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Is this officially the best Raptor season ever?

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  • Is this officially the best Raptor season ever?

    The 2000-01 Raptors won 47 games, got to the second round and lost to the 76ers in an epic 7 game battle.

    The first round however was a best of 5 and we needed all 5 games to get to round two.


    The current team won 56 games, and have gone through round 1 in 7 games.

    Is this the best Raptor season ever? If not, what do they have to do in round 2 against Miami to get there?

    Does it matter if the Heat win in 4 or 5 or 6?

  • #2
    I would say so. well at least for me.. you have no idea how much I'm enjoying this. Finally one of my beloved teams are moving forward.

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    • #3
      So at the beginning of the season, I think I said that my mark for a successful season wasn't just a first round victory, it was a competitive second round. And that's more true than ever: a four-game sweep by the Heat might not change the fact that we actually won a playoff series, but it might show that the first round victory was hollow. Compete well here, get within a puncher's chance of advancing to the ECF, and yeah, that's a successful season to me. I read an opinion earlier today that for the Raptors, whatever they achieve now should be gravy, and I don't see it that way. Not yet.

      Which doesn't really answer your question, but I'm just saying that I think it's too early to answer this question. The one question I do have an answer to is yes, I think it matters whether the Heat win in 4 or 5 or 6, because I think scratching out a 7 game win against an inferior Pacers squad and getting swept by an at-best on par Heat team is not good enough to say that we're where we need to be on our growth curve. For this to be the best season ever, I need to be left, at the end of it all, with a feeling that yes, this team took a step forward and is going to take another step forward next year. I'm not quite there.

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      • #4
        To quote Daniel Brian 'YES YES YES'

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        • #5
          Tough to say right now, we took the Sixers who represented the East and gave the Lakers their only loss that postseason to 7 games and the final shot.

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          • #6
            Depends on this Heat series goes. If we lose in 4 or 5 in embarrassing fashion, then I wouldn't say this is the best Raptors seasaon ever.

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            • #7
              2001 team still.

              If this Raps team get eliminated by the Heat. What would you remember the most about this team? a team with two borderline all stars. A 56 win team that finished 2nd in the East. A team that BARELY beat the Pacers(a 7th seed). Barely beat them. They got lucky in Game 5.

              The 2001 team had VINCE CARTER. Vince that year I think finished 3rd or 5th in MVP voting. He was unbelievable that year. Alvin Williams hitting a big shot vs the Knicks in Game 5. Carter vs Iverson duel in the playoffs. One of the greatest 7 game series in NBA history.
              Mamba Mentality

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              • #8
                planetmars wrote: View Post
                The 2000-01 Raptors won 47 games, got to the second round and lost to the 76ers in an epic 7 game battle.

                The first round however was a best of 5 and we needed all 5 games to get to round two.


                The current team won 56 games, and have gone through round 1 in 7 games.

                Is this the best Raptor season ever? If not, what do they have to do in round 2 against Miami to get there?

                Does it matter if the Heat win in 4 or 5 or 6?
                Hmm no. Not yet. If they get their assets handed to them by Miami then what then?

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                • #9
                  Regular season wise for sure.. 56 games definitely trumps 47. Even if competition was tougher back then, its still a difference of 9 wins. Also the Raptors had the 2nd best record in the East, 4th overall. In 00-01, they had the 5th best record in the East, and 12th (tied) overall.

                  In the playoffs the 01 team won 6 games, and lost 6 (3-2, then 3-4). So far the Raptors are 4-3. If they lose in 4 to the Heat, their playoff record becomes 4-7. 6-6 is better.. but do an additional 2 wins trump the 9 game regular season record?

                  If the 01 first round was a best of 7, and the Raptors beat the Knicks in 7.. then yeah.. I'd say there is more work required to match that team. But unfortunately to them, it wasn't.

                  I will admit, that if this team fails to win 2 or 3 games against the Heat, that this season will be a bit of a failure.. but as a franchise, in my opinion, it was their best season ever.

