Breathe deep, Raptor fans. The pressure’s off.
That may seem like a funny thing to say right before the franchise’s first ever Finals appearance, but for anyone who spends time taking the temperature of the team, and the NBA eco-system around them, it’s the truth.
Toronto fans are looking forward to a series for the first time since 2013. U.S. media has (mostly) gone a solid week without referencing the Raptors as “tortured”. The expectations for the series are reasoned but optimistic. (The Warriors probably win, but the Raptors could make it very tough).