It's the 2019 NBA champions from the friendly neighborhood of Canada, the Toronto Raptors.
The championship run did rub off on the Raptors as they did not fall too low in their conference, clinching the number 2 spot in the eastern conference playoffs even without Kawhi Leonard.
Though the Raptors made a good playoff run but eventually fell to the Boston Celtics in the eastern conference semifinals in 7 games.
Now the departure of Kawhi Leonard did hurt the Raptors but a new rising star in Pascal Siakam has held the stage since then.
At the power forward position, Pascal Siakam is a force inside the paint both on offense and defense. Listed at 6'9, Siakam has flourished extensively in the past 2 years. Siakam came into the league as a defensive player and has become a lockdown defender in the post too, racking up blocks on a nightly basis. As for his offense, he has developed into a great pick & pop shooter from the mid-range and off screens. Siakam can also finish at the rim in pick & roll situations over other big men in the league.
Video: Tornato Raptors still fighting hard
Coming onto their veteran point guard Kyle Lowry. Lowry was a key piece in the 2019 championship run of the Toronto Raptors. A 2 way playmaker who looks for opportunities to slash to the rim, Lowry doesn't get enough credit for his basketball IQ & playmaking. He takes up quite the charge on the offensive end and is also an excellent perimeter defender.
Another cornerstone in the Raptors lineup is Serge Ibaka. Ibaka too was a defensive mindset player when he entered the league but has worked a lot on his offense and has developed into an inside-out scorer. Ibaka has turned into a real threat from the 3point arc while also playing inside the post and has still been a consistent defender in the paint.
Apart from the huge improvement Pascal Siakam has made in the past few years, Fred VanVleet is another raptor who has made huge strides in the past couple of years or so. Though VanVleet plays point, his playmaking and 3point scoring go hand in hand. VanVleet too had big performances in the 2019 NBA finals and made a huge contribution to the team winning the championship.
Now onto what's next for the Raptors. Even though Norman Powell did step up his game this past season, a change or an addition at the shooting guard position would help Kyle Lowry & Pascal Siakam take some load off on the offense because I feel the Raptors are locked on the defensive side of the floor. Let’s see if they’re able to ride this stride into the 2020 NBA season.
Current superstars - Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam.
Past superstars - DeMar Derozan, Chris Bosh.
Past legends - Charles Oakley, Vince Carter.
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