No real current news that I feel like talking about so it must be time to write a random article about my favorite basketball team and their chances of playing into the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The Raptors currently sit tied with the New Jersey Nets (although ahead on winning percentage) in the Atlantic Division. So they could make the playoffs if they manage to hold on to the Atlantic lead or if they play well enough (.500 should do it) that they pick up one of the 8 spots in the East.
The Atlantic is wide open this year, with 2 teams basically out of the race already. The Sixers have traded away Iverson, bought out Webber, and are basically doing everything but take out full page ads in the paper explaining to their fans that they're tanking in hopes of winning the Greg Oden lottery. The Celtics are struggling, and will be without Paul Pierce for the next few weeks. Expect them to fall back in the standings, and the fact that they aren't very good should keep them from coming within 10 games of .500 for the rest of the season.
Somehow, someway, Isiah Thomas has the Knicks playing better basketball this season. They currently sit 17-22, and only 1 game back of the Raptors in the Atlantic. Eddie Curry is playing the best basketball of his life, David Lee is a great rebounding roleplayer, and Isiah seems to have worked out roles for everyone. But, this is still (mostly) the same team that went 23-59 last season. Eventually Curry will get lazy, Marbury and Crawford will start chucking, and guys will start complaining about minutes. The Raptors can take them.
Lastly there's the Nets, everyones pre-season pick to take the Atlantic. And rightly so, they've won the Atlantic for the last 5 seasons and returned the same cast as last season. But the Nets hit a major setback when Nenad Krstic, their best post player, tore his ACL. Vince Carter continues to score (his knees got miraculously better when tradeed from Toronto), but Richard Jefferson's stats have taken a huge dive at a time when his team needs him the most. Right now Jason Kidd is holding the team together, but will a potentially messy divorce hurt his play or lead to a trade?
So why not the Raptors? Their play has gotten better as the season goes on. Chris Bosh is devoloping into a fantastic rebounder, to go along with his other exceptional talents. The newcomers from the Euro-League (Bargnani, Garbojosa and Parker) are learning the NBA game and what they can do over here. And, after struggling with a tough early schedule (they had played the most road games out of anyone), they're finally coming home and playing easier opponents. If the Raptors can continue to play the way they have since Bosh's return from injury (5-3, with 2 close loses to Phoenix and Dallas) there's no reason they can't finish around 45 wins. The Atlantic division and/or a playoff spot are there for the taking Toronto, so go out and catch that beautiful butterfly.
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