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NBA: Separating Championship Contenders From Pretenders

By Clint Pemberton

Sep 26, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0), forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) pose for a photo during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0), forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) pose for a photo during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 4, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) reacts after a call in game seven of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at the Air Canada Centre. Brooklyn defeated Toronto 104-103. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) reacts after a call in game seven of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at the Air Canada Centre. Brooklyn defeated Toronto 104-103. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Toronto Raptors 13-2
ORating 115.1 (2nd), DRating 102.7 (7th), Point Differential +11.6 (1st), SOS 27th, Title odds +1900
Home 9-1, Road 4-1

Whilst acknowledging that the Raptors have benefitted from an easy and home heavy schedule (10 of 15) to open the season, you can only beat who they put in front of you, and the Raptors have done it and done it impressively. The Raptors have beaten both good and bad teams going 7-2 against teams above .500 and an unblemished 6-0 versus teams under .500, with eight of their 13 wins by 10 or more points. Sporting the best point differential in the league and the only team to be ranked inside the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, the Raptors have already built a 3.5 game buffer atop the Eastern Conference.

This years Raptors are a much deeper, more balanced team than the one that finished 48-34 and was bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season. Beneficiaries of continuity, the Raptors returned all five starters from last season to a team that boasts a top five backcourt duo, an emerging center in Jonas Valanciunas and a deeper, more talented bench led by sixth-man of the year front-runner Lou Wiiliams.

The question remains, how will they matchup against the cream of the West? With The Chicago Bulls injury worries and the Cleveland Cavaliers “everything” worries it would hardly be surprising for the Raptors to come out of the Eastern Conference and get the chance to find out. The Raptors have done nothing but win this season, the numbers all point to a genuine contender, so until we see evidence to the contrary, Toronto sits comfortably in the contender group.

Status – Contender

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