With two months left to play in the regular season section of the 2016/17 NBA it is currently the Cleveland Cavaliers who are leading the field in the Eastern Conference – with the Golden State Warriors the front-runners in the Western Conference. The Toronto Raptors sit in fifth spot in the Eastern Conference just now, but what has their overall form been like during this first five months of the season?
Given that they were placed in second spot in their conference at this point during the 2015/16 season, their current status has to be considered something of a disappointment. Last season was a good one for the Raptors as they secured 50 league wins for the first time, finishing second in the conference and first in the Atlantic Division, before eventually losing out in the Eastern Conference Finals stage of the play-offs. As with last season, the Raptors stand-out performers during their inconsistent season thus far have been offensive ones – notably DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. The latter is regarded by many observers as the jewel in the crown of the Raptors squad, and it is hard to argue against this assessment based on his performers once again this season – but DeRozan’s stats are equally impressive. The backcourt player has produced an average of 28 points this season, which represents an all-time career best when it comes to shooting, and this has contributed significantly to keeping the Raptors in contention. The team also benefits from having decent strength in depth, with Patrick Paterson and Cory Joseph being probably the strongest impact subs in the Eastern Conference.
The major problem with the Raptors, and the reason why they lag behind favourites for the NBA title such as their Eastern Conference rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Western Conference’s Warriors, is their defence. They have largely been able to get away with this in past season’s, thanks to the quality they have in offence, but their poor stats – 29th overall when it comes to defensive rebounds – will be an issue when it comes to the crunch. The Raptors are currently rated +2500 to win this season’s NBA championship, compared with -150 for the hot favourites the Golden State Warriors, and +275 for second favourites the Cavaliers – suggesting the bookies also recognise that their defence is not championship-winning class.
A lot of fans do like to place bets on the individual games, and the title winner, to up the excitement levels. However, there are several different betting choices and, if you are a diehard Raptors fan, the Slam Dunk NBA slot game might be more enjoyable.
