Are the Raptors currently the 2nd best team in the East?

[Tigersrule]

no

[ITYSL]

I missed a word in that post. It should have said future success.

Thanks for the heads up.

While this is true, the difference is insignificant. Over the last 20 years, there is a correlative factor difference of about 0.02 when looking at 1st half w/l and 1st half pts diff compared to 2nd half w/l over the last 20 years.

That’s fair. But the Raps have also played a tougher schedule than both the Celts and Cavs.

I’m not even trying to make are argument that the Raps are a top 2 team through the early season, I only said that these are some points for debate that could help one make an argument for the Raps. And there have been many statistical studies that tell us point differential is more reliable than w/l record for predicting future success. At the end of the day, I could really care less about what amounts to a pointless debate. All roads still lead through Cleveland during the playoffs.
.

Sure. Raps may have played a tougher schedule, but the Raptors have had more rest as they've played 26 games in the same time Cleveland has played 28 and the Celtics have played 30.

Pretty much agree with you that everything goes through CLE no matter what anyway.

[KnightofHyrule]

So many bookmarked Raptor hate threads. All will be bumped in April, and then again in June.

[ITYSL]

Utah has the fifth bests adjusted net rating, are they better than the Cavs? These arguements Boston also has a better RPI and a harder sos, they also have more wins vs teams over 500 (including the Warriors and Spurs), but let's just put all those advanced statistics over things that don't mean anything, like the fact that Boston has a better record and has won the only meeting between the two so far(without Irving).

Shut it down

SRS still higher than the Celtics. One afternoon game isn't very telling of head-to-head strength. Utah has been pretty damned good so far and the Cavs got off to a horrible start. And in their last 10 games Utah still has a stronger net rating, so why not? Last 10 Raptors net rating is 7.3, Celtics is 2.1. That's not very good for a #1 seed. Shut down the calls to "shut it down." If the Celtics are a head above the rest of the East, why can't they dominate teams like those teams in the West that have similar records?

Celtics are 11-4 against teams with a winning record. Raptors are 8-7. But sure, net rating or whatever.

[PierceFan4ever]

Shut it down

SRS still higher than the Celtics. One afternoon game isn't very telling of head-to-head strength. Utah has been pretty damned good so far and the Cavs got off to a horrible start. And in their last 10 games Utah still has a stronger net rating, so why not? Last 10 Raptors net rating is 7.3, Celtics is 2.1. That's not very good for a #1 seed. Shut down the calls to "shut it down." If the Celtics are a head above the rest of the East, why can't they dominate teams like those teams in the West that have similar records?

Celtics are 11-4 against teams with a winning record. Raptors are 8-7. But sure, net rating or whatever.

The Celtics are also 9-1 against the West. The only L being a Manu game winning 3 with 5 seconds.

[KnightofHyrule]

Shut it down

SRS still higher than the Celtics. One afternoon game isn't very telling of head-to-head strength. Utah has been pretty damned good so far and the Cavs got off to a horrible start. And in their last 10 games Utah still has a stronger net rating, so why not? Last 10 Raptors net rating is 7.3, Celtics is 2.1. That's not very good for a #1 seed. Shut down the calls to "shut it down." If the Celtics are a head above the rest of the East, why can't they dominate teams like those teams in the West that have similar records?

Celtics are 11-4 against teams with a winning record. Raptors are 8-7. But sure, net rating or whatever.

Raptors have faced 7 western conference playoff teams on the road(all except MIN). Boston only faced one (SAS)....and lost. Context matters. Raptors whipped up on Houston....let's see Boston do they same when they travel there.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

Saltics are remarkably good at outperforming their scoring differential, saltics fans are remarkably good at pretending it doesn't matter. Raptor fans are good at ignoring past playoff disappointments/struggles.

[Baller1234a]

SRS still higher than the Celtics. One afternoon game isn't very telling of head-to-head strength. Utah has been pretty damned good so far and the Cavs got off to a horrible start. And in their last 10 games Utah still has a stronger net rating, so why not? Last 10 Raptors net rating is 7.3, Celtics is 2.1. That's not very good for a #1 seed. Shut down the calls to "shut it down." If the Celtics are a head above the rest of the East, why can't they dominate teams like those teams in the West that have similar records?

Celtics are 11-4 against teams with a winning record. Raptors are 8-7. But sure, net rating or whatever.

Raptors have faced 7 western conference playoff teams on the road(all except MIN). Boston only faced one (SAS)....and lost. Context matters. Raptors whipped up on Houston....let's see Boston do they same when they travel there.

Yeah they sure beat on the rockets but it was without CP3 lol.

[The_Hater]

Only Raptor homers are gonna put them top 2. I'd put them 4 or 5 behind the Cavs, Celtics and Bucks. maybe tied with Philly or Washington, but no way the top 3 team.

I like the Bucks, they look somewhat dangerous, but what have they done this season or last to be given top 3 status?

Bucks have that Alpha in Giannis. By the time the playoffs come, I see them as the 2nd or 3rd best team in the East. History already showed us what the Raps core are made of. I've been a fan them in the past, they just have yet to show their true potential when it counts, the playoffs.

