Opinion: The Toronto Raptors are the real deal

The Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 113-93 a couple of days ago and the result came as a shock for NBA fans and pundits alike. Not only did they beat the Warriors by 20 points, but they also played without their MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors now look like the favorites to win the Eastern Conference ahead of the Boston Celtics.

After putting up impressive performances throughout the season, the Raptors made a clear statement by completing the season sweep over the Golden State Warriors. A lot of things have worked in the favor of them this season.

For starters, Kawhi Leonard has gotten along with his new teammates just fine after speculation that Toronto wasn't the destination of his choice. Kawhi has been a Top 5 player in the League for the last 4 or 5 years and is undoubtedly the best Two-Way player of his generation. The Klaw is turning out to be the game changer for the Raptors bringing in Championship mentality and leadership.

Remember, in the 2017 Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs were up by 20 points against the Golden State Warriors before Zaza Pachulia pulled off that play which saw Kawhi sit out for the rest of the series.

The Klaw also won the Finals MVP in 2014 as he outplayed LeBron James's Miami Heat. Long story short, Kawhi Leonard is a Top 5 player in the NBA and Toronto are making the most out of his talents. He's putting up MVP numbers on a nightly basis and the Raptors didn't even need him as they beat the Warriors by a 20 point margin.

Kyle Lowry is also having a great season, averaging 14 points and 10 assists. With Kawhi sidelined for this game, Lowry took over and scored 23 points and had 12 assists to his name. He was directly involved in 49 of the team's 113 points.

Another critical pillar in the team is Serge Ibaka, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds during the game and averaging almost 17 points and 8 rebounds per game. This game against the Warriors was just another example which demonstrated that the Raptors have enough firepower without their best player Kawhi Leonard to take down one of the best teams in the NBA by 20 points.

Pascal Siakam who was drafted #27 overall as a primarily defensive player back in 2016, is now a genuine offensive threat using his size and athleticism to get in the paint and his currently averaging almost 15 points and 7 rebounds. His development has been a revelation as he's helping the Raptors get some quality production at the PF spot.

Danny Green arrived in Toronto as a part of the Demar DeRozan-Kawhi Leonard trade and is also a major contributor to the team. He's been a knockdown shooter with a field goal ercentage of nearly 45%. Having a quality shooter in the team has enabled the Raptors to spread the floor effectively resulting in some great offense.

Speaking of offense, Head Coach Nick Nurse is one of the best coaches in the NBA from an offensive standpoint and is bringing out the best from his players.

The Toronto Raptors are the real deal. They were brave enough to trade away the face of their franchise in DeMar DeRozan and fire Head Coach Dwyane Casey, who accepted the Coach Of The Year award after getting fired. This mini revamp has worked wonders thus far.

The Raptors are clearly the second best team in the NBA. The Boston Celtics should be seriously worried because their status as the "Best in the East" is now under tremendous pressure.

Who would win a series of 7 games - Raptors or Celtics?