Conference Finals are highlighting two very conflicting Raptors realities

The Raptors enter an offseason with roster decisions while other teams remain in contention for the finals. The Spurs and Thunder are tied 1-1 in the Western Conference Finals, and the Cavaliers trail the Knicks 0-1 in the Eastern Conference. Raptors fans feel existential dread about future championship paths requiring opponents like the Thunder and Spurs, while also feeling relief that Toronto plays in the East. The Eastern Conference playoff race was extremely tight, with many teams separated by small margins for fifth through tenth. Future competition is expected to intensify as the Pacers regain Tyrese Haliburton and the Hornets continue improving. Toronto has a young core, and if it adds pieces that improve offense, it could compete with Cleveland and New York.

"Watching those two series from afar is starting to inspire two very conflicting feelings for Raptors fans: existential dread about the fact that any team that wants to win a championship in the next few years will have to go through Thunder and Spurs teams that will only continue to get better, and relief that the Raptors are playing in the Eastern Conference. At the moment, anything seems better than having to face the Thunder and Spurs for years on end."

"The playoff race in the Eastern Conference was a bloodbath this season. Every game mattered down the line, as several teams were in the running to finish anywhere between fifth and tenth place. It's not going to get any easier in the future. The Indiana Pacers will get Tyrese Haliburton back and regain their contender status, and the Charlotte Hornets will only continue to get better."

"Nevertheless, there's hope for the Raptors to be a very competitive team in the Eastern Conference. After all, they almost beat one of the teams in the conference finals in the first round without two of their starters. If they make some savvy offseason additions to improve the offense, they could be truly competing with teams like Cleveland and New York."

"The Raptors have a young roster. Five of their seven leaders in minutes per game for the playoffs are 25 or younger. But that's not as much an anomaly in the playoffs as it may seem. Five of the Spurs' seven leaders in minutes per game in the playoffs are also 25 or younger. For the Thunder, four are."

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