Can Raptors compete for #1 seed in east this upcoming season?

[Primer]

7-8 points is a huge difference when you consider the average score differential in nba games is around 8-10.

But Lowry scored far far more efficiently (not to mention he did is last year, not 3 years ago).

Lowry TS% .567 eFG% .511

Rose (11-12) TS% .532 eFG% .473

We're talking 13.7 FGA vs 18 FGA. If Lowry just shot the ball more, he would score more, just like Rose.

[raptors999]

But Lowry scored far far more efficiently (not to mention he did is last year, not 3 years ago).

Lowry TS% .567 eFG% .511

Rose (11-12) TS% .532 eFG% .473

We're talking 13.7 FGA vs 18 FGA. If Lowry just shot the ball more, he would score more, just like Rose.

Bulls would have taken anybody over Rose last three years. 60M down the drain, more if you include Boozer.

[BasketballJesus]

Being first in the east is like winning a participation trophy. It doesn't really matter.

[raptors999]

Being first in the east is like winning a participation trophy. It doesn't really matter.

Its something treadmill teams don't do, win the conference. Indy had a set back but everyone thought they were title contenders up until they imploded.

[planetmars]

7-8 points is a huge difference when you consider the average score differential in nba games is around 8-10.

Yeah from that perspective their stats aren't close (but Rose did win MVP of the league that year). My point behind all this is that the Bulls won the conference with over 60 wins that year. The Raptors have a similar team.. star player in their PG, and a team of guys that love to hustle. If the Raptors can improve on the defensive end (which could happen with continuity and growth from JV/Ross) and if they get some good luck (star players go west, good teams losing good players, etc) than they could be competing for the 1/2 seed.

Also it took Indiana 56 wins to lead the east... that's just 8 more wins from last year. The team did start 6-12 last season and we no longer have John Salmons eating 21+ minutes a game.

[iblastoff]

But Lowry scored far far more efficiently (not to mention he did is last year, not 3 years ago).

Lowry TS% .567 eFG% .511

Rose (11-12) TS% .532 eFG% .473

We're talking 13.7 FGA vs 18 FGA. If Lowry just shot the ball more, he would score more, just like Rose.

efficiency goes down with usage rate. same argument with derozan and his acceptable 'low' efficiency due to his high USG. and i'm willing to bet rose in scoring-starved chicago had a WAY higher usage rate than lowry does in toronto.

[iblastoff]

Yeah from that perspective their stats aren't close (but Rose did win MVP of the league that year). My point behind all this is that the Bulls won the conference with over 60 wins that year. The Raptors have a similar team.. star player in their PG, and a team of guys that love to hustle. If the Raptors can improve on the defensive end (which could happen with continuity and growth from JV/Ross) and if they get some good luck (star players go west, good teams losing good players, etc) than they could be competing for the 1/2 seed.

Also it took Indiana 56 wins to lead the east... that's just 8 more wins from last year. The team did start 6-12 last season and we no longer have John Salmons eating 21+ minutes a game.

lowry was an all-star snub, but he still wasn't an all-star. and i disagree that our team loves to hustle. sure there have been a few plays of amir scrambling for the ball at the end of games and whatnot, and ball movement was definitely better in certain stretches of last season, but there is still way too much standing around on the court.

secondly, the one common theme in this thread is people seem to think that winning largely depends on other teams losing good players to trade/injury. i guess i can agree with that. if all the other eastern stars break their limbs or get traded away to the west, then sure i guess we have yet another undeserving/overachieving shot at a high seed.

[JordanSmith]

I think it all depends what happens with Miami and Chicago. If Miami breaks up (and that seems likely now), and Carmelo goes to LA rather than Chicago, there is a real possibility. That's just me being optimistic though.

50 wins seems really realistic though. If everyone plays the way they did last year and they add a big wing off the bench, 50 wins and a top 4 seed is likely.

[GLF]

I think it all depends what happens with Miami and Chicago. If Miami breaks up (and that seems likely now), and Carmelo goes to LA rather than Chicago, there is a real possibility. That's just me being optimistic though.

50 wins seems really realistic though. If everyone plays the way they did last year and they add a big wing off the bench, 50 wins and a top 4 seed is likely.

I don't know how much wins we get but I am very confident we win our division, and as long as we do that we will get a top four seed for sure.

[Primer]

efficiency goes down with usage rate. same argument with derozan and his acceptable 'low' efficiency due to his high USG. and i'm willing to bet rose in scoring-starved chicago had a WAY higher usage rate than lowry does in toronto.

Rose did have a higher usage (30.5 vs 22.9). But Lowry's efficiency has room to scale down with increased usage and still be equivalent to Rose. Just saying, the gap is not that big between them, and probably safer to assume Lowry is superior at this point since he didn't just miss the last 2 seasons with injury.

[Niagara Raptor]

first is a bit much to say first in the conference
too early to tell what happens with Miami ... if LeBron stays its theirs to lose
beyond that I can see the raptors getting top 4 and winning division again

[raptors999]

Its still Indy's to lose. Miami is in serious trouble even if LeBron re-signs. Chicago and Toronto played to a draw but losing Boozer and Rose's knees, Mirotic and many factors can help or hurt them a lot. Horford is returning to a team that finished 8th and the rest didn't improve or decline much.

[caccia]

lball movement was definitely better in certain stretches of last season, but there is still way too much standing around on the court.

I agree that better and more complex motion on offence, without a letup on defence, is the key to challenging for the top seed. Last training camp was spent almost entirely on defence, which only paid off once Rudy Gay left the team. The offence seemed to be overly simple, almost an afterthought--Gay and DeRozan took the majority of shots--and there was little time during the season to integrate the new players with more dynamic setups. So a lot depends on what the coaches can implement during training camp in October.

If LeBron James went to the Western Conference, then the race would be wide open.

[psrs1]

Its still Indy's to lose. Miami is in serious trouble even if LeBron re-signs. Chicago and Toronto played to a draw but losing Boozer and Rose's knees, Mirotic and many factors can help or hurt them a lot. Horford is returning to a team that finished 8th and the rest didn't improve or decline much.

Now that Miami is an afterthought I think Raptors are in a great position to challenge for #1 seed. Chicago, Cleveland Indiana Washington and Atlanta could all be viable candidates with Chicago and Toronto probably front runners pending a Kevin Love trade to Cleveland.

[Bonus Jonas]

You guys realize the Cavs were first in the east the last time they had Lebron?

Other than Lebron they had a core of Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison and Big Z.

Now with a better Lebron, better point guard and better role players you expect them not to win the east? Especially with a weaker east???

Unless another team makes a big splash (a la melo to Chicago), no one will battle Cleveland for the number 1 seed. Inexperience or not.