NBA: Grading each team’s 2014-2015 season

TORONTO RAPTORS. B+. <p>Which Raptors team are we evaluating?</p> <p>Toronto began the season on a tear with a 24-7 record, but since that point, the Raptors are 24-26. To be fair to Toronto, preseason expectations placed them somewhere in the middle of the pack among Eastern Conference playoff teams, but it feels a bit odd that the Raptors won’t crack 50 wins given their start, and the defense (23rd in the NBA) isn’t becoming of a legitimate contender.</p> <p>Still, Toronto is very good on offense (3rd in the NBA) and the perimeter trio of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Lou Williams has performed extremely well. This still isn’t the team that Masai Ujiri hoped to construct, but instead of rebuilding, the Raptors have overachieved in back-to-back seasons (at least against their talent level), and Dwane Casey deserves credit for that.</p> <p>There is no question that the Raptors aren’t as good as some made them out to be in January, but they have won more games than most thought they would. Again, it is <em>all</em> about expectations.</p>. 1st. Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference