by James Finneral
Five years back who would have thought the Toronto Raptors could ever be the top team in the Atlantic Division and have the third best record in the Eastern Conference. Since then this team has drastically changed. Toronto has been rebuilding for the past few years and now their team is finally starting to shape up. Now the Raptors have one of the more talented rosters in the league and they are showing no signs of slowing down.
The key to the Raptor's success starts with their best player, Kyle Lowry. Lowry played excellent this past season as an all around point guard averaging 18 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds per game. The Raptors did great in the offseason just by re-signing Lowry. As I stated in my past free agents article I believe Lowry is prime for even more of a breakout year and will earn a spot on the East All Star Team. It is convenient for a team when their best player is their point guard because the point guard initiates and runs the offense. Lowry is a great guy the have at that position and they even have a nice backup if he gets injured. The Raptors acquired point guard Greivis Vasquez from the Sacramento Kings last year. Vasquez is an excellent passer and proved that during his season with the New Orleans Hornets in 2012-2013. He will be a great replacement if Lowry goes down and the Raptors will be able to move on.
Along with Lowry many other of the Raptors starters stepped it up last year. DeMar DeRozan finished tenth in the league in scoring last year averaging 23 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. These are pretty very impressive statistics especially considering he is shooting guard and few people at his position can put up those type of numbers. DeRozan is very quick and athletic and will continue to fill out the stat sheet this season. At small forward Terrence Ross has been a nice fit for the Raptors. Ross is another great athlete who really benefits the Raptors transition game, but he does not take too much attention away from Lowry and DeRozan. Ross is a reliable guy that can put up 10 points a night and provide some highlight reel plays to get the team pumped up. If he continues to be a nice compliment for the Raptors two stars then Toronto will continue to thrive on the offensive end.
On the defensive end, the Raptors are powered by their two big men, Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson. Valanciunas came on to the scene last year during his second year in the NBA and made a huge difference for the Raptors. He nearly averaged a double-double as well as a block per game this past season. At 6'11, 230 pounds Valanciunas is a large presence in the post and can hang with some of the strongest centers. Amir Johnson is another big man that subtly plays a big role for Toronto. Johnson is 6'9", but he is one of the most athletic power forwards in the business. His vertical leap makes him as dangerous on the glass as a seven footer. Johnson will keep progressing and locking down the power forwards in the Eastern Conference. These quality big guys are nice to have when you already have two talented guards to make plays for them.
The Raptors starting lineup is one of the best in the East and they have a good number of guys that can jump in and give their studs rest. Their back-court can hold their own against anyone in the league and their big men are not to shabby either. This Toronto team is easily good enough to win this division and will finish as one of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: DeMar DeRozan
SF: Terrence Ross
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Jonas Valanciunas
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