Power-ranking the 10 biggest challengers to the Lakers in 2020-21

6. Toronto Raptors

Another year of mileage on Kyle Lowry’s NBA odometer and Pascal Siakam’s inability to step up in his first playoff run as “the guy” is what knocks the Toronto Raptors down a peg or two in our power rankings, but make no mistake about it: People doubted Nick Nurse’s squad before the 2019-20 campaign too, and they were all proven wrong pretty quickly.

The Raptors were the second-best team in the East for all of last season. They have a terrifyingly long, amoebic defense, one of the best coaches in the league and a young core of Siakam, OG Anunoby and Norman Powell that’s only going to get better and better.

However, Toronto also has questions to answer heading into the offseason. Marc Gasol is a free agent and may be looking to finish up his career in Spain. Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet are also hitting free agency, and there should be a market for each of them. But if the Raptors can keep this group intact, and if Lowry has another good year left in the tank at age 34, they’ll be a team no one should sleep on yet again.