3 biggest play-in tournament threats Toronto Raptors could face
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors have managed to claw their way into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference on the back of a balanced starting lineup and some All-Star caliber performances from Fred VanVleet and the snubbed Pascal Siakam. Toronto currently sits as the No. 7 seed in the conference.
However, Toronto’s work is far from finished. In addition to patching up some of the holes that have hampered them throughout this season, they need to make sure they can withstand the necessary blows to abate any sort of offensive from teams beneath them in the standings.
As the Raptors have shown multiple times over the course of this season, the East is incredibly deep. Teams hovering around the fringes of the play-in could still give Toronto trouble. Likewise, it would be foolish to expect some of the squads marginally above them to just capitulate.
The Raptors appear destined for a play-in spot in some capacity, but they will encounter some extremely challenging resistance as the season drags on. These 3 teams are Toronto’s biggest to both a playoff birth and sustaining a long playoff run if they qualify.
3 biggest threats Toronto Raptors could face in the play-in tournament.
3. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks looked to be dead in the water early in the season, as all of the magic from their Eastern Conference Finals run has evaporated. Somehow, Trae Young and Nate McMillan have managed to pick up the pace, putting Atlanta almost dead even with the division rival Hornets.
While the Raptors have had some success against Atlanta this year, there are reasons to be worried about a potential play-in duel. In addition to the Young factor, a center rotation that features John Collins, Clint Capela, and Onyeka Okongwu could be very problematic for a smaller Raptors team.
The Toronto Raptors should take note of the Hawks.
Atlanta and Charlotte might have similar records, but the Hawks have the size and star power advantage. While Toronto has been able to counteract Atlanta’s positive traits by using their length and disruption. Siakam’s scoring and VanVleet’s leadership have kept Atlanta at bay.
Still, it remains to be seen if that strategy would work in future matchups or a playoff setting. While there are definite holes on this roster, all it takes is Young to have one of those nights where he can’t miss from 3-point range to send the raptors into a frantic shootout.