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Toronto Raptors: 10 Bold Predictions for the 2016-17 Season

By Demar Grant

May 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Fire shoots up from the basket arms during player introductions prior to the Toronto Raptors hosting Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre.The Cavaliers won 113-87. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
May 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Fire shoots up from the basket arms during player introductions prior to the Toronto Raptors hosting Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre.The Cavaliers won 113-87. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Raptors
Jan 20, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) shakes hands with Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk (41) at the end of the fourth quarter in a game at Air Canada Centre. The Toronto Raptors won 115-109. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

9) Boston ends the season with a better record than Toronto

The Raptors won 56 games last year, but you’re lying to yourself if you thought they had the talent to win that many, let alone actually do it. The team topped out – Lowry and DeRozan had career years, Powell and Biyombo were revelations, while everyone gelled seamlessly.

This season, Lowry is set to decline, the addition of Sullinger already took a turn for the worst and Biyombo is gone without any real replacement.  There’s less talent than last year, when the Raptors took the league by storm.

In contrast, the Boston Celtics kept everyone of importance and plugged Al Horford into the mix. They won 48 last season by playing some of the best perimeter defence ever seen in the NBA, with a party bag of big men.

The Celtics’ big men were either all offence or all defence, but now they have a player who can do both in either position. The team is more malleable in any style they want to play, which is key to NBA basketball in the 2010’s.

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