Until Toronto can show they know how to play in the playoffs, I still like our chances. They do this every year.
I just keep laughing at the Cavs. Ainge just totally fleeced the Cavs. IT and Crowder are shells of themselves. What people don't understand is that Stevens system makes below average players look good and average players look great.
The last two seasons the Raptors are 3-2 in playoff series. The 2 losses were to the Cavs. I'm not sure how you don't think they've shown you they know how to play in the playoffs already.
Have you seen Lowry and DeRozan in the playoffs? I'm not saying we would sweep them but I Monroe and Smart would add a different dimension to a series.
Sure and I've seen them win 3 playoff series in the last two seasons with the losses coming to the Cavs in both those years.
Those 3 series they won though, I don't think they were all that impressive.
2016 as a 56 win #2 seed:
Went to 7 games against the #7 45-37 Pacers
Went to 7 games against the #3 48-34 Heat
Those were not good looks for a team that was supposed to be at the top of the weak East and had 11 and 8 more regular season wins then their opponents. Those playoff series left you impressed with the Raptors?
2017 as a 51 win #3 seed:
Actually started off 1-2 against the 42 win Bucks. I think they looked legit over the rest of that series though until getting steamrolled by Cleveland in the next round (with an injured Lowry though).
Semi-interesting side note, they lost the 1st game in all 5 of those series. Easy money bet, take the opponent in the 1st game of any Raptors playoff series.
I don't view the Raptors as a team that has shown they can take it to the next level in the playoffs, I've think they've consistently looked very vulnerable to inferior opponents.
Sure sometimes good teams look vulnerable against worse teams, like the C's against Atlanta (and to a lesser extent Cleveland) in '08 or against #8 Philly in '12, or even last year against the Bulls, but they then turn around and look much better against equal or even superior opponents. Have not seen that from the Raptors yet.