Ranking the best Eastern Conference teams LeBron James has destroyed

Ranking the 5 best Eastern Conference teams LeBron James has destroyed

MIAMI, FL - MAY 24: (L-R) Kyle Korver #26, Carlos Boozer #5, Derrick Rose #1, Luol Deng #9 and Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls talk on court against the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 24, 2011 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The Heat won 101-93 in overtime. 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. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images) /

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CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 7: Kyle Lowry #7 and DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors wait for a free-throw during the second half of Game 4 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on May 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 128-93. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

3. The 2017-18 Toronto Raptors

Record: 59-23, 1st in Eastern Conference

Result: 4-0 loss in Eastern Conference Semifinals

The 2017-18 season was supposed to be different for the Toronto Raptors.

After making a surprise run to the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals and succumbing to James and the Cavaliers in six games, the Raptors took a step back the following season. When Cleveland swept Toronto out of the second round, general manager Masai Ujiri called for a “culture reset” that involved a shift away from the team’s isolation-heavy offense.

Head coach Dwane Casey obliged, installing more ball movement, three-point shooting and a heavier reliance on the team’s bench, which helped the Raptors win a franchise-record 59 games during the 2017-18 regular season. With Cleveland having undergone not one but two drastic roster overhauls since August, the Raptors had every right to believe they were due to vanquish their Cavaliers demons.

Instead, history repeated itself in agonizing fashion.

In Game 1 of their second-round series against Cleveland, the Raptors never trailed in regulation and had multiple last-second chances to take a lead with a tip-in. Instead, the Cavaliers stole home-court advantage with an overtime victory and then opened up a 2-0 series lead after James hit a parade of increasingly difficult fadeaways in the second half of Game 2.

In Game 3, James stuck the final dagger in Toronto’s collective heart with a preposterous running floater off the backboard right as the final buzzer sounded. The Cavaliers proceeded to run the Raptors off the floor in their series-clinching Game 4, putting a disheartening cap on an otherwise excellent season for Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Co.

After a few days of reflection, Ujiri decided to fire Casey on Friday, calling it “a very difficult but necessary step the franchise must take.” It remains to be seen whether the Raptors drastically overhaul their roster this offseason or if they give this core one more chance, but either way, Toronto appears poised to follow in the footsteps of the early 2010s Pacers and the mid-2010s Hawks in the coming years.

Next: 2. The 2006-07 Detroit Pistons

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