After a 118-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on April 5, the Toronto Raptors have clinched a playoff spot. Led by head coach Nick Nurse, the Raptors would be the fifth seed if the season ended right now, but with how close the East is, anything can happen. But as the five seed, is it possible for the Raptors to make any noise in the playoffs?
The Raptors have a very deep team, with all five starters scoring more than 15 points per game. The starters for the Raptors are Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, and Gray Trent Jr. This lineup has an average age of 24.5, which is pretty young for a starting lineup.
Can the Toronto Raptors make any noise in the playoffs?
As of right now, the Raptors have a 46-33 record, which is a huge improvement from last season when the Raptors finished 27-45. The Raptors looked like a rebuilding team coming into this season, but they have proved everybody wrong. But luckily for them, their struggles last season allowed them to select Barnes fourth overall in 2021.
In addition, the Raptors have All-Stars, with VanVleet becoming an All-Star this year and Siakam being an All-Star starter in 2020. This gives the Raptors two leaders to help out their young talent, which can be a good combination.
The one issue I see with this team is the lack of experience outside of Siakam and Vanvleet. That’s why, at the deadline, they brought in Thaddeus Young to try and address the issue.
Also, another glaring issue would be who would the Raptors play in the Playoffs. The Raptors will face the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, or the Boston Celtics in Round 1. No matter what outcome happens, the Raptors will have their hands full.
I think the best-case scenario would be if Toronto played the Bucks in the first round. The Raptors swept the season series against the Bucks in the regular season so they clearly know how to beat them. However, the Bucks are defending champions, so every regular-season stat should be thrown out the window.
So, can the Raptors make some noise this postseason? Personally, I don’t think this is the Raptors’ season. I feel like Toronto will be able to make some noise once players like Barnes and Anunboy get older. Remember, Barnes is just a rookie, so he still has a ton of room to improve.
If the Raptors continue to make the right moves and keep the right pieces, they should be back to contending for a title within two seasons. But for right now, they look like a team that takes the 76ers to a Game 7 but probably falls short of the second round. That being said, the future in Toronto sure looks bright.