Fansided

5 reasons the Toronto Raptors can win the NBA Championship

By Phillip Barnett

TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 30: The Toronto Raptors celebrate their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 30, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 30: The Toronto Raptors celebrate their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 30, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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fantasy, kyrie irving
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 11: Kyrie Irving /

4. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers aren’t quite ready

After an offseason that saw the Boston Celtics acquire both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, there was an ostensible power shift in the Eastern Conference. Brad Stevens already led the Celtics to the top seed in the Eastern Conference the year before and a trip the Eastern Conference Finals. The additions of Irving and Hayward with Al Horford still in the fold gave Stevens three legit All-Stars.

Instead, Hayward had a gruesome injury in the first quarter of the season while Irving recently underwent a season-ending knee surgery, leaving the Celtics with Al Horford surrounded by some excellent, but not quite championship-level youth.

In Philadelphia, the team acquired No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz, added J.J. Redick and would, at least they hoped, have Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons healthy for a full year.

Fultz’s shoulder issues kept the team from seeing what their newest piece would look like on the court, but for the most part, The Process was finally paying off. Simmons is the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, Embiid will be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation and the team (as of April 8) has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.

However, Embiid is out indefinitely with a freak injury that left him concussed and with an orbital bone fracture. There is no timetable for his return, and without Embiid on the floor, the 76ers are just a completely different team on the defensive end of the floor.

Both teams are primed to be atop the Eastern Conference for quite a while, but neither team looks like they’re in a position to snatch the conference title away in the way that Toronto is right now.

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