NEW YORK -- For the last two years, they were the final two
steps in what had become LeBron James'
annual climb to the NBA Finals.
Now that he's gone, maybe the Toronto
Raptors and Boston
Celtics are done being stepping stones.
They are among the teams capable of winning the Eastern
Conference, which no longer has its longtime ruler and has plenty of candidates
ready to replace him.
It played out the same way the last two years. The Raptors
went out weakly in the second round, swept by James' Cleveland
Cavaliers, before a banged-up Boston team put up as good a fight as
it could in the conference finals before falling.
The Raptors made wholesale changes even after winning 59
games last season, firing Coach of the Year Dwane Casey and promoting Nick
Nurse, and trading DeMar DeRozan in
the deal to get Kawhi Leonard.
They are likely to be the No. 2 seed behind Milwaukee, and Nurse said they're
ready for the postseason.
Leonard looks healthy, Pascal Siakam has
blossomed into a Most Improved Player award candidate, and the midseason
acquisition of Marc Gasol has
fortified the interior. Toronto can play big or small and can match up with any
style of play or opponent -- even if James was still around.
Stevens' team is a little tougher to evaluate. Widely
considered the East favorite going into the season, the Celtics are hoping just
to beat out Indiana for the No. 4 seed so they don't have to start every round
on the road. Boston hasn't put together consistency long enough to look like a
team ready to meet its preseason expectations.
But, at least the Celtics are relatively healthy. Isaiah Thomas couldn't
make it through the postseason two years ago because of a hip injury, and Kyrie Irving and Gordon
Hayward were gone long before it last year. As long as the
talent is healthy, there's too much of it to count out the Celtics.
APRIL FOOL'S DAY FOLLY
This is no joke: Two of the worst teams in the NBA are going
to win Monday.
That's because the bottom four of the league will be in
action against each other.
Chicago visits the New York
Knicks, who get a final chance for a victory on their six-game
homestand. Phoenix hosts Cleveland later to wrap up the April 1 schedule.
New York is an NBA-worst 14-62, needing a good final stretch
to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history. The Knicks were
17-65 in 2014-15.
Phoenix (17-60) has the worst record in the Western Conference,
while Cleveland (19-58) and Chicago (21-56) round out the bottom four. The
Bulls have lost four in a row, the Cavaliers five straight, and the Knick and
Suns are on six-game skids.
The bottom three teams will all have 14 percent odds of
winning the draft lottery under new rules implemented for this season.
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH
Denver at Golden State, Tuesday. A game that could go a long
way in determining how the West will be won.
Milwaukee at Philadelphia, Thursday. Injuries may prevent a
rematch of a good one from March 17, when Giannis
Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 52 points and Joel Embiid answered
with 40 points and 15 rebounds in the 76ers' 130-125 victory in Milwaukee.
Boston at Indiana, Friday. They are tied for fourth place in
the Eastern Conference after Kyrie Irving's basket with 0.5 seconds left gave
the Celtics a 114-112 victory on Friday.
Final Four, Saturday. Just a two-game night in the NBA,
allowing time to check out guys who might be there soon.
Phoenix at Houston, Sunday. James Harden vs. Devin Booker has
the makings of a high-scoring duel.
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