Could 2017/18 Be The Year Of The Raptor?

Another NBA season is just around the corner, and once again, "Is it their year?" loftily hangs over the Toronto Raptors. The last 4 years of Raptor ball have been pretty good, to say the least. They've been top 3 in the East for almost 5 years, they've got a playoff streak of that same length, and they possess the best backcourt in their conference, and arguably the NBA. But in the NBA of the present, where super teams have become the norm, pretty good isn't good enough. The success they've had either flamed out in the playoffs, or when they've been good, they've been stopped short by some guy named LeBron James. Long story short, a team that could've gone to the Finals in another era has half a decade filled with close calls. But the landscape of the NBA has changed this year, mainly in the East. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward bolted for Boston and Isiah Thomas was dealt to Cleveland along with the majority of the 2016/17 Celtics starting 5. Sure, those moves only total up to two, but it has evened up the NBA landscape by a little bit. So, what does this mean for the Raptors? For the pessimist, it means just another year, but for the optimist, it means that the Raptors could actually break through. With the Raptor core still intact, and a more even playing field, there is no super team other than Golden State. The East is up for grabs, and if the Raptors can pull themselves together, create some magic, and silence doubters, they may have a chance to pull together a deep playoff run. So once the season starts, everyone will still be talking about the Cavs, Celtics, Warriors, and Thunder, but the league may forget that there is a dark horse in Toronto waiting to strike. If they do, and with success, then 2017-2018 may be the year of the Raptor, and there will be no superteam in the East to overtake them.