How in the World did the Raptors Become a Winner?

Everyone believed the Toronto Raptors were primed to be a lead horse in the “Tank for Wiggins” race, a battle of how bad teams were willing to be for the chance of getting Canadian phenom Andrew Wiggins in the 2014 draft. It all seemed like the perfect storm: a Canadian superstar coming home to a struggling franchise with a lot of disposable parts. The Raptors sure seemed like they were jockeying for the #1 ranked prospect, until they traded Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings. The day the disgruntled star left Toronto, the Raptors were a whole new team.

A dominating win over the Lakers on the night Kobe Bryant made his return from injury has sparked a phenomenal run for the team. This has included wins over the Pacers and Thunder, the teams with the best records in each conference. A return to a much more team-oriented play style has allowed stars like Demar DeRozan and Amir Johnson to reach their true potential and help the squad become a top team in the Eastern conference. While trigger-happy Rudy gay is gone, so are the prospects of drafting Andrew Wiggins. Fortunately, a long-awaited return to the playoffs will have Raptors fans feeling more than happy they fell out of contention in the “Tank for Wiggins” sweepstakes.