Our 2019/20 Toronto Raptors - by Moses

      This year's Toronto Raptors are arguably the best team in the NBA right now.  Reeling off a 15 game winning streak (losing last night in Brooklyn) our Raptors showed immense depth in their run.  Primary scoring was shared by four men and secondary and tertiary options proved valuable.  Norman Powell has emerged as the best 6 man in the NBA, Kyle Lowry is a money player, and alongside Spicy P, Serge Ibaka, and Fred VanVleet, provide the Raps with scoring punch.  Powell, Anunoby, Hollis-Jefferson, Terrence Davis, and Marc Gasol make our team nine deep.  

  In the first two rounds of the playoffs we should be able to win based on our primary and secondary scoring.  Against the Bucks we'll have to rely on our 7,8,9 men to provide relief for our big play-makers.  Siakam could be silenced by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and what will be interesting is to see how Terrence Davis, OG Anunoby, and Hollis Jefferson respond in clutch situations towards a Semi-Finals confrontation against the Bucks.  I believe Ibaka, Gasol, Hollis-Jefferson, and Pascal Siakam are big enough to contain the boards should there be a match-up of Toronto/Milwaukee in the Semi-Finals.   

  What is truly impressive in how our Raptors won games during the run with guys on the injured list.  Siakam was injured for a good body of the run and when he was down Powell picked up the team by playing his best game (until going down a few games ago) scoring 23-27 points a game for a good stretch.  Ibaka and Gasol both sustained injuries as well, but healthy were also standout.  Alongside Hollis-Jefferson and Anunoby our big men were dominant in the paint winning the battle of the boards almost every game during our winning streak.  I was pleasantly surprised by Anunoby and Davis, as both had the appearance of emerging superstars of the game during our most recent run.  In fact we could see a dynasty as a result of our depth as a team led by current NBA guru Nick Nurse.  Nurse has this team looking on the cusp of greatness for years' to come.  It does however lead me to feel for guys like Dwayne Casey, Butch Carter, Sam Mitchell, and Lenny Wilkens as each had influence on growth of the franchise in bringing a winning mentality into the mix here in Canada.