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                  • #10
                    Apollo wrote: View Post
                    Hmm no. Not yet. If they get their assets handed to them by Miami then what then?
                    If that happened, then this season would be a bit of a failure.. But, I still believe it would be the most successful Raptor season ever.

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                    • #11
                      Have to finish this round to determine that, personally.

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                      • #12
                        planetmars wrote: View Post
                        If that happened, then this season would be a bit of a failure.. But, I still believe it would be the most successful Raptor season ever.
                        I disagree. They need to take this to game seven or win the series to take the crown. VC vs. AI was downright legendary. For me it's all about the playoffs.

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                        • #13
                          This thread reminds me just how brutal the Raptors have been in their 21 years of existence.

                          A team coming off back-to-back division championships (and back-to-back 1st round failures) does what is expected of them in the regular season (win the division and clinch home-court advantage in round 1), then barely achieves what is expected of them in the playoffs (#2 seed requires 7 games to defeat #7 seed), and this is the greatest season in franchise history??? Yikes!

                          I still think the VC team in 2001 or even the Bosh team in 2007 (totally unexpected success made the ride easy to enjoy) had at least as successful a season as this year, given the expectations going into the season. If the Raptors beat the Heat in the second round, then probably yes, but it's still a matter of taking care of business and doing what you should be expected to do.

                          It just goes to show how even the Raptors' best seasons have ended with heart-breaking failure. We The Abysmal.

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                          • #14
                            I think we have to beat the Heat in order to surpass that '01 team.

                            Reg season '16: 56 wins 4th overall, 2nd seed east
                            Reg season '01: 47 wins tied 12th overall, 5th seed east

                            That '01 team overachieved in the playoffs, taking out the higher seeded Knicks in round 1, and taking the top seeded Sixers to the final shot in game 7. That was success right there. The '16 version needed 7 to take out the 7th seed. We need to make the ECF to surpass the VC led Raps squad in '01 for greatest season ever. '01 was incredibly exciting, like a coming out party for a team with a legit MVP caliber player. This year it feels more like we are all expecting and waiting for them to fail. It's like there is this collective feeling that we really don't believe that this team is actually as good as the reg season would have one believe, and I don't think that 1st round series would change anyones mind that felt that way. I don't know how to explain it well, but it feels very different to me.

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                            • #15
                              JawsGT wrote: View Post
                              I think we have to beat the Heat in order to surpass that '01 team.

                              Reg season '16: 56 wins 4th overall, 2nd seed east
                              Reg season '01: 47 wins tied 12th overall, 5th seed east

                              That '01 team overachieved in the playoffs, taking out the higher seeded Knicks in round 1, and taking the top seeded Sixers to the final shot in game 7. That was success right there. The '16 version needed 7 to take out the 7th seed. We need to make the ECF to surpass the VC led Raps squad in '01 for greatest season ever. '01 was incredibly exciting, like a coming out party for a team with a legit MVP caliber player. This year it feels more like we are all expecting and waiting for them to fail. It's like there is this collective feeling that we really don't believe that this team is actually as good as the reg season would have one believe, and I don't think that 1st round series would change anyones mind that felt that way. I don't know how to explain it well, but it feels very different to me.
                              2001 - Vinsanity helped the Raptors take the collective step to the 'next level' on the NBA stage and Raptors fans everywhere enjoyed the ride

                              2007 - CB4 and the Raptors shocked the NBA world and had no expectations as they reminded so many around the world that the NBA still had a Canadian team, and it was an unexpected joy to watch them keep winning (should have beat the Nets)

                              2016 - the Raptors were expected to be a top team in the ECF after having won back-to-back division titles, only to drop the ball in the playoffs, including a record-setting debacle last season (first favorite to be swept by a lower seed in the first round); second round (at least) is what this team was required to do just to avoid having the head coach fired and core blown up, so it's hard to get too excited at struggling to beat a #7 seed in 7 games

                              2016 - I think things will change drastically, for this season and historically for the Raptors, when they knock off the Heat and make it to their first Eastern Conference Finals... then the excitement will be through the roof, and rightfully so!

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