Warriors crushing Cavaliers shows how far Raptors are from NBA title

The Raptors are a solid class below the class below the NBA champions and we’re not truly sure they are the best among that class. They’re pretenders.

After watching the Cleveland Cavaliers get absolutely pulverized by the Golden State Warriors in the first two games of the NBA finals I felt a strange sense of vindication. Mostly because I have an active bet between Doug Smith and myself about the NBA Championship, (I have the Warriors versus the field) but it showed the Cavs are a vulnerable team. There are flaws in the team that makes them beatable — you just need the right personnel to exploit it.

Then over the course of the next three games, watching the Cavs set a record for most points in a half, then after getting obliterated by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry on their way to raising the Larry O’Brien trophy I thought about the Toronto Raptors role in all of this. Golden State is simply in a class above all other teams in the league, four hall of fame players all on one team is nearly impossible to surmount even though LeBron James leads your squad.

Now, consider the Raptors got swept in the second round to the team that nearly got swept in the NBA Finals. Sure, the Cavaliers made the finals, but just let that sink in. The Raptors are a solid class below the class below the NBA champions and we’re not truly sure they are the best among that class. They’re pretenders and even that might be a misfit label.

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Think back to last year when the Raptors tied the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The series was 2-2 and the Raps had stunned the league, showing that they wouldn’t simply roll over to the Cavaliers. In the press conference after the Cavaliers won Game 5, LeBron responded to a question asking about adversity in the series and he responded by saying:

“I’ve been a part of some really adverse situations, and I just didn’t believe that this was one of them,”.

The Raptors were two wins away from the NBA Finals and still weren’t seen as a threat. Now the tide in the East is rising. In the year the Dinos added Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker to the roster they find themselves swimming with the likes of the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics, teams that look nice on paper, and maybe the regular season, but have fatal flaws that bar them from contender status.

We thought the Raptors had finally graduated pass this B-level classification with their trade deadline shifting but the changes didn’t amount too much. The Celtics still finished the season with the best record in the Conference and the Wizards put on a better showing than the Raptors ever did against the Cavaliers.

In fact, the problems the Raptors had against the Cavs this year were the same as last year and just as severe. There were shooters on the Raps in Kyle Lowry, Ibaka and Norman Powell, just no snipers. Add on the fact that the high-end talent of the Dinos, DeMar DeRozan and Lowry, are nowhere near comparison to LeBron and Co. and you get a 4-0 sweep. The Cavs looked indestructible coming out of the East when they also dismantled the Celtics in five games and yet here we are. Revenge of the 3-1 lead.

If the Raptors ever do plan on competing for a title it isn’t possible right now. It’s just not. The quota for a realistic run for the championship is one hall of famer, bare minimum. Someone who, makes you go ‘wow’ at least five times a game, a player who is breaking some sort of convention of the game through sheer skill or physical make up. And the best teams in the league today are trotting out at least two.

No such player exists on the Raptors. That player isn’t Jonas Valanciunas, DeRozan or Lowry. They’re all within the wide realm of good players but none project to ever enter that sacred realm of great. Masai Ujiri said he wants to win big in Toronto but it’s hard to imagine a path of champions with the roster as it’s currently constructed.

Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) during a break in the action against the Milwaukee Bucks in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Milwaukee defeated Toronto 97-83. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Lowry’s free agency looms over this Raptors franchise like Boo in Luigi’s mansion and eventually everything must come to a head. Re-signing Lowry commits the Raps to $200 million in an aging guard who breaks down every year. It means Raptors will trample the cap and find themselves steaming in the luxury tax. That also means locking in the roster that just got demolished by the Cavs, a nice second (sometimes third) round out.

Ujiri said he has a blessing from MLSE to keep the team together even though the cost can be hefty, but is it really worth it when the ultimate goal is a title? This team is so far away from this year’s finalists they don’t even speak the same language. The Raps talk about making the finals, while the Warriors and Cavs speak about best team, players and duos ever.

The Drake’s are a young franchise, and being good right now is valuable for a young fan base. Consecutive 50 win seasons are great for any franchise really, the Spurs have been doing it for over a decade, but those real championship rosters sprinkle in 60 W’s just so you know it’s real. The Raps aren’t there yet though and if they keep the status quo, it’s not happening.

Warriors crushing Cavaliers shows how far Raptors are from Championship

By Demar Grant | Jun 14, 2017

The Raptors are a solid class below the class below the NBA champions and we’re not truly sure they are the best among that class. They’re pretenders.

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