5 Eastern Conference contenders that never got past LeBron James

MIAMI, FL - MAY 26: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball as Paul George #24 of the Indiana Pacers defends during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena on May 26, 2014 in Miami, Florida. 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 Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

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CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers battles with DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won the game 105-103 to take a 3-0 series lead. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

1. Toronto Raptors

To understand how thoroughly LeBron James dominated the late-2010s Raptors, let’s start at the end. By 2017-18, James’ Cavaliers were on their last legs. The departure of Kyrie Irving severely damaged the team’s ceiling, and they no longer even bothered to take the regular season seriously, winning just 50 games. Kevin Love was hurt yet again.

At the same time, the Raptors were in the midst of the best season in franchise history, notching 59 wins and watching young role players Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby blossom. DeMar DeRozan looked to have embraced the 3-point shot enough to keep defenders honest, and he was sharing the ball more, even gaining buzz on the fringes of the NBA MVP conversation.

By earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Toronto earned homecourt advantage for its second-round bout with Cleveland. Like many James teams, the lack of focus on the regular season meant he faced great teams in the second round rather than the conference finals. Many believed this was the Raptors’ great chance, after losing in six games to Cleveland in 2016 and being swept in 2017.

Instead, the script was exactly the same. James devastated Toronto, sweeping the best team in the franchise’s history and basically toying with them by the end.

Toronto would go on to win a title the following year after trading for Kawhi Leonard, but only after James moved on to the Lakers and the Western Conference, clearing a path that hadn’t existed for almost a decade as he made eight straight NBA Finals.

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