After a franchise record 49 wins last season, the Toronto Raptors' season came to a sad ending for the team and their fans when the Raptors were blitzed out of the first round of the playoffs by the fifth-seeded Washington Wizards in a four game sweep. It was a far less competitive series than the one they played the season before where they lost a Game 7 at home to the Brooklyn Nets on a last second defensive stop by former Wizard Paul Pierce.
On the surface, it appeared the team had taken a step back and needed to consider dismantling the core foundation they built around DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.