Many of us had talked ourselves into the idea that this year might be different, that the top-seeded Toronto Raptors might finally have enough juice to overcome the towering mental hurdle that is LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It helped that the Cavs had looked more vulnerable than ever to start the postseason, needing seven grueling games just to get out of the first round. Combined with the Raptors’ modernized offense, the outlook seemed promising.
But all of that went out the window after Game 1. Their most pivotal battles against LeBron and company have always been fought on the psychological front, and after their latest demoralizing defeat — a decisive Game 4 loss on Monday night to complete the series sweep — all of the progress Toronto made this season has virtually been erased.
All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry admitted as much when speaking to reporters Tuesday. Per Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic, Lowry said “For me it was championship or bust, that’s what I feel, that’s what I always feel, so a wasted year for me.”
It remains unclear where the Raptors go from here, but it might be time to pull the plug on this experiment and start from scratch — a new report on Tuesday indicated that head coach Dwane Casey may be on his way out. Unfortunately for Toronto, it has become excruciatingly clear that it will take something that might be beyond their abilities to get past LeBron and the Cavs.
