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The Toronto Raptors aren't necessarily a team that many would say has a decent chance of winning an NBA title right now. This team, however, is clearly a title contender due to the way they defend.
The Raptors are an odd team; they have games when they beat championship-caliber teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and others. They also play games in which they lose to teams who have no business being on the same court as them. You have to give it to them and respect what they're accomplishing because they've beaten multiple high-level teams this year, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, and other championship-caliber teams.
Toronto will have to overcome a challenging schedule in order to win an NBA title. Taking on the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, or the new-look Brooklyn Nets won't be easy come playoff time. This group becomes more invested in championship-caliber opponents, and they play a different style of basketball when they know they're up against one of the top teams in the NBA, based on what they've shown this season.
One of the reasons the Toronto Raptors have been so successful in recent seasons is because of Nick Nurse, who is perhaps the best defensive coach in the NBA. His game plans for specific players on other teams are interesting, and they make life tough for some of the other Eastern Conference stars. Because Nick Nurse knows exactly what he has to do to make this squad successful, Toronto will be a good playoff team.
Obviously, the guys they'll be playing, like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, will play like the best players in the world regardless of the defensive strategies used against them, but Nick Nurse will make it difficult for both of them. Most opposing teams will not want to meet this Raptors team in the first round because of Nick Nurse, who is one of the top coaches in the NBA.
Let's take a look at a few Eastern Conference playoff teams who might pose a threat to the Raptors.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done. Matchups are always something that is going to play a major factor, and some teams just know how to get the job done against certain teams when it matters most.
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The Biggest Threats To The Raptors In The Playoffs, Ranked
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3. Bucks
There's some interesting blood between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors. Toronto defeated the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals a couple of years ago and went on to win the NBA title that season. Raptors and Bucks supporters frequently feud on social media and other forums, expressing their hate for their respective teams while believing that one is superior to the other.
Despite Nick Nurse's excellent work on Giannis Antetokounmpo, this sort of series is not what Toronto wants to see. The reason for this is that no matter how brilliant a game plan is, Giannis Antetokounmpo has grown in recent years, and you can't really build that wall around him anymore since Milwaukee did a fantastic job of going out and acquiring elite outside shooters.
Milwaukie will live with players like Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and several more who can knock down an open 3-point shot if Toronto chooses to build that wall.
2. Sixers
The Philadelphia Sixers are comparable to the Milwaukee Bucks in regards to Raptors fans not getting along with their fans since they knocked Philadelphia out in the same postseason year that they went on to win an NBA title. Since Kawhi Leonard's iconic shot to send the Philadelphia 76ers home, supporters of both teams have disliked each other's presence.
This would be an intriguing series, and it's possible that Toronto wouldn't mind it. Because the Philadelphia Sixers don't have other players surrounding Joe Embiid to help him knock down shots as the Milwaukee Bucks do, they may feel comfortable building a wall around Joel Embiid and doing all they can to slow him down.
At the end of the day, if Joel Embiid can keep playing like this, this isn't a series the Raptors want to play in. Obviously, they'll have to beat teams like the Philadelphia Sixers and the Milwaukee Bucks to get to where they want to be, but avoiding them as much as possible is ideal.
1. Nets
Even if the Brooklyn Nets weren't playing particularly well coming into the All-Star break, they're still a team to be concerned about if you're an Eastern Conference contender. Any team with Kevin Durant on it is going to be a force to be reckoned with, regardless of how much people want to argue with that.
