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Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t feel threatened by Toronto Raptors in Eastern Conference

By Dan Parzych

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 7: Kyle Lowry #7 and DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors wait for a free-throw during the second half of Game 4 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on May 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 128-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 7: Kyle Lowry #7 and DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors wait for a free-throw during the second half of Game 4 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on May 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 128-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Despite their recent trade to acquire Kawhi Leonard, the Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t feel threatened by the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference.

After missing out on landing a superstar this offseason with LeBron James joining the Los Angeles Lakers along with Kawhi Leonard recently being sent to the Toronto Raptors in a trade, the most important factor for the Philadelphia 76ers is remembering this team is still in amazing shape.

Yes, the addition of a superstar like James or Leonard certainly would have benefitted the Sixers when it comes to giving them a better chance of competing in the Eastern Conference. And as much of a threat as Leonard coming to the conference may seem at first, deep down Toronto doesn’t seem like a team Philadelphia will have to worry about during the 2018-19 season.

Without question, Leonard deserves consideration for being one of the most dangerous players in the NBA when healthy since his talent is on a whole new level. But with all the uncertainty surrounding Leonard, whether it involves him being unhappy on the Raptors or simply just trying to stay healthy, the Sixers shouldn’t feel threatened at all right now.

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If anything, Philadelphia should focus most of their attention on taking down the Boston Celtics since there’s a good chance Brad Stevens and company are going to be the ones standing in the way of reaching the NBA Finals when looking at all of their young talent. Not to mention, they also have key players like Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to play alongside these youngsters, making it easy to see why they’re one of the early favorites in the Eastern Conference.

Watching James head out west to join the Lakers sort of worked out for the Sixers in a way since the Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer a serious contender in the conference, no matter how much they want to believe it.

As for the Raptors, a healthy Leonard teaming up with Kyle Lowry certainly has potential, but also very risky for a team that was already facing pressure parting ways with Dwane Casey this offseason, despite finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.

Not to mention, DeMar DeRozan, who was sent to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the trade for Leonard, was one of the main reasons why Toronto was such a threat all these years due to his scoring ability.

The Raptors certainly have plenty of reasons to be excited about what’s in store for the 2018-19 season now that Leonard is part of the picture, but at the end of the day, the Sixers still appear to be the team in better shape when looking at the overall picture.

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So while Toronto certainly has the potential to be a top team in the Eastern Conference once again, deep down Philadelphia shouldn’t worry all that much, even with Leonard part of the picture.