BTW, as you can see from my SN. Been a die hard warrior fan before they were good. Im honestly worried...just little. As the Rockets are playing pretty damn well and I have them ranked over my warriors currently.

That's all fair, I picked the Bucks to finish second in the east this season myself, but this thread is about who are the top two currently and I dont think the Bucks have done anything to belong in that discussion thus far. The Rockets are a different story

[bon]

2nd best team in the East will be determined in the playoffs. Right now there's not much separating BOS/TOR/MIL and even WAS.

[FinallyImHere]

1.Celtics
2.Cavs
3.Pistons
4.Raptors
5.Pacers

[whysoserious]

Gotta love a thread where some posters are pointing out the Raps can’t be better than the Celtics because they’re four games back of them and yet read further and some people are saying the Bucks and Wizards and even Philly might be better than the Raps.

[bon]

1.Celtics
2.Cavs
3.Pistons
4.Raptors
5.Pacers

[Amare_1_Knicks]

I’ve been so thoroughly underwhelmed with Toronto, but more specifically Lowry/Derozan in recent years; so much so, that I think they’re worse than their record indicates. I think they’re closer to 5th/6th than they are to second best. Cleveland and Boston are clearly better, and with the addition of Bledsoe, and the impending return of Parker I think Milwaukee is better too. I like a healthy Washington team over then as well.

[KnightofHyrule]

Celtics are 11-4 against teams with a winning record. Raptors are 8-7. But sure, net rating or whatever.

Raptors have faced 7 western conference playoff teams on the road(all except MIN). Boston only faced one (SAS)....and lost. Context matters. Raptors whipped up on Houston....let's see Boston do they same when they travel there.

Yeah they sure beat on the rockets but it was without CP3 lol.

You're right, the Rockets were absolute garbage without him.

[PierceFan4ever]

SRS still higher than the Celtics. One afternoon game isn't very telling of head-to-head strength. Utah has been pretty damned good so far and the Cavs got off to a horrible start. And in their last 10 games Utah still has a stronger net rating, so why not? Last 10 Raptors net rating is 7.3, Celtics is 2.1. That's not very good for a #1 seed. Shut down the calls to "shut it down." If the Celtics are a head above the rest of the East, why can't they dominate teams like those teams in the West that have similar records?

Celtics are 11-4 against teams with a winning record. Raptors are 8-7. But sure, net rating or whatever.

Raptors have faced 7 western conference playoff teams on the road(all except MIN). Boston only faced one (SAS)....and lost. Context matters. Raptors whipped up on Houston....let's see Boston do they same when they travel there.

Celtics have played 4 more games than the Raptors which means less rest and more back to back. Celtics are 11-4 against teams with winning records while the Raptors are 8-7. Celtics are 9-1 against the West while the Raptors are 9-4. Celtics have beaten Golden State and San Antonio while the Raptors haven't. Celtics are 1-0 against the Raptors in a game without Kyrie. Celtics are a combined 3-2 against the best teams in the league record wise (Warriors, Rockets, Cavs, Raptors, Spurs) meanwhile the Raptors are, if you replace your own team with the Celtics, 1-3. Warriors against the top 5 teams record wise excluding their own are 2-3, Cavs excluding themselves against the top 5 teams are 1-1. So the Celtics have the highest win percentage against the best teams in the league amongst the top 5-6 teams record wise, have the 2nd best record, have played the most games in the league, have the 2nd best record against the west, and have beaten the Raptors without Kyrie. On top of that, they've had way more injures than the Raptors. There's nothing to suggest the Raptors have been better than the Celtics thus far.

[GeorgeMarcus]

Celtics are 11-4 against teams with a winning record. Raptors are 8-7. But sure, net rating or whatever.

Raptors have faced 7 western conference playoff teams on the road(all except MIN). Boston only faced one (SAS)....and lost. Context matters. Raptors whipped up on Houston....let's see Boston do they same when they travel there.

Yeah they sure beat on the rockets but it was without CP3 lol.

Celtics beat Nuggets without Jokic/Millsap/Barton, the Sixers without Embiid, and that's without doing a shred of research

[Dave_From_NB]

So many bookmarked Raptor hate threads. All will be bumped in April, and then again in June.

If Raptors fans wish fewer Raptor hate threads, a good way to start would be to stop creating so many "hey what about us, aren't the Raptors great" threads on the GB.

[PierceFan4ever]

Raptors have faced 7 western conference playoff teams on the road(all except MIN). Boston only faced one (SAS)....and lost. Context matters. Raptors whipped up on Houston....let's see Boston do they same when they travel there.

Yeah they sure beat on the rockets but it was without CP3 lol.

Celtics beat Nuggets without Jokic/Millsap/Barton, the Sixers without Embiid, and that's without doing a shred of research

The Celtics beat the Nuggets without Horford/Hayward/Morris. Celtics have also beaten the Sixers with Embiid in a game where he shot 4-16 and that's without doing a shred of research.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

This is another not so low key raptors saltics rivalry gen board thread. I know rubblefelix started the last one on purpose, don't let him tell you otherwise!