Toronto Raptors: Which teams threaten their championship hopes?

The Toronto Raptors are looking to make their first championship final in franchise history, but the path to get there will be a challenge.

It seems like at some point things will get tough for the Toronto Raptors, as they aim to lock down the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Only the Boston Celtics realistically stand in the way of that goal.

The real challenge obviously comes in the postseason, which has not been too kind to Toronto with their inability to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers. After getting swept by the Cavs, Masai Ujiri and Dwane Casey decided to implement serious changes to the way the team played on the court.

So far the payoff has been noticeable as they own the third-best winning percentage in the NBA, at at .726 per cent. They are also fourth in average points per game offensively at 111.9 and third-best defensively, with a rating of 102.6.

All that combined with one of the best bench units in the league and the improved play of DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, makes it hard to bet against the Raptors. Yet there are people who are doubting the team’s chances in the postseason because of its history and that can be understood, but the argument can be made that this is not the same team as in years past.

So here are the teams that pose the biggest risk to the Raptors’ chances of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.