In clinching their eighth playoff berth in nine seasons, the Raptors certainly defied more than a few NBA conventions.
In a sport that counts putting a ball through a hoop as its essential skill, the Raptors have somehow found considerable success despite performing this crucial fundamental more woefully than any playoff-bound team — this as measured by true shooting percentage, which takes into account a team’s accuracy from both the field and the free-throw line.
In a league where the best teams are led by masterful shot creators and genius playmakers, Toronto’s NBAers drive their offence with chaos-inducing defence, priding themselves on being among the league leaders in deflections and points off turnovers.