1 advantage Raptors have over comparable playoff contenders

Cavs: Togetherness

As silly as it may sound, the Raptors chose to bring everybody back with the goal that unity could help separate them in a crowded east. Cleveland should be heralded for getting Mitchell, but they now have some big questions to answer about the state of the roster and how scoring will be divided up.

The Cavaliers need to tell two All-Stars in Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen that their shots per game are going down. Evan Mobley’s shot attempts remain a question JB Bickerstaff needs to answer. The move also eroded a bench that is now being carried solely on the shoulders of Caris LeVert.

The Toronto Raptors may be more composed than the Cavs.

The Raptors can go into the season with most of their roster knowing their roles and responsibilities. While Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby might fight for some extra shots between the both of them, keeping everyone from a 48-win team together might not be the worst idea in the world.

That defensive frontcourt in Cleveland has the potential to overwhelm opponents, but the Raptors are unique in that they can lean on so many established role players who know the system. That might be all it takes to win the extra handful of games needed to become a winner.