Raptors believe they’re still an NBA title threat
On the eve of their first meaningful game since March 9, it doesn’t feel like the Toronto Raptors are even on the radar when the basketball world discusses NBA title contenders.
The defending champs are a mere side note to the two Los Angeles teams, the Lakers and Clippers, and the Eastern Conference favourite Milwaukee Bucks. Two of those three teams — the Clippers being the exception — had better records through the 64 games that were played before the coronavirus hijacked our collective sense of normal. Those teams should be favoured.
But there are also those who have both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, two teams the Raptors outshone in the pre-pandemic portion of the schedule, ahead of them, too. It makes no sense. Fortunately the Raptors themselves have their own strong opinions about where they stand in the pecking order of teams likely to be hoisting the Larry O’brien trophy in mid-october and that happens to be right at the top of that list.
And it’s not just the we’ve been there, we can do it again argument either.
It’s that the players on this team — a team that no longer boasts a world-class talent in Kawhi Leonard or a world-class three-and-d guy in Danny Green — know the talent they do have is enough to get them to the top again, even without those two highly talented individuals.
“We have a group of professionals that go out there and know their jobs and understand their roles, and I think that’s one thing I will say we have: true professionals and guys that want to win and continue to chase what we want to get again, and that’s to get a trophy at the end of this season,” Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said. “For us, it’s about being us and continue trying to grow in these next eight games and pushing forward in the next months of playoffs.”
Serge Ibaka, a guy who has embraced his role and sacrificed personal success for team achievements as much as any player on this roster, sees a collective inner confidence that can’t be shaken throughout this team. A group that doesn’t hear the outside “noise” or let it get in the way of what they know they can accomplish.
Ibaka has no doubt the Raptors are prepared to make another championship run.
“Mentally as a team, I think we are ready, because one good thing about us is we’ve been playing (together) for so long,” he said.
And as much as we always want to make it about talent, as Marc Gasol says so consistently, it’s not about who has the most talent, but who has the best team and the two are often quite different.
A returning group that includes Lowry, Ibaka, Fred Vanvleet, Pascal Siakam, Gasol, OG Anunoby and Norm Powell at the front of the rotation has a luxury of instant chemistry most teams frankly can’t come close to matching.
There is a familiarity there that breeds confidence and that confidence in turn brings success.
“I guess we have that confidence in us now, after last year, we believe in us,” Ibaka said. “It’s our confidence, nobody can take that from us, we trust each other, we know what to do to win so I think that’s important. No matter what’s going around out there, whatever they’re saying, I think that’s one thing they cannot take from us is our confidence, the confidence we have now, and how we live with each other, how we know how to play with each other, I think one thing that nobody can take that from us.”
Head coach Nick Nurse has been asked the question about overcoming the loss of a talent like Leonard so often one could probably fill an entire two-hour podcast with his responses played back to back.
But on Thursday, when a nonnorth American member of the media asked him why he thought the Raptors could win it all again, he gave a very succinct answer.
“Well, we like to think we’re pretty good, right,” Nurse said. And despite all the hype about Lebron James and Anthony Davis in Lakers colours together or the giant strides Giannis Antetokounmpo took even after an MVP season a year ago, that is the very reason the vast majority of the NBA is underselling the Raptors as a strong contender to repeat.
Rest assured Nurse and his players know themselves far better than anyone on the outside looking in.