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Toronto Raptors: What Defines Success?

By Demar Grant

May 1, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The Toronto Raptors mascot entertains fans in Jurassic Park outside the Air Canada Centre prior to playing Indiana Pacers in game seven of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY
May 1, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The Toronto Raptors mascot entertains fans in Jurassic Park outside the Air Canada Centre prior to playing Indiana Pacers in game seven of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY /
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As eyes turn away from the last season and begin to peer towards the upcoming campaign, the Toronto Raptors need to do some serious thinking about success.

In the NBA, at its very essence success is determined by winning, something the Toronto Raptors did a lot of last season. They won so much, they set a franchise record with 56 victories, but as eyes turn towards the upcoming season, the Raptors need to do some serious thinking about what defines success.

Last season, it was a given the Raptors would make the playoffs again, helped by the additions of Norman Powell and DeMarre Carroll. DeMar DeRozan was also expected to blossom and Kyle Lowry was to at least remain the same — the talent was there.

The Raptors had never won a seven game series before, so making it out of the first round was the major goal for the franchise and the fan base. The city was in a frenzy as the team advanced in the playoffs, with people literally dancing in the streets when they made it through to the Eastern Conference finals.

Much like the Memphis Grizzlies’ “grit and grind,” Toronto is sold on “We the North,” a witty slogan that combines national pride with a splash of Game of Thrones and winning. Both cities have completely connected with the team and their identity, with the respective slogans.

Toronto has trouble being recognized in sports (other than hockey), simply because their teams are outside of America, but their slogan gave Torontonians — and Canada as a whole — a rallying cry for the Raptors. Fans held the belief that ‘we made it’. Finally, recognition for the franchise and how much of a threat they really are.

The Raps exceeded their goal and then some, by making an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals and taking two games from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the eventual NBA champions. Everyone wants to do it, but only one team can raise the Larry O’Brien trophy every year.

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Realistically, teams like the Philadelphia 76ers wont have a banner next season, or even within a few years. All they have to do for the campaign to be considered successful is to win more games, so they don’t set the record for the worst regular season ever. Heck, just a season where Joel Embiid and Dario Saric actually grace the floor could be considered a success for the 76ers.

For the Golden State Warriors it’s clear-cut, championship or death by shame, scorn and laughter. There’s never been such a prohibitive favourite in NBA history (they have Steph Curry and Kevin Durant) and the talent is there to set a new precedent for dominance in the NBA.

The Raptors are a team that falls in between these two, admittedly closer to the Warriors ideal than the 76ers, but the idea of a successful campaign is in flux. Typically, the goal each year is to do better than the previous season, or to at least put the team in a position where it is better long-term than what it is now.

Short-term, Masai Ujiri’s absolute first priority was to re-sign DeRozan. “Our number one goal is to bring DeMar back,” the Raptors general manager told the press at the end of the season, and he did just that.

After signing DeRozan to his massive five-year, $139 million contract, the Raptors look bound for another playoff berth next year. The team now has a sense of stability, with Jonas Valanciunas signed for three more seasons and Dwane Casey recently agreeing a three-year contract extension.

If Lowry can be re-signed when his contract is up (he has a player option after next season) it all sounds great for making runs in the playoffs for the next few years. However, while the core of Lowry, DeRozan and Valaciunas has been a mainstay since 2013, it’s difficult to see them winning a championship together.

This team is officially locked in place, i.e. it’s very good, but not great. The Raptors haven’t been a playoff anchor, ever, and if they could remain a playoff piece for the next three to five years, this era would rank as the best they have ever had.

Toronto Raptors
Sep 28, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas (17) guard Kyle Lowry (7) and guard DeMar DeRozan (10) during the media day at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports /

Another season with 50 wins isn’t unimaginable, with an uptick in Valanciunas, Powell and CoJo’s production expected, and able to compensate for any Lowry regression. Again, the playoffs are a given for this team for the next few years.

However, last year is probably the best it’s going to get. The plans for Serge Ibaka and Paul Millsap fell through and objectively speaking, this team looks worse on paper this season.

Now that the Raptors have peaked with this squad, they aren’t better than Cleveland — even in Lebron James‘ twilight years — and Boston is creeping up behind them. The Celtics signed Al Horford, while maintaining a treasure trove of assets and expendable cap space they can offer for a superstar player.

The way for the Raptors to move forward in becoming contenders for a championship is to actually take a step back, which will be painful. It means admitting defeat and accepting the team you have now is not good enough to take the city to the promised land.

It also means identifying this team as in a transition period where anyone can be traded, so they can get better in the long-term. Taking a step back would mean surrendering the fandom and goodwill of the fans now, for a shot later on at ultimate success in the NBA.

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The NBA championship can only be achieved with a superstar player as part of the team, which the Raptors don’t have enough resources to trade for at this point. If someone else thinks they do, it’ll result in a Carmelo Anthony-like deal where they’ll have to gut the team in the trade and start over from scratch with that franchise player.

It is extremely difficult for the Raptors to draft a superstar talent, with their current cycle of qualifying for the playoffs but never quite making it to the finals, resulting in a pick in the 20s. Even this year, where they possessed the Knicks’ pick in the draft, they opted for the safe selection instead of trading up or taking a gamble on Skal Labissere, a player who could have superstar potential.

There is no way to grab a meaningful player in the offseason, because the Raptors are capped out, meaning they will have to improve from within. However, the difference between them and Cleveland, let alone the Warriors, is too vast for any player on the current roster to significantly close the gap.

So a step back appears to be the only option for the Raptors, if the front office ever wants to see the Larry O’Brien trophy in the Air Canada Centre. The problem is, the fanbase loves the team now, the bromance between Lowry and DeRozan and the simple recognition of being a good team.

Next: Welcome to the DeMar DeRozan show

The team is winning and it should continue next year. They appeared so close, but when you take a long, hard look at the landscape, they’re nowhere close to winning the championship.

But, the Raptors are going to win a ton of games. Mission accomplished……..Right?

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