued to do what they always do…prove the doubters wrong.

Pascal Siakam, again, is having a career year and Kyle Lowry has taken a more active role this season compared to last when he took a backseat to both Leonard and Siakam. Players like Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell have taken big leaps this season each seeing extra playing time, and rookies like Terence Davis and Matt Thomas have exceeded expectations.

The high point of this season for Toronto was the franchise-best, 15-game win streak that propelled them to the second seed in the East and the third-best record in the NBA. There were many ups and downs as the Raptors had to deal with numerous injuries to every player this season, but the next man up always delivered and made up for the difference. Toronto’s depth will come in handy in the postseason.

After their win against the Golden State Warriors, the Raptors became just the second team in the league to clinch a playoff spot, an impressive feat considering all the doubts analysts had prior to the season.

While this is a great accomplishment for them, the Raptors know that this is only a regular-season achievement. They still have their eyes on the big prize: a second title.

With the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat all competing for the same prize, the Raptors must find a way to fend off each team and be the final squad standing in the East.

From there, they’ll either have to slay King James or break the heart of a former teammate and self-proclaimed “fun guy